2 Months of Motherhood

8.24.2017


J turned two months old last week! And while I'm choosing to not sharing monthly updates, I wanted to share an update on how I'm doing now that we are settling into more of a routine.

Friends, I absolutely love having two kids. I thank God every single day for the blessing of two healthy babies, and I'm not just saying that. Literally every day I feel so overwhelmed by how thankful I am. It's just a sweet season right now and I don't want to take it for granted. (I wrote about that more in this post.)


Whenever I talk or write about our life, I never want to give the impression that everything is butterflies and flowers. Sometimes people or blogs can feel too happy about everything, and while I greatly appreciate some people's ability to look on the bright side, it's also nice to know you aren't alone with your messy house and tired eyes and overflowing pile of laundry.

So, just to set the record straight: My house is messy. I am tired. There are hard days. R is a toddler and is often just a straight-up hot mess. Emphasis on mess.
But. 
I am enjoying myself so, so much.
Jordan and I were talking recently about how much easier it felt to fall into a new routine with a baby than it did the first time. Last night, Jordan, R, and I sat around the table eating dinner together (all at the same time! eating the same thing!), and J was at our feet in the rocker. We actually eat together most nights since J came along, and that scene would have never happened when R was 2 months old. 

Clearly we are ready to start trying for Baby Bum #3! 

JUST KIDDING LOLOLOL. Jordan almost had a heart attack reading that. (We would like more kids if God blesses us that way, just not for a few years at least.)

As of this writing, I have 155 ounces of milk in my freezer! I don't say that to brag; I know that so many mamas would love to be able to have enough milk to feed their babies, not to mention have extra to save. But pumping at work and not making enough for R was such an emotional experience for me, and I'm excited to have started a nice stash for when I go back. I don't do great with the pump, and I never get more than 5 ounces total in one pump session (usually closer to 3-4). This is a labor of love for me and will hopefully ease some of the stress when I actually need to go back to the office full time.

On August 2 I had my pp checkup, and my doctor said I was good to go to exercise! I wrote this post outlining my exercise plan, and just about three weeks later I'm really pleased with my progress so far. Just in the last week I have been able to button a couple pairs of pants that I wasn't able to before. I still have my goal shorts that don't fit quite yet, but they are getting closer! I've gone on a handful of runs, and it's felt so fantastic. I missed it. I'm writing down my distance (no more than 3 miles right now) and time in a notebook and going to continue focusing on increasing my pace at these shorter distances.

I have also been doing workouts targeting my deep ab muscles in hopes of correcting my abdominal separation. A month ago I had 1.5-2 fingers of separation, and now I have just 1 finger! It's fun to see tangible progress like that. I love BodyFit by Amy's postnatal workouts. They are short but effective, and I like that she seems normal and I don't feel pressure to go faster and harder. She herself had a c-section and talks a lot about going slow and getting back to working out safely!

Finally, I have been working on this leg workout Heather posted. Truthfully, I can't get through the entire five stations. The first time I did this, I did just station #1 and was dying. It was one of the first things I did to exercise after having J, and I felt it. My legs were so sore for days after, and I could barely most around without wincing. I was a little depressed about how out of shape I was, but I decided to press on. I have been focusing on just mastering station #1, so once a day or every other day, I set my timer for 5 minutes and do the first round of leg exercises. It gets easier each time, and now my legs aren't sore at all after! I think it's time to add station #2, and I am going to keep adding stations until I can do the entire 25-minute workout.
It took about a month and a half, but I finally got out of the house by myself with both kids in tow! I was too intimidated to take both of them by myself anywhere except daycare dropoff and pickup, but on R's birthday we met a friend at the Oklahoma Science Museum. Technically I wasn't alone, since my friend and her daughter were there, but it was my first Big Outing without Jordan or my mom.

We were there for two hours, and I carried J in the Ergo and chased R around while she raced circles around the Science Museum in toddler glee. Seriously, there was so much to see and look at! After that initiation I decided the grocery store would be a piece of cake, so I took them to Walmart, and every day I feel more comfortable getting out with just the two of them. We've been out to the store and the park and the splash pad! I was trying to live up my maternity leave as much as possible, and I think we succeeded.
I know two months isn't a very long time at all, but I already can't remember what it was like before J came around. One thing I do know is that Jordan and I both wonder what we did with so much extra free time with just one kid. Ha!

The first few weeks were rough, and we wondered what on earth we had done to ourselves, but I do feel like we are settling into a new groove, and I'm enjoying watching R love on J and excited to see their relationship continue to grow as they get older. She gives kisses to J and tell him she loves him, and it's heart melting. Not literally, of course. I am so close to my siblings and have such fun with my family, and I really want to nurture that with my own children!

