4 weeks post partum and 4 weeks old

Total weight gain: i  weighed myself at my mother-in-law’s house last week and I was down to my approximate pre-pregnancy weight.  that would be about 20-30 lbs over what i should be as a normal healthy 30-y-o woman .

Maternity clothes:  currently I’m finding myself in between maternity clothes and regular garb.  I haven’t changed out my wardrobe yet, so I’m still sporting around my summer maternity ware happily because I don’t get to wear it much and it doesn’t look that bad on me right now.  I think this next week I’ll do a switcheroo of my closet though because my summer maternity ware isn’t very voluptuous.   

Stretch marks:  they sure look funny now that they’re not all stretched out.  My belly is at a very jiggly stage.   I am planning on loosing approximately 20-30 pounds and wonder what it’ll look like then!!!    

Sleep:  i sure love to sleep on my back and all stretched out again!  Oh… it feels glorious!  I can sleep however I want and it is so comfortable!  I sleep from about 10pm until about 3-4-5am each night interrupted.  At about 3-4-5am I have a little whimper wake me and I gladly wake right up and feed the whimperer.      
Best moment this week:  I got my birth pictures back (via a slide show).  It was so amazing to watch the show and reminisce the birth of sweet princess buttercup.  Otter pop and I have watched it several times almost every night since we got it.  Wow.  What a great way to preserve such a miracle memory!!!!

Miss anything:  I miss my moving belly.  I love having the baby on the outside of me, but I love being pregnant and I already miss that big kicking squirming belly to rest my bowl on.  J
Movement:  the only movements I get nowadays are bowel movements.  And they’re rather regular. 
Food craving:  wow.  YES!  Peanut butter!  Peanut butter and graham crackers to be specific, but peanut butter on waffles will work, as will peanut butter and jelly sandwiches…  It’s really rather weird.  I’ve never liked peanut butter.  But I do now, and I think I might have to give it up!

Anything making you queasy or sick:  nothing abnormal.
Gender: female.
Labor Signs:  nothing.  Well, I am bleeding a little still.  But just barely and I don’t think that’s a labor sign anyway. 

Symptoms:  no more heartburn, no contractions every day (or any day), no large and heavy pregnant belly, no sore back from the large and heavy belly, no cervix pain with (or without) the contractions, no energy loss, no butt-hook, no shortness of breath, and no complete lack of motivation almost all of the time (or any of the time), no swollen ankles and feet...  nothin' worth complaining about.  In fact, nothin’ at all!!!
Belly Button in or out?  in
Wedding rings on or off? on.  Happy or Moody most of the time:  happy, but with twinges of unexpected and unpredictable grumps throughout each day.  This is one thing that HASN’T changed in the past two months.  L 
Looking forward to:  the journey of mothering 6 fine children!  So far it’s been great!

My biggest adjustment has been managing my time.  Since I was diagnosed with major butt-hook for the last 2 (at least) months of my pregnancy –getting worse and worse as the days went by--- I’m not having a hard time sitting down to nurse my babe every 4 hours.  In fact that’s been the easiest thing to do.  The thing I’ve had a hard time doing is anything else.  I just have still been in the butt-hook groove of sitting and cuddling and hanging out with my wee ones on the couch.  That is, until about a week and a half ago when I realized what kind of slump I was in and started working on it.  Now I’m trying to find the happy medium where I’m productive with the time that I’m not boob-hooked and where I don’t get so wrapped up in getting all this stuff done that I haven’t been able to do for months and realize I have several little ones around me needing guidance, training, and lovins.  And then to beat that over the head for me, the weather has also warmed up (greatly… as in the 80s) and the outside work is now calling my name too… and the outside play.  So, I’m trying to write up a list of things to-do each day and get them done AND get some play time in as well.  It just doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in my day…  crazy how things can turn around in just a month’s time.

So now onto the 4-week-old part of this post:

Buttercup lost the top part of her hair this past week.  It, literally, came out in the wash.  I was giving her a bath and swiped the washcloth over her head to wash her hair and off swiped the hair instead of whatever it was I could clean out of it (as if it even NEEDED cleaning!!!!)  I was so sad –and shocked!  I just wanted to un-swipe it back on.  Seriously.  L

Buttercup has really started sleeping even better at night and then waking up with some major happy face.  It’s so adorable.  We all love to gawk at her smilin’ face and smile back and giggle at her.  She’s a doll!  The past few nights she’s stretched her 6 hours out to 8 and even 9…  it’s nice of her and I appreciate it. 

We had  a baby shower this past week.  It was given to me by a dear friend who I love so much.  It was the most fun party I’ve ever gone to and it was great that I knew everyone there!!!  I love parties like that… they’re never like that though.  But this one was.  It was great also because we didn’t sit around pretending like we’re ladies and such… we all got to make sweet buttercup some onesies.  You heard me right.  We made onesies at a baby shower!  I tell you, this party-throwin’ lady is AWESOME!  Anyway I left feeling totally blessed and loved… and then the next morning it hadn’t warn off.  I just had a great big smile and a happy warm and fuzzy feeling inside of me.  It was great.

buttercup is nice and alert.  she likes to have her "awake" time although she's still sleeping for the majority of the day.  she has beautiful big, alert eyes that are starting to focus in on objects.  it's cute.  she knows who i am and finds me when i'm close enough for her to see.  i like that. 

i have had to start using two wipes on a few of buttercup's diapers... so that says a little something about her growth.  right?

And then last, but certainly not least, as buttercup hit her 4^th week birthiversary she (and we) welcomed a new member into our family: Buttercup’s little cousin was born!!!!  Yeah for cousins being born!!!  It was a special delivery 4 weeks after buttercup and nearly identical ---well, very similar I guess--- birth stats.  It’s great to see pictures of a ‘nother newborn weighing almost the same and measuring out almost the same as my not-so-newborn (comparatively at least).  We’ve seen pictures, but even better, we (buttercup, otter pop, and i) get to meet her in person in a few days.  ---I know this because I’m writing this post as we drive to see her… I just am going to post it when I should have -2 days ago.  So, I’ll make sure and get pictures galore of the two sweet cousins together.  How exciting!!!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."