April 2018

This has been one FULL month! I even hesitate to do a GBOMB because how can anything be better than having a fresh, new baby to snuggle. And how can anything be truly Blah when I’ve been blessed with this beautiful little family of mine? Just know that having a baby makes me feel ALL the feels…but the strongest is definitely gratitude. Also…I have a feeling this will be a long post.

Good

• I know I talked a bit about this, and it technically happened in March, but labor went so well (mostly)! Here we are, weeks later, and Ben and I are still talking about how blessed we were throughout this labor.  I cannot tell you how stressed I was about going into labor without having family close by to watch Wendy. It was nothing short of a miracle that Ben’s mom was in town when I started having contractions. We were able to head to the hospital with next to no worries, knowing Wendy was in the good hands of her grandma. And, while I was totally mentally prepared for another C-Section, I felt super lucky that I was able to have Greta naturally.
• Ben’s mom was in town because she had brought a bunch of the grandkids down during their spring break. So Greta had lots of visitors at the hospital which was so fun.
• After having Greta, we only had to stay at the hospital a little over 24 hours. It was nice to be able to get home so quickly.
• My mom drove to Flagstaff the day Greta was born and stayed for a week. What a blessing she was to us!Wendy loved playing with Grandma. Greta loved snuggling Grandma. And I loved that Grandma made it possible for me to sleep in!
• I love conference and this conference was wonderful.
• I was a little worried with how Wendy was going to respond to a new baby but she has just been awesome. I mean, I still get a little worried because Wendy doesn’t quite know how to be as careful as I want her to be, but mostly she has been so sweet. She’ll copy us when we say Greta. She’ll independently go up to the bassinet and say, “Awww!” She’ll also stand by Greta and do her version of baby talk (it is seriously hilarious). And just today she wanted Greta to be sitting on her lap (and once Greta was on her lap, Wendy proceeded to jab her face). It’s definitely a learning process (for all of us) but it’s going better than I imagined.
• Recovery this time around has been soooo much easier. After I had my C-Section I felt like recovery was not bad. BUT having had the VBAC I can say that this recovery has been loads easier. And I’m sorry but it is so nice not being pregnant.
• Mental recovery has been so much better as well. I don’t know if hormones have just been kinder or if it’s just one of the benefits of this being my second child, but I’ve been feeling a fraction of the anxiety I felt after I had Wendy. Everything seems so much more doable and so much less worrisome.
• Ben has been so helpful. Not only does he wake up with Wendy in the mornings and offer to make dinner, he also just gives me so much sanity in the moments when I am worrying about stupid things. Thank heavens for him.

Blah

• Apparently I’m allergic to something at the hospital. When I had my C-Section, I got a huge rash surrounding the incision, and this time I got a huge rash on my back (where I got an epidural). I don’t even know exactly what it is that’s causing the reaction (some people say surgical tape, some people say anesthesia). But the rash is big, itchy and it spreads like crazy. The first time I got it, I was prescribed some medication that took it away pretty quickly. This time, the medication didn’t work as well and the rash stayed much longer than preferred!
• I can’t complain too much about lack of sleep because I know lots of moms who have it much worse with their new baby. But there is something about getting inconsistent sleep that really makes your brain just a little off. And that’s what I’m suffering from. Foggy brain. Which makes me just a little bit slower and a little bit less eloquent. Perhaps this will be an intermittent problem for the next 18 years 😉
• At Greta’s 2 week appointment, she hadn’t gotten back up to her birth weight. Ugh. Anyone who’s been following my blog knows that Wendy’s had weight issues as well. It’s definitely not the worst problem ever, but something that still stresses me out. But Greta had a weight check yesterday and she’s finally passed her birth weight and looking good!
• So…news…Ben has officially heard back from the schools he applied to and…(this is in the blah section, people)…he wasn’t accepted into any of them. After waiting so long to hear back we suspected as much. I think there is a bit of relief at being rejected, just in knowing that grad school isn’t an option at this particular time (one less thing to have to decide on). So the question we get asked all the time: What will you do now??? My answer: Cry. Just kidding! (Kind of;). Ben has started looking for and applying to jobs. We might stay here in Flagstaff, but he’s looking in different places as well. I think the most frustrating thing for me is that we have more waiting! It gets really frustrating not knowing what our next step is, especially since Ben is graduating and DONE with everything in less than a month! It’s crazy and a little scary but we really do have faith that everything will work out. Meanwhile…should I start packing???

On My Brain

• Social media has been in my brain as of late. I feel like I keep seeing things on social media and on the news where I just think, “Man, is everyone blind to the impact social media has on people?” But then I have experiences where it’s obvious I’m blind to it as well! Before I had Greta, I was scrolling through Instagram aimlessly. I came across something (I don’t even remember what it was) that made me feel very anxious and worried. I thought, “Ugh. I am feeling SO anxious. I need to pay more attention so I can find out what’s triggering this anxiety.” Then, as I went to put my phone down, I realized how dumb I was being! I didn’t need to “figure out” what was triggering the anxiety. It was right in front of me! I don’t think all social media is bad and I think everyone has to figure out their own limits. I’m not on Facebook because I hate it (okay, I hate how it makes me feel). I like Instagram a lot, but I’ve realized I have to give myself boundaries. Browsing in search is fun (and a great way to pass the time when you are nursing at 3 a.m.) but if I stumble onto a post (even if it’s uplifting) about anything regarding death or major illness, I fall into this pit of anxiety and worry that has zero purpose. So I try to keep my browsing to cake decorating and wedding pictures. I just think learning to manage our social media exposure is super important for our own mental health and it’s important so that we can teach our kids, or the next generation, healthy habits. End soap box 🙂
• We’ve kind of gotten back into a routine in the last couple weeks but it’s not really something that’s set in stone. And as a result, I’ve had several days where both the girls are napping and I’m finding myself with nothing to do. Ha! I’d love to jump back into some sewing projects but I’m hesitant since that free time sometimes only lasts 5 minutes…and that’s hardly enough time for me to pull out my sewing stuff. Eh. I’ll get back into sewing eventually…

Extras

• I have many questions for you all! Please help! Do any of you have great activities for your little kiddos while you are nursing??? Putting on a movie always works but I wish we had some other options that would keep Wendy occupied for a bit of time while I feed Greta.
• I’ve been plowing through books since I had Greta. Any favorites you’d recommend?
• Finally, please send me your favorite crockpot recipes! That’s the only kind of meal I seem motivated to make lately…