Post-pardom

 Baby Garrett is 9 days old.  The first week wasn't bad at all, because my mom spent half the time at my house cooking and helping me care for the kids, and the other half she took Caleb and Angie to her house and let them play with their cousins for a while.  During my time home alone with just one baby, I couldn't help but wonder how I EVER thought that I needed my mother's assistance after only having one child!!!  It's so easy!  Baby sleeps, so you can sleep.  No two-year-olds saying "Mommy get up!!" and demanding food, drinks and attention while you wonder around in a haze from getting NO SLEEP.  All I can say is that I am SO grateful for the help she gave me last week.  And I'm allready missing her so much, and wondering how I'm ever gonna manage by myself.

Garrett is a wonderful baby!  He eats just about every 3 hours on the dot.....unless he has awake time after a meal......then he likes to be topped-off once he gets tired again, and then he usually sleeps for 3-4 hours straight.  He hardly cries, and he's just such a joy to have in our home.  I just love him and his chubby cheeks and webbed toes. 

As for me, I KNOW I've recovered faster for this baby than any other pregnancy.  But even so.....I've never had to chase 2 other kids while recovering either.  It's a good thing I'm recovering fast....cuz this 3 kids thing is kinda kicking my butt.  Honestly I don't even mind the getting up in the middle of the night, if it weren't for Angie who wakes up at 7:00 ready to go.  And half the time I've just finished feeding the baby from 6:00 to 7:00.....so there's no going back to bed.....when it's ALL I want to do.  I hope the baby starts sleeping through the night soon.........I have this constant headache at the front of my forehead that NEVER goes away.  It makes all the hours and days blend together in a continuous haze.

I'm not complaining really.  It comes with the territory.  And suddenly all moms with 3 or more kids are my heroes.  I don't know how you all did it.  Of course, the same as everybody else.....one hazy day at a time. One thing I'm experiencing that I'd completely forgotten about is HOT FLASHES.  I kinda remember getting them after Angie was born. I have moments where I'm freezing cold and need a sweater.  Then as soon as I get it on, my body temperature kicks up several degrees and suddenly I'm sweating.  It's the worst at night.  I'll crawl into bed freezing, and then wake up 20 minutes later COVERED in sweat.  I've decided walking around with a blanket on my shoulders is better than a sweater because I can just throw it off instead of peeling my arms out of sleeves when they're usually holding the baby, or I'm strapped to the breast pump or something. 

Tomorrow is Garrett's 10-day check up.  I hope he's gaining weight again because that means he's that much closer to sleeping through the night.  He really is so precious.  I'm grateful to have 3 healthy children.