I Love Nursing!

Can I just say that I love nursing? Apart from all the benefits for baby, I have already lost 28 pounds!! Yay! I cannot wait to get back to the gym, but I was told I have to wait until after my six week appointment for that. And, the middle of my incision still has a little opening, so it probably wouldn't be wise to push it anyway.

Hannah nurses like a champ. She has had no problems and is on a great "schedule" already. She eats pretty much every three hours during the day, then ramps it up in the evening and eats every hour and a half. Then, by ten, she's tuckered out. She sleeps a good four hours, then eats. This is our problem hour, though. She likes to be awake then for a few hours and wants someone, anyone, to stay awake with her. This doesn't make for a happy mama. Daddy has been staying awake with her the last several nights after she eats. This is especially difficult when the triplets get up around 7 these days and my day has to start then. She will usually go another four hour stretch once she's back to sleep, but it never seems like it because she is so wide awake at 3 am. She also has a bad habit of being wide awake during the triplets nap time, so I don't get naps during the day. It is nice, though, because three days a week, we get Hannah and Mommy alone time.

I don't know why I always worry prior to a baby being born if I will be able to nurse or not. I always fret that maybe it isn't wise to not have any bottles in the house or maybe I should stock up on formula "just in case." I think this is exactly what formula companies want moms to think. Thankfully, I have never had any supply issues and every baby, with some work, has nursed well. The triplets had a preemie suck, but eventually got over that. The second day Hannah was a little lazy, but she has really done well since then. I am thrilled it is working for us because I fear she would not get a whole lot of mommy time any other way. The triplets are not jealous of it, either. Ethan likes to sit right next to me while I'm nursing and just lean in to me. Kind of like my sniff-tester - Aidan - when I was pumping for the triplets! Aidan has had me read books while she's eating. We find ways to work with everyone. It is so much less stressful to not have to worry about preparing, washing, warming, bottles.

I know not everyone is able to nurse and I am so thankful that I am able to.

A Prayer Answered

I have been wanting to join The Body Station (our local gym) since the triplets were born, but didn't feel like I was ready to really commit to doing it nor had the time/money to do it. I decided that was where my Christmas money was going to go and I was ready to commit. Then Aidan decided that it would be a most wonderful idea to color a huge circle in red lipstick on the living room floor to "keep the triplets in." Yeah, that worked well for him. All that ended up happening was he got in a lot of trouble and babies smeared their way out of the circle. I was steaming mad and Steve just informed me that was exactly why he is so resistant to new carpet. My argument was that now we really needed new carpet. He just laughed and said, yeah, when Aidan graduates. Uhhhh....I'm pulling my hair out here!

Needless to say, my Christmas money was spent on a new, large area rug (thanks Ken and Lee!) to "cover" the nasty living room carpet...at least in the whole red-lipstick area.

Now my option was to use birthday funds to cover the membership, but I knew I wouldn't make enough and would still be over $100 short. So I was trying to get creative and realized I just might have to learn how to use Steve's Total Gym until I could raise enough money. I knew I couldn't talk Steve into letting me spend that and I knew I'd feel incredibly guilty taking it when it can be used for so many other things right now.

Out of the blue yesterday, a lady I had met at a garage sale two summers ago called me and asked if I had any baby stuff left and would I be willing to sell it? Would I???!???! Of course I would! She came over yesterday afternoon and bought a ton of clothes and our swing. I was more than a little sad to sell the swing because it was still in fantastic shape and part of me wants to hang onto it forever because "what if" we need it again. Logically, though, I know that it will more than likely never be used by us again and why hang on to something forever, just in case?

The answer to the prayer is I am only $25 short of my goal and Steve is letting me join and take that money! Woohoo! I do not feel guilty doing that because I know we can afford $25. We can probably afford the entire membership fee, but I would just feel guilty taking it all. I know if I prove to Steve that I use it, he'll gladly pay for it next year.

Megan, our usual sitter, is willing to babysit three days a week right after school for an hour (cheap), so I can go, too. The other two weekdays I am going to go at night so Steve can be home and I'll figure the weekends out.

Now I have the money, the sitter, and no excuses. I am very excited to get started! I know it's going to be very hard work and I know I am going to get tired and discouraged at times, but I really need to do something. After the triplets were born, the weight just fell off (thanks mostly to nursing and PCOS). I walked two miles every night and that helped immensely. Unfortunately, it got very cold very fast this year and the triplets got much busier, so by the time they were in bed I was exhausted. Which means that then my eating went out the window and I've gained a lot of weight back. I was frustrated, but I know I can do this if I really put the effort into it...and now I'm ready!