Reflection...

As we're closing in on Cookie's one month birthday, I've been thinking about my pregnancy and labor and delivery...thought I would do one last throw back to the old format during pregnancy...my friend I stole the idea from did one and it was quite cute.

TOTAL WEIGHT GAIN: 30 lbs throughout the pregnancy (plus about 10 lbs of cheeseburger weight from the first trimester).  It's nice to lose instant weight once the baby comes, I dropped about 10 lbs in the 2 days I was in the hospital, but was extremely swollen and puffy after coming home.  Most of that weight took about a week, maybe a little more to come off.  Weight loss has continued though and I've lost an addition 5 lbs since then. I've now officially lost 25 lbs and have the 5 lbs plus the 10 lbs of cheeseburger weight left (and I haven't started exercising, but have been taking walks every day - waiting for that 6 week post partum OK to begin). 

MOVEMENT: Cookie is a squirmy worm, especially during her active part of sleep.  She also makes loud noises and cries a bit during that phase of sleep.  She fooled us for a little while and we'd go get her and hold her and end up waking her up.  Now I wait a couple of minutes to make sure she's actually awake.  Nick has a harder time waiting and I have to restrain him at times, but more often than not she cries and screams for a minute or 2 and then passes back out.

It's strange to look at her little hands, feet, elbows, and legs...these are the things that have been poking at me and kicking me for 9 months.  They seem familiar and yet are so strange to me.

CRAVINGS: I still haven't had a drop of alcohol or caffeine (even with these long nights and days).  Caffeine would help, but I'm still restraining...alcohol - not sure why I keep restraining, but haven't done it yet...I thought that would be one of the first things I'd indulge in (either a glass of wine or a micro brew), but I just haven't been interested - maybe it's more like haven't had the energy.

One thing I have been crazy about is sushi...can't get enough although I've tried to restrain since it's so expensive.

SYMPTOMS: Symptoms that stopped post baby: missing feet, heartburn, spicy food aversion (although Cookie doesn't particularly care for spicy foods), crazy dreams, frequent urination (yea!), mild constipation (in part due to stool softeners they give you post birth), frequent hip pain, insomnia (although I don't sleep due to the call of a hungry baby), shortness of breath, swelling of feet and hands, uterine discomfort,general feeling of uncomfortableness, nasal congestion

Symptoms that are continuing: Emotional ups and downs (probably much to Nick's disappointment), major forgetfulness, lower back pain (now from carrying an infant around), faint linea nigra (not sure when this is supposed to go away), minimal stretch marks on left and right hip, left and right inner thigh and lower left quadrant of stomach, extreme fatigue (which used to be mild), very mild carpal tunnel in left hand (the majority is gone and the left hand is still slowing getting better.  I think I have residual swelling because of the IV placement - my rings still don't fit.), fabulous pregnancy hair (not sure when this is supposed to go away)

New symptoms: In my blog about symptoms I'm glad I didn't get, I noted gas.  Well, it's kind of reared it's ugly head post pregnancy...not sure why, I feel bad for Nick.  Lot's of icky stuff in the girl bits, but it's been felt better since about 1 -2 weeks post Cookie's arrival.  I was able to wean myself off the Percocet about 4 days post Cookie and off the Ibuprofen 8 days post Cookie.

BELLY BUTTON: It's an innie again, but it's bigger than what it was...my belly is jiggly (sorry if that's TMI) and I'm hoping it shrinks back down as I work to tighten everything back up...again, not to start until the 6 week post partum visit.

PREPARATIONS: Carpet got installed the day after Cookie's arrival...Nick had to leave the hospital, but it only took a couple of hours.  All baseboards made it in while Nick took 2 weeks off for Cookie's arrival and our family room and great room are done and beautiful!

MILESTONES: Cookie arrived.  We've stopped calling her Cookie for now...we don't want to confuse her with different names, but plan on calling her it again once she's a bit older.

WEEKLY WISDOM: You can never be totally prepared for this event, no matter how many books you read and how many people you talk to.  A big tip I have is brush up on/learn about infant care and parenting philosophies before baby's arrival.  I was so wrapped up in labor and delivery, I didn't think to really research this.  Doing it once baby is here is much harder.
 
One other piece of wisdom - don't panic if you don't know what to do.  I've had several moments of this when Cookie has been crying and I know for a fact she's not hungry because she literally just ate.  Take a breath and try to remain calm.  Your baby knows if you're upset and I firmly believe it upsets her even more.  You're only human and you're figuring things out too...I'm still not all the way there and have had my moments of tears (thankfully Nick has been home each time this has happened so he can take Cookie at that moment so I can have a good cry and collect myself).  Being a mom is the hardest thing I've ever done because I don't have the answers and Cookie expects me to have them...but those moments when you get it right - I feel like Supermom and no one can touch me.
 
Last piece of wisdom - lean on your hubby.  He may not do things the way you do them or as quickly as you do them, but he's figuring it out too.  Nick has been a huge support and has been super involved to which I'm totally grateful.  He's also taken some abuse to my very tired mood which is a whole new level of crazy...I've found out that lack of sleep makes me crazier than being 30 lbs pregnant.  He really deserves a medal.