Category: postpartum good times

Because I think I’ve let myself go.

Seriously, y’all, having three childrenz is running me ragged. Not to mention this whole hand/arm injury I’ve got going on.  I’m supposed to start physical therapy for that, but my doctor’s office accidentally referred me to a hand surgeon instead of a physical therapist. Uhhh…..so now I gottamakeabunchofphonecalls to clear that up, and I haven’t had the time.  Because I never have the time.

But anyhoo.

Has anyone seen me lately?  Or is this me now?  Hair au natural (hurts my arm to do my hair), 20 pounds heavier, lucky if I get my makeup on twice a week.

I guess I just need to be patient.  Get this injury healed so I can exercise. And use my flatiron on my hair. And so I can wear some clothes that don’t make me look like a homeless person.

But it’s more than just that.  I’m so BUSY I can hardly sit down.  I haven’t got time to read other blogs, let alone be an actual good friend to the real people that are in my everyday life.  Pretty much all I can figure out how to do right now is parent.  Nurse, preschool pick-up, play, teach, clean-up, and make peanut butter crackers.

Jill told me since I have a newborn, I have the right to look like a hobo for six months.  I hope that’s true. If it is, I guess I’ll see ya in June.  If I can find myself by then.

Setbacks. Setbacks, people, that’s what I’m dealing with.  Last week, the ice storm, kids with no school, and not one single second to myself (and when I say “to myself” I mean “alone with just me and the baby”.)

And then the Blissful Virus of Death got me too, and I was sick all week.  And now Sophie’s got it, and she’s home from school today, and it pains me when she misses school, because she loves it SO much, that it pains her too!  And she only went ONE DAY last week because of aforementioned #$%! ice!

And then there’s my postpartum setback.  My incision not playing nice and re-opening.  I still can’t exercise.  Still have 18 pounds to lose.  Still feel not great about myself.

Oh, and remember how I said I was the worst at being pregnant?  Well, I FORGOT (how could I forget!?) that I am also the worst postpartum person ever!  After I had Joshua, I had a very painful thumb injury that is weird and rare and yet  a “postpartum” thing – it’s called DeQuervain’s Syndrome.  (Here, check it out on Wikipedia, it’s a rockin’ good read!)  It was so bad after Joshua that I had to have physical therapy on it.  It was so, so painful.  I had to wear a brace for a long time too.  After I had Sophie, I only had to wear the brace for a couple weeks, when I felt it coming on.  Well my thumb has been hurting for a couple of days now, and this morning I can’t deny it – it’s back.  So I am about to go ransack my bedroom after I write this and pray that I still have that brace somewhere (it was pricey!)  But I don’t know if I still have it or not. Let me just say, when you have to shove three car seats in the back of a sedan, there is NO ROOM for you to have a hand injury. UGH.  Also I have NO TIME to attend physical therapy. I am a stay-at-home mom who is NEVER at home because my kids have so many appointments and things!

So, anyways, I’m just complaining this morning.  Sweating the small stuff, and wishing I could fast-forward a few months to warm weather, size 8 jeans, and a hand that works right.

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with my college roomie (hi Kelly!) who is in that state that I was recently, pregnant with her third child. (Pretty sure she planned hers, though. SHOW-OFF!)  She and I also have c-sections in common, so I asked her if she was gonna make it official like moi, and get those ol’ tubes tied while they were in there.

“I don’t know,” she said, “it just seems so final.”

“Then you’re not ready” I said.  “Because when I think about having my tubes tied I want to do the dance of joy that I did it!  And that’s the way I felt when I was pregnant, too.”

And now, 7 weeks postpartum, that’s still the way I’m feeling.  It’s not because I don’t want more kids. (Although I’m VERY happy with the way our family is right now.)  If it didn’t cost 9 gazillion dollars to adopt, we might go for another one that way in a couple years.  But my body, my BODY, is done having kids.  And I’m so glad.  I’m just not the best baby machine.

Tuesday morning, after the ice storm caused me to cancel my 6-week postpartum check-up, I discovered my c-section incision had come OPEN a little bit.  Um, panic attack much!?  I had to wait til Thursday to get into the dr. and get checked out  (Fortunately it will close and I will live.  But I got antibiotics juuuuust in case.)  I am having all kinds of post-partum joint and nerve pain (also had it with Joshua), and while I know it will go away sooner or later, it’s making my life with three kids even more complicated and difficult! (As is shoving three car seats in the back of my sedan.  Who wants to send me a mini-van?  Toyota?  You’re my first choice!  Call me.)

But anyhoo. I’m so done.  And SO BLESSED with my three amazing babies!  The jacked-up body I’m left with is totally worth it but it’s ready for a permanent baby-makin’ vacation!

So let’s all start pressuring Emily to have another kid, k?  She pops ’em out like nobody’s business!