A Tale of Two Cowboys

The best description I can think of for what the past two weeks have been like is a wrangler from the wild west. I feel like I'm trying to lasso two little cowboys plus take care of the horse (Norman) and my Roy Rodgers (David). Here are some thoughts and comments in no particular order. Hopefully my randomness can help those who have never been wranglers before (i.e, Julie and Krista who just told me they are pregnant with babies #1!). Oh and my wrangler name is Adie Mae (short for Adrienne Marie, of course).

-Got to love the gauze underwear you get to wear post-partum for a few weeks. They are like the ultimate boy shorts and feel like air against your skin. Ahhhh. I was pretty excited when our nurse gave us a few extra packs of these babies to take home. Sexy.

-I forgot how much blood there is after giving birth. And since I only had a first degree tear this time there isn't even that much. Prepare yourself for the giant maxi pad, ladies.

-Tommy now only wants to be called Thomas. He has been correcting anyone who calls him Tommy. Baby Hank is Henry to him. He is also coping with the change by scratching his chin and biting little holes in his blankets at night. A sticker as a reward when he sits quietly and lets me read to him while I nurse seems to be the only thing that calms him down during feedings. Oh and he also has a new obsession with being naked all the time, wearing only a diaper and a belt with cap guns attached. (I fully admit to encouraging this new habit).

-Upon seeing me with my shirt off, Tommy (Thomas) told me that all the veins across my boobs look like train tracks. He then proceeded to go get Percy, his latest favorite, and try to drive him across my at that time engorged boobs. Ouch.

-Speaking of Marilyn and Louise, they are just as big as last time (36 E-F) but feel much better because Hank can actually drain them each time. He is such a good nurser. That part of things has been totally different than last time.

-Tommy (Thomas) has been really interested in Hank's umbilical chord. When it fell off the other day he couldn't believe it. It is now sitting on my dresser, and he tells everyone that comes over where it is.

-Tommy is also very interested in my "diapers." (See above re maxi pads). Since I am trying to get him excited to start using the potty in a few months, he is often with me when I go. When I reached down to change a pad the other day, he said to me, "Mommy, please no fingers in your poopy diaper." I've taught him well.

-Hank really likes to be held at all times. I'm pretty sure he thinks he still lives inside me. When David holds him he whimpers a little bit. T NEVER did this. Part of me likes this, part of me hopes it stops.

-Total weight gain for this pregnancy was 25 pounds. In the first two weeks with Tommy I lost over 20 pounds, which shows how swollen I was. This time in the first (almost) 2 weeks I've only lost 13 pounds. And Hank was 9, so that makes me a little mad. I'd like to be back within 5 lbs. of my pre-pregnancy weight by my 6 week check-up so I can then start working on the 10-15 pounds I had to lose before getting pregnant.

-Nursing makes you really hungry. I have WAY more cravings now than I ever did pregnant. It's really hard to eat well when you feel like all the calories, water, and energy are getting sucked out of you every 2.5 hours (day) or 4 hours (night).

-I HATE being pregnant. I'd do the first two weeks with a newborn for 80 weeks before choosing to be pregnant again for 40 weeks. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me both physically and emotionally.

-Roy Rogers has been so helpful, and I am working on being nice in the middle of the night. I'm always short and grumpy at 3am and Roy gets the brunt of the agitation. Not fair to my cowboy.

That's all for now. This is wrangler Adie Mae signing off.