I’ve been meaning to hop on here the past couple days, but as you can imagine I’ve been pretty busy!
Taking care of a newborn is a really tough, albeit rewarding job!
I’ve LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, LOVED snuggling with my sweet baby and taking care of his every need, however I’m not a big fan of all of the other “stuff” that goes along with the newborn stage. I’m not lovin’ the sleep deprivation, hormonal roller coasters, recovery from childbirth, and lack of productivity. I’m also not a huge fan of the first few weeks of nursing.
BUT, I’m really trying to soak up and enjoy our sweet baby Carson. He is so beautiful, innocent, perfect and TINY! I love him so much! I’m also a huge fan of naked babies…
And babies in onesies…
So darn cute. It just kills me! Oh, and if you think he looks a little yellow, it’s because he IS. He’s a little jaundiced. All of my babies have had jaundice.
Oh, and this has been my “baby headquarters” this past week….
I have spent A LOT of time in this recliner! I’ve used this recliner with most of my kids and it’s been the best “baby chair” ever. I pretty much live in it; nurse the baby, change the baby, rock the baby and even sleep in it a bit. I also love that my 4 year old and the dog can fit on there too!
Awesome.
My kiddos have adapted so well to the new addition. Honestly, I think the dog has had a harder time adjusting than any of the kids. My two oldest kids want to hold him every chance they get. My daughter LOVES changing his diaper (awesome!) and getting him dressed. My three younger kids love to hold him too, but I usually have to “supervise.”
The other day my two youngest were holding Carson while I was getting ready for the day. It absolutely melted my heart when I heard them both singing to him.
It was about the cutest thing ever.
Also, the other day Carson was swinging in his swing and my 4 year old started reading a book to him!! It was so darling…
I’ve actually been amazed by how well my 4 year old has adjusted to having a new brother. I was really worried he would have a hard time, but he LOVES him! He couldn’t be any sweeter.
I’m sure they will be best buddies when the baby gets a little bigger.
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Well, I thought I would talk a bit about “Body after Baby.” It’s pretty darn amazing what the body goes through during pregnancy, childbirth and after having a baby! Crazy.
Weight Loss (or lack thereof):
Okay folks, I actually left the hospital feeling chubbier than when I got there! Yes, it’s depressing. Because I was induced and had an epidural, they pumped my body full of a bunch of fluids! I felt (and still feel!) just like a giant marshmallow.
I know it’s temporary, so I’m not trying to worry too much about it. I’ve also been drinking water by the truckload in hopes of deflating a bit.
When I got home from the hospital, I hopped on the scale just for kicks. I had lost a whooping 4 POUNDS!
Okay, let’s do the math….baby weighed almost 8 pounds, a placenta weighs 1-2 pounds and amniotic fluid weighs about 2 pounds.
AND, I lost 4. Awesome.
However, I’ve steadily lost weight since then. I was down about 8 pounds by day four, 10 pounds on day five and 12 pounds this morning (day six.)
I’m still wearing my maternity clothes (they are comfy!) and some of my regular baggy, cozy clothes.
I’m really not too concerned about the weight loss right now. I know my body just went through A LOT, and it takes time to get back to “normal”…..whatever normal may be!
Hormonal Swings!
I’m definitely feeling hormonal!!! I’m usually a pretty happy, optimistic person, but I always get a touch of the “baby blues” after having a baby. Hormone levels are at an all-time high during pregnancy and then they plummet after having a baby, so it’s no wonder I’m feeling a little “jacked.”
I’m hoping to feel a little more like myself in the next week or two.
The other day I was talking to Kev and I told him I was having a REALLY hard time knowing this little baby would be our last. I just want to hold Carson all day long and soak up every second of his babyhood. I also still have a little bit of a pregnant belly and am still feeling some of the after effects of childbirth and it makes me so sad! I’m sad because I know I’ll never see my body pregnant or experience childbirth ever again.
Ya know, that should make me happy!!! But, in my crazy postpartum state, it makes me sad. I warned Kev that I will be a WRECK as this “little caboose” of ours grows up. It will absolutely kill me.
I also got all weepy the other day as I looked at my baby doing this…
He was happily sucking on his little hand. Well, a couple weeks ago I had an ultrasound done and little Carson was sucking on his little hand in the ultrasound. It just killed me to think he was just IN MY BODY a week ago doing the same thing.
Ya, I got all teary about it and so darn sad. Yes, I have issues. I’m hoping the hormones stabilize soon. 😉
Recovering From Childbirth:
Ya know, it’s so tough to care for a newborn, deal with hormonal issues AND recover from childbirth all at the same time. Oh, and throw nursing in there too!
The day after giving birth, I felt like I had been run over by a truck. Every part of my body from my head to my toes ached.
