Getting Back to Normal

What a terrific week this has turned out to be!

Pain free, energy levels are soaring, my pre-pregnancy pants button like a champ (whoohoo), Kevin’s dad is coming for a visit this weekend from New York, and it’s Jack’s 3rd week at home. And to make things even better, the American Idol finale is tonight – and both of my favorites made it to the end! GO DAVID!

I can definately tell I’m healing – emotionally, physically, and mentally – from this magnificently awesome thing called childbirth. My confidence in my mothering skills has gone up too, and I feel the “multi-tasking” ability has started to take over as well. I can now confidently nurse the baby while walking across a room to answer a telephone - by myself.

And if you would have seen me try that 2 weeks ago, you would have never thought it possible of me! In fact, I was once so scared to be alone that I cried for an hour the day that Kevin went back to work last week. I just had a terrible fear that something would go wrong and I would be unable to handle it. But thankfully, that ”dreaded something” never happened and my confidence has slowly built.

It’s amazing what a week can do.

I also notice subtle changes in Jack-Evan. They’re changes probably only a mother who stares at her baby all day could detect, but the changes are there none-the-less. For one, he’s losing his newbornish’ness and staring to look more and more like a little baby boy. His hair color is shifting to a more dirty blonder state, a wee bit of chubbiness is starting to peek on his baby-boned body, his belly button is now “complete” (umbilical cord fell off last Tuesday), he’s a pro at nursing, he can hold his head up for a good few seconds, if I’m laying close to him when he’s on his tummy he will “scoot” over to me (awesome to watch!), and he gets more and more time awake & alert each day.

He’s also staring to get to a stage where he’s vocal about the fact that he wants his mommy. It’s getting a little harder each day for a person besides myself to console him (especially since he’s breastfed exclusively). I must say it’s quite endearing to watch calm come over my little crying Jack the moment I pick him up and look into his eyes, but it also gets tireing when I’m the only one he seems to want.

Yes, tireing and mind draining.

For instance – yesterday, he had a rough afternoon after coming home from his doctor’s appointment and wanted nothing more than for me to hold him and rock him. Neither my mom nor my dad could console him. And when my husband came in, he was only content to stay with him for a while before he started crying again. Therefore, Jack was in my arms for many hours yesterday while at my parents house – so much so that when Kevin and I left to go home last night, I climbed into the driver’s seat and cranked the car, adjusted my seat, moved the MP3 player, and adjusted the mirror.

WITH the baby cradled in my left arm.

“Uh…What are you doing?” Kevin chuckled.

Yes. That’s right. I had completely forgot I had a sleeping infant nestled in the crook of my elbow. It was as if he was just another appendage that I had grown use to. Sighing, I laughed too and took him around to his little car seat in the backseat. It was quite a funny experience and showed us both first hand the change in lifestyle we’ve experienced by becoming parents.

But even with all the tiredness and changes, I wouldn’t trade being a mom for nothing in this world.

Hope all is well with you all…thanks to everyone who’ve wished us well over the past few weeks! I’ve enjoyed all the wonderful comments – they were such a blessing to read during the first week back at home!