1) Sleep deprivation. I'm living my life in 2-4 hours chunks. I honestly don't know how I'm surviving but I am. It isn't pretty but I think evolution gives you this extra adreneline to take care of a newborn of your own. For some reason her 4am cries aren't as brutal as I was anticipating. I may be in the 1% of Penn State mamas but for me, THON was worse. I was hallucinating at THON (I told my Dad they moved the stage to the opposite side of Rec Hall when I wasn't looking...)
2) I'd be lying if I said the compliments aren't nice to hear. After feeling like a sumo wrestler in the final weeks of pregnancy, having my body bounce back fairly quickly has been a miracle. I don't want to come across as bragadocious(thank you Erin Kelly Ward for that word;) and not touch upon the reality that is my body/situation: good genes play a huge part. Calculated timing on when I got pregnant and how I ate & worked out during those 10months are a big chunk of the equation, too. Yes, I posted on here photos of cookies and indulgences but really my eating choices are ones I make very specifically. And I worked out HARD up until 34wks. This bounce back is my reward I think. (Pregnancy bikram post coming soon...)
3) I do not want my Mom to leave! This top 10 is coming to you from Pinky nails as I enjoy a mani-pedi-chair massage. This will not be able to happen when she leaves nearly as often. Also, that extra set of hands is a godsend. And Morgan just loves her Gramma already!
4) Breastfeeding makes me a ravenously hungry. I was warned it would. Lee: is there any spinach left for dinner? Me: no, I ate the whole box today. Lee: (makes Homer Simpson eating noise directed at me) haha.
5) I look at families on the street with a whole different level of respect. Two kids or set of twins? I want to shake your hand.
6) Abby told me that if we can get through the first 6 weeks it really gets better. Matt agreed. We are halfway there.
7) Morgan's chubby rolls make me extremely happy. There's this double edged sword I am sure every Mom feels as their baby grows...excitement and satisfaction that they are healthy, sad as they move on from the newborn days. Lee says our return on investment right now is very low and is pushing hard for that first smile:)
8) Did I mention the sleep? Sometime I wake up in the middle of the night looking for a second baby. I'm clearly losing it. I go into the nursery, count one baby, and then look for the other for 30seconds before waking enough to crawl back into bed. CRAZY.
9) January TV shows that will become my guilty pleasures: GIRLS, The Bachelor (how adorable is this guy?) and Walking Dead. Anything else I should be watching mindlessly?
10) Send me your best mama tips for the witching hour. Morgan has here from 830-1030pm and it is brutal. She is inconsolable. And then wears herself out and passes out for a 4hr chunk of sleep. I take what I can get! (See photo on how we get through witching hour---white noise literally directly next to her. I would sit like this for hours if necessary. We also swaddle tight but this photo she was just changed and baby girl HATES the pacifier, but takes a bottle? Weird.)