Monday, September 13, 2010

Different

My Mom and Dad left town yesterday after their week-long visit. When they left, I really felt like I couldn't handle life without them. This recovering from a c-section is so very, very different from anything I've experienced before. It's weird to have just had my fourth child-birth experience and still be so clueless about what to expect. I've never been on strong pain-killers for so long in my life. I spent a whole 10 days relying heavily on Percocet to be able to move! I finally feel like I can get by with just frequent Advil dosing. Wearing pants is tricky because they seem to want to push on the incision site (not to mention my oddly shaped backside!). And to top all that off, I'm just plain exhausted from feeding a newborn every 3 hours.

But, despite my feelings that I wouldn't be able to handle it, I am handling it. - With a lot of help from Richard and our friends still, of course. - We'll make it just fine. Sure, we'll have a very low standard set for ourselves, but we'll make it work. Sadly, we only get to keep the nanny this week and then she's found another job. But she was only going to come on Tuesday and Thursday mornings anyway since the boys have Preschool Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

If this post so far seems a bit like I'm trying to convince myself that I'm OK just as much as I'm trying to convince you, you're right on. I do need some convincing. I don't really feel entirely sure that I can handle it. I know in my head that I can - but ... let's just say the hormones with this pregnancy and birth have been a whole new (huge) ball of wax, too.

The one thing that has gone totally right - even more so than could possibly have been expected - is Samuel. He really is a perfect gentleman so far. He eats great, he sleeps great, and he's so freakin' cute it's unbelievable. Nursing has gone wonderfully from the very beginning. He occasionally goes four hours between feedings at night. He has some awake time each afternoon to get ready for night time. He's perfect.

*sigh* Patience. I know. Patience.

1 comment:

erica said...

what can you really say - um, C sections stink (I hear), and your baby is beautiful, and I hate the 'adjustment' phase. I love you Nancy! Good luck and enjoy the sweet baby for me! Glad to hear he eats and sleeps well (that's from good parenting, by the way)!