two weeks

And just like that it has been too weeks. In some ways, time has gone slowly. But in more ways it has flown by.

I wanted to do a little check in about how we are doing and record some things I want to be sure to remember. This post is so random and disjointed. Maybe the most poorly written post ever. Oh well.

First, on c section recovery. If any of you have to deal with this in the future, take note. It is no joke. They are serious when they say it is real surgery. I think I did really well and it was still difficult. So Brambo was born at 1:41 am on Friday morning. I was on an adrenaline high, to to mention still numb for the next little while. But when the feeling did start coming back, it hurt. For about 6 hours or so (4 am - 10 am) I was miserable. I literally felt immobile. Like I was glued to one spot in the bed. Which leads me to my one and only tip. Move as much as possible as soon as possible. My main motivation was to get the IV site taken out. It was driving me crazy. That couldn't happen until 24 hours after the catheter came out. So, I wanted that out ASAP. They originally said they wouldn't take it out until late afternoon. But for whatever reason, they agreed to go ahead and take it out at 10 am. That was the turning point for me.

Once they take the catheter out, you are forced to get up and use the bathroom. No other choice. And because of all the IV fluids, you have to pee a lot. I mean a lot. And while getting up hurts really bad, each time is a little easier. It will also provide you with an opportunity to experience a new kind of intimacy with your significant other or whatever support person you choose. Seriously, I was thrilled that Max had the opportunity to help me pull up my hospital provided mesh undies. Good thing he loves me!

But seriously, the key to c section recovery is to get moving. I took four separate walks around the floor on day 1 and got out of that bed as soon as I could! And, take the pain medicine.

After coming home last week, I found myself in a pretty predictable pattern. It went like this...good day, bad day, good day, bad day. Sunday, the day we came home, was like a dream. We walked out of the hospital with a baby! Both sets of grandparents were still there and my brother, sister in law and nephew came to town too. Everyone did a great job of celebrating with us but also giving us space. I was feeling great; not in a lot of pain. Then Monday hit. Man I was sore. And emotional. Lots of crying. And the week pretty much went like that. A good day. And then a bad day. At least I know what's coming.

Wednesday we went for our first weight check. So he was born 7 lb 11 oz. When we left the hospital on Sunday he was 7 even. And when we went back for a weight check he was 7 even. Not great. They wanted us back the next day where we would be looking for a gain of at least a half ounce. And on Thursday, that's exactly what we got. Since he gained just what he needed, they said we could wait til Monday or Tuesday to come back. We made a lot of progress in breastfeeding over the next couple of days. I'll get more specific with that in another post. So we went to get weighed on Tuesday and he was 7 lb 10.5 oz. He gained 10 ounces in 5 days. We were ecstatic!

My mom stayed with us for a little over a week. It was so nice having her here and I can't wait until she comes back. Her time here definitely prolonged reality for us. She did lots of laundry, dishes, baby holding, etc. She took nighttime shifts. And in general I just love being with her. Having her here made me more relaxed, confident and stable. Needless to say I cried a lot when she left.

Brambo is absolutely amazing. He eats A LOT! I was totally unprepared for the amount of time I would spend feeding him. But I'm so thankful I am able to. He loves his swing and I can almost always count on it to give me a much needed break. I took my first shower when no one else was here today. He sat silently in his bouncy seat while I showered. Amazing. I absolutely love to watch his facial expressions while he eats. Super cute.

Wow. So random.