If you are reading this and aren't sure you are ready to have kids yet or have just one and are wondering if you should have another, I have to say that I highly recommend it. 

*And for those of you who desperately want children and haven't been able to have any yet, I do see you, and I will continue to pray for peace and for sweet babies for you. You are loved and you are understood.
Maria said...

I just went back and read some of your breastfeeding posts (SO SO HELPFUL TO MY PSYCHE RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU!) and I'm so happy that you and the pump are friendly to each other this time around. I have a love/hate relationship with mine. As you said in earlier posts, no one prepares you for the time commitment and responsibility of breastfeeding/pumping. I've never been so aware of the time before in my life. Actually, two days after we came home from the hospital, we were in Target buying clocks for every room in our house because we were always asking each other what time it was. But yes, it's hard. Feeding a baby period is hard. I spilled 2 ounces of pumped milk yesterday and I had to hold back tears.

Anyway - so happy that things are going well and I'm in shock that he's already two months old! Props to you for getting back on the workout wagon! I'll have to check out a few of those resources when I'm cleared. Not that I'll have any time to do them, but optimism.

The dinner thing is hilarious because we were just saying the other day that we'll be eating dinner in shifts for the next year. It's like she can smell the food and just knows that dinner time = wake up time.

Maureen @ Maureen Gets Real said...

That's awesome you are able to wear pants that you used to not be able to! I love that you have goal shorts and aren't killing yourself to get into them.

That leg workout looks killer!! I don't even know if I would be able to get through the whole 25 minute workout right now.

Have a great weekend :)

Michelle said...

I am so so happy to hear you're doing so well! You're doing such a killer job. A friend of mine told me a few weeks ago that having a second baby is much easier than the first, because your world isn't turning upside down in the same way. I had never thought of that before and it made so much sense.

Audrey Louise said...

I'm really glad you guys are doing so well :) K and I talk about kids all the time but the season just hasn't been right for us yet. We know we want at least one baby, but we don't feel a pressure to make happen just yet. I love seeing happy families together and thriving, though! It makes me excited for our future some day!

Main Street Corner said...

I read your blog since before you have babies, and sometimes it feels weird cause I feel like I know you cause I read snippets of your life through your blog. ha!

p.s : your kids are so cute!

Unknown said...

dude. sibling relationships are worth every second of missed sleep. i still melt when she greets her little brother in the morning!

Beka @ Sunshine to the Square Inch said...

I'm so glad you are doing well with two kiddos. I'm sure it is hard but also really rewarding. Also, that is a lot of milk! I think you've done a great job pumping.

Jen said...

I'm so glad that you have been able to fall into a routine so easily! :)

AnneMarie said...

I am so glad that y'all are doing well!!! I have so much admiration for you and other people who handle two little kids at once, because it just seems like it'd be overwhelming to handle a newborn AND a toddler at once. It sounds like you are doing an awesome job!

Jenny Evans said...

Glad you survived the first outing (and ESPECIALLY the first grocery store trip) with two! Go you!

Carolann Chambers said...

Andddddd there goes my plan to just have one baby! hahaha! I'm so glad that things are going well and that you have been able to save so much breast milk. I think that will really take a load off of you when you go back to the office. I struggle with how much to share on my blog. I want to be positive and uplifting, but I also have challenges and hard things that I want to talk about. BUT I am afraid if I talk too much about the hard things that I will be seen as a complainer and no one will want to read my blog.

Laura Darling said...

So glad you are all settling into your new groove! And way to go for getting the kids out! I went to the zoo this weekend with my brother and SIL, and they have a 2 year old and a 1 month old. I am in AWE that you were able to manage that on your own!!

Unknown said...

This is really encouraging! I'm not quite 2 weeks into being a mom of two and right now it feels hard (partly due to hormones, I'm sure), but it's helpful knowing it'll get better. My toddler has been having some major jealousy/resentment issues which has caused a lot of tantrums, but hopefully the adjustment will get easier over time. My husband goes back to work this week so I'll have to figure out a new routine and eventually get out of the house alone with both of them!

The Girl who Loved to Write said...

You are a champion! I'm so happy you're finding fulfillment even though I know you're tired!!

Torrie said...

Looks like R is a big fan of the splash pad! It took us a looong time to get to that point with Raven---did R take to it right away, or have you gone several times?

Rach said...

Congrats on all that milk stashed up! Girl, that's awesome! And I love hearing how much you are loving being a mom to two! Go you for taking both kiddos out on your own!

Yay for having the all clear to work out again after you PN visit! Mine is next week and I'm looking forward to that!

Rach said...

Oh! And thank you for sharing the BabyFit Youtube videos! I'm looking into those now! :)

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