Newborn baby, newborn Mum..
Baby Yo is 3 weeks old, the weeks have flown by in a daze of feeding, nappy changes, crying (hers and mine) and nipple cream (mine..all mine). Sleep is something of a distant memory, although baby Yo did lull me into a false sense of security by allowing me a 4 hours stretch over night a few days ago, only to return to hourly feeds the next night..! Yes, welcome to new being a new Mummy.
I am sat cuddling my gorgeous baby as I type this, smiling as I watch my snot covered 3yr old pretending he’s a knight (he’s snot covered due to having a cold and not because that is part of his costume..). The 6 year old has suddenly become incredibly grown up, he wants to do things on his own, he wants to help out. He quietly announced he’d like a little one on one time with one of us. I felt guilty I hadn’t noticed he was being left to get on with things, but proud that he is confident enough that he could happily explain he needed some time with us on his own.
I think, I am adjusting fairly well to having 3 children. With the exception of not having any sleep and having to plan time in the bathroom with military precision, not that much has changed – yet. The house is a mess, there are toys and books in between piles of washing which have yet to be put away..but hey.. it’s not the end of the world (even if it feels like it is when I look at it!).
When Yo was born, I told everyone I wasn’t going to worry about my weight until she was 6 weeks old, however, I’m already fretting that my tummy is enormous and my hips are still carrying extra weight. The kind statements people make about it taking 9 months to make a baby and your new shape and it taking that long to recover from are a little lost on me. I do know though, that I’m really not in the right place to deal with the problem.. as I’m typing this while eating a bag of malteasers..whoops! Yesterday another new Mum (who looked spectacular I should add) said proudly that she intended to stay wearing her maternity clothes until at least Christmas, her body had just done something truly amazing in creating a baby and her body shape was irrelevant. I couldn’t help but smile as this statement, and it has made me think perhaps I am fixating on my waistline rather more than I should be at the moment. Breastfeeding can be my excuse to indulge for at least another 3 weeks right??