You know the discharge papers they give you after you have a baby? The nurse sat down with me and went through all the do's and don't's when I go home.
Sleep when baby sleeps.
Do not lift anything other than baby.
Don't let baby go more than 3 hours without eating.
Um, yeah right. I obliged in the hospital, but the moment we stepped out of those hospital doors, was the moment those rules were over.
We came home on a Friday night. It was super cold. The furry thing my son is wearing is for 3-6 month olds. Apparently, I thought I was going to deliver a giant of a baby. The little guy's feet didn't even make it to the leg holes. The gigantic outfit kept me from properly buckling him in. Is the chest buckle lined up with his armpits? Who knows? When they are that tiny, one can only adjust it a centimeter either way anyway so we will risk it on our 3 minute drive home.
We arrived home to be greeted by my sister-in-law who spent the night. My brother showed up soon after we did. My daughter was still at my parent's so we still just had one to care for. I wanted to stay up and visit, but it was like 10 pm, and I was exhausted, so I let my husband entertain, and I went to bed.
Saturday, I awoke to my mom bringing my daughter home. O was so happy to be back home, and was full of energy. Lots and lots of energy. My mom was full of energy, too. I came out of the bedroom to find she had started my laundry, was doing dishes, and general clean up. She was grabbing all the bags we brought home from the hospital and emptying them for me. That was pretty much awesome. She also may have tried to wash my sister-in-law's clothes and find a home for her belongings...but that's ok :)
Then the hubs showed up with doughnuts and other goodies from the store.
Mama + doughnuts = big smile.
Daughter + doughnuts = Too much energy she doesn't know what to do with....
Sunday was very much like Saturday. My mom showed up and had food, and I tried to rest as much as I could.
Monday was my first day home with 2, and we had to go to the grocery. This mama didn't have diaper ointment, and Little Mister developed a serious diaper rash late Sunday evening. Before anyone even says it....yes I have heard coconut oil and lavender essential oil 'works great'....I whipped some up. And no, it did not work. Not even a little bit. We needed the chemical-filled-probably-going-to-give-us-cancer-but-it-gets-rid-of-the-rash-fast stuff. We left early (ok, it seemed early to me, because it was before 10, and getting us all around took forever).
Hurdle #1...I didn't buy the typical car seat carrier everyone has. No, this mama found a carseat that lasts through booster seat years, and stays planted in the van. Safer? Yes. Pain in the butt to get your 4 day old out of and into the store when it is 3 degrees out? Most Definitely.
I put Little Mister in my sling, which worked out great. He snuggled up and slept. We went straight to the diaper rash cream, grabbed that, and then, since Little Mister was sleeping took a little walk around Walmart. Did I mention I grabbed a grocery cart? For 1 bottle of diaper cream, I grabbed a cart. And then we 'took a little walk'....
20 minutes later with a cart full of snacks, dinosaur stickers, and Crayola paint, we checked out.
Hurdle #2...I have a large cart I am pushing (ahem, more than the weight of my 8 pound baby) and I need to get a newborn in a carseat, a 5 year old in a booster seat, and ALL. Those. Groceries.
Well, so much for not lifting more than 8 pounds. This may have been the first time in the history of Walmart trips that the cashier didn't pack 1-2 items per bag. This lady had each bag full. Heavy and full.
Step 1: Tell Daughter to get in seat.
Step 2: Start Van
Step 3: Put baby in carseat. He wakes up and cries. He seems to be cold, so cover him up and shut the door.
Step 4: Chase after cart that has started to move across the parking lot with your purse and all the food you just bought in it.
Step 5: Put all those bags in the back, while you listen to baby scream, and 5 year old complain of the loud screaming.
Step 6: Shove the cart in the direction of the cart caddy, and hop in the van.
Step 7: Drive home with the lovely sounds of baby cries and 5 year old complaints.
We survived. O helped carry groceries in, and left the door open so our house was a nice cool 58 degrees by the time all the food was in.
Hurdle #3...That trip pretty much wore me out for the day. I managed some PB&J for lunch, and turned on a cartoon. Must. Take. A. Nap.
2 Magic School Buses later I have not napped at all. Little Mister woke up when my head hit the pillow, and there were diapers to change, and some nursing, and an outfit change in there somewhere. Boys are way more difficult to change than girls. I don't recall my daughter ever peeing mid diaper change. If it happened it was a very rare occurrence. This little guy...not so much. Every single diaper change has resulted in the use of 2 diapers. It's maddening.
Skip a few days and we are to Day number 6 of life with Little Mister.
It has been 8 days since I have had coffee. Little Mister is sleeping well at night, and I am not excessively tired. By 8 days I had proved to myself that I could go without coffee, but it's kind of yummy and it makes me happy. So, I had a cup. Then, Little Mister had horrible tummy issues that evening, and I was sad. I am still not sure if the tummy issues were because of the coffee, but I will get back with you on this topic.
Skip a few more days...we played more games of tic-tac-toe than I care to admit. We read. We watched some cartoons. It's been like a week and we are out of sorts without our routine.
She also pulled out her 'Writing Center' tote and has been making invitations to all sorts of things.
It has been 13 days since Little Mister arrived. I have napped one time. However, I have had a shower 12 of the 13 days, so I think that is pretty awesome. :)