It’s pretty miraculous what the body goes through during pregnancy and childbirth. I was reading the other day that a lot of the organs in the body move during pregnancy to accommodate the growing baby. Sooo after giving birth, all of those organs have to move back into place. I also learned that when the placenta detaches from the uterus it leaves behind a big wound….so you need to recover from that too!
I also had headaches, every muscle hurt and my back ached from the epidural. I felt like I had the flu. Also, I won’t go into details about adjusting to nursing (TMI), but it is a MAJOR adjustment. Ow. Ow. Ow.
On a brighter note, I can now stretch without having cramps/Charlie Horses and I can lay on my back again. YAY! Oh, and the heartburn and nausea are GONE. I’m so happy ’bout that.
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Well, there ya go. Those are the major bodily changes I’ve been dealing with this past week. I love having a newborn SO MUCH, but I’m so happy the first week is almost behind me. It’s always the hardest.
I will leave you guys with one more cute picture of my sweet baby….
Love him SO MUCH!
Yep, having those older siblings to love on him is one of the best parts of having a big family! I’m one of eight myself, and now that I’m a young mom I try to remind myself that it might be hard now, but later on I’ll have older ones to help out! Bless you guys!!
Thanks so much! It’s been so much fun to watch my older kids enjoy the baby so much. It’s definitely been a lot easier having so many hands to help out and hold him. I really love having a big family!
He is so precious and it is adorable to see his older brothers holding him in the pictures.
Thanks so much. We’ve all been enjoying him so much!
Congratulations! He is just adorable!
Thank you!!!
Oh, Melanie – he is so stinking cute!!! I would want to just sit and hold him all the time!!!
Be nice to yourself and cry when you need to, laugh when you can and above all enjoy these days/weeks!!!
Thanks for sharing the pictures – I look forward to many more!!!
Thanks so much Kim and thanks for your encouraging words. I know this newborn stage is short, so I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can!
What a sweet heart! I agree, man that first week is a doosy! It all gets better from there! I also agree that I always feel worse than when I walked in after I’ve had a baby. You stretch out so slowly and bam, baby is out and it takes so long to de-elasticize!!!
You are beautiful! Congratulations to your sweet family!
De-elasticze, lol!!! I can totally relate! I am definitely feeling stretched out and poofy. I can’t wait until my body starts to calm down and return to somewhat normal.
He is beautiful! The pictures of your little ones holding the baby and reading to him are precious.
Thanks so much. We’ve had so much fun with him and I’ve loved watching my older kids enjoy him too!
Oh my gosh, he is so precious! Congrats Melanie!
Thank you so much!
I agree with it all-that newborn phase is precious, but rough! Those hormones… Sigh… You’ve got this though and it too shall pass. I’m sure you’ll feel like yourself shortly. Take care and enjoy that chair, looks comfy!! You won’t be hanging in it forever, as I’m sure you recall! 🙂 hugs your way!
Thanks so much for the encouragement and reassurance! Even though I’ve done this quite a few times already, it’s always hard to imagine life returning to normal….ever again. Ha. I guess for now, I will enjoy my comfy chair, lol.
The pictures are ADORABLE! Thanks for sharing your beautiful family with all of us. The pictures of your sweet children are so heartwarming!
I remember the crazy math that makes no sense after childbirth! The numbers don’t come up right when you subtract all the weight from the baby and the birth. It’s bizarre.
Thanks so much Deborah. We’re having so much fun with our sweet little one. The kids LOVE him! I’m also hoping the “weight loss math” starts to make sense soon, lol!
My friend went through the baby blues. I felt so sad for her. She said she was so happy, but so afraid of doing something wrong and filled with anxiety. Once your hormones have balanced out, you’ll be your happy self again.
The newborn stage is such an interesting time. I LOVE tiny newborns SO much, but it’s very stressful too! I’m starting to feel more like myself already and I’m sure things will return to “normal” soon.
He is just the cutest thing ever! I read this post the other day from my phone but never commented. Congrats and I’m so happy for you!! What a blessing!
Thanks so much Brandi. I am soaking up every second of newborn-ness!
I had no idea that you could get headaches, muscle aches, etc from an epidural. Is that common?
Your kids are so adorable with their baby brother!
I think the headaches and muscle aches were just from the labor, delivery and sleep deprivation. The back ache was from the epidural and I’ve had that with a lot of my babies. It’s not too bad though and seems to go away after a few days.
Gosh. I loved those early weeks and it feels like forever ago. I want another baby and just don’t know if I should wait for Quinn to be one year older so she can “help” or just get moving on it! Carson is so sweet!
I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the first few weeks with a newborn. I’m trying to soak up and cherish every moment with him though. I felt just like you did when trying to decide when to have a baby. It’s so tough!