Quick Update...

Assuming that Marek continues to sleep, and that Dora lasts 30 minutes, I will have time for a post! It will be a quick one.

I fully intended to have a big post about the labor story, and all that, finished by now. But, I don't. Partially because I am super super super attached to this little guy! He is just Sooooo cute and SOOOO Sweet and a great nurser and an AMAZING sleeper. we thought Ardyn was a good baby, but I am telling you, MAREK is a good baby.

I am feeling really well, really normal. I came home from the hospital at my pre-baby weight and have been wearing the smallest jeans I own with room in them. This is a good feeling. Marek's cord came off last night at 5 days old, and we are loving cloth diapers for him. They are SO awesome on newborns. I am learning what my preferences are, and what covers I like. I just got some more used wool, because these are my favorite, but since his cord fell off, I have been happier with the fit of a Thirsties XS cover as well. I am mainly using fitteds all day, and BG AIO's at night. They work well, but do tend to leak at the legs if he gets to wet, so I have to make sure to change him at least twice a night, sometimes three times, even if he doesn't poop. I think I just can't get the XS's tight enough on his tiny thighs. LOL. I have been really liking wool, my favorite pair so far being the footed longies that Sara made custom for me. I just bought a pair of babyology longies, which look like an Aristocrat. I also got a few pair of knit longies, and a couple of fleece longies, in newborn sizes. I think the Mutts are my favorite fitteds. I have four. They are the only ones that never soak through with a NB poop. (Breastfed poop I should clarify) and they are super cute nad fit well. I also like the KL0's but they can leak easier. They are nice and soft and a great fit though. I just prefer them with a PUL cover because the soaking can really be rough on your wool consumption for a day. I also like the WAHM fitteds that I bought used, but even with the soaker inside, they too can seep through to the wool quite easily. But overall I am adoring the cloth. I plan on trying out prefolds and snappis soon, as I have a couple dozen, but I am waiting for the circ to heal more so that I don't have to worry about the snappi rubbing or anything. It just makes me more comfortable waiting for that to happen.

The hardest thing is trying to keep up with the house, and keeping Ardyn happy, since when she wants a drink or a snack she wants it NOW and she is like a broken record no matter how many times and ways you try to acknowledge her request and explain that she has to wait a minute... but I am sure that will get better with time. It's hard to expect a 19 month old to wait for a drink much longer than 60 seconds. LOL.

I find myself doing lots of laundry, between the two kids and two sets of diapers, and mamma pads also. I am SO happy that I decided to use mamma pads postpartum. Holy cow the difference in my comfort is amazingly noticeable. AMAZING. That chafed, damp, sore feeling that you get postpartum is nowehre to be found. it's just pure comfort. I washed my first load of pads yesterday and they ALL came completely clean, even on the natural colored fabric. They are just beautiful! I adore them. I will never go back. I also use washable breastpads, which I used with Ardyn later on in my nursing career. I like them, except I have no wool or fleece backed ones, and the milk is REALLY heavy this time, so if I have a letdown I can easily leak through a breastpad on the other side. So I go through at least 1 bra per day as I can't re-wear them. And then I am washing breast pads too, but they are nothing, and I have plenty. It feels so good to be not throwing all that stuff in the trash. Of course, the midwife said NO laundry and housecleaning in the first week, and I can see where she is coming from, but seriously, no one else is going to do it all. Evan has been really great about feeding us all, making the meals, taking care of Ardyn, and he has been cleaning the kitchen. But primarily when it comes to picking up the coffee table, and wiping off the dining room table, and laundry... it's been mostly me. As of tomorrow I get official clearance to drive. I can't believe that they say no driving for a week after a vaginal delivery. Seriously? I am not on any medication? What's that about?

I have the two kids tonight, and my sister is coming over to help with supper and bedtime, and Ardyn's bath. I am glad about that. Looks like we will be having leftover meatloaf that Evan's grandma made us. Yum Yum! Marek seems to be awake most evenings, which is great, except that he clusters his feedigs and usually just does one side at a time... so i don't have any hands.

Later... When Liz got here she promptly got Ardyn a drink (thank god) and then offered to PICK UP (ahhh) and cleaned Ardyn's room. Then she held Marek while I heated up our supper, and we all ate. Now she is giving Ardyn her bath so that I can nurse Marek, and I am actually watching "In the Motherhood" on the Tivo while nursing and now blogging. Ah. So happy to have her help tonight. When Ardyn's bath is done, it will be time for her to go to sleep, and then all I have to do is handle Marek while I clean up from supper and continue laundry. As a matter of fact, if Liz stays a little while longer I might get a TON done. Right now Marek is snoozing next to me on the couch. He and I usually go to sleep around 10pm, or at least he does and I join him as soon as I finish up whatever tasks I have been working on.

We had a "precious moment" tonight. Ardyn was sitting in her bed, and Aunt Liz was reading her a bedtime story. I was sitting in the glider in her room with Marek. The lights were all turned down, the fishes fed, her medicine taken, and her bath finished. She was picking her nose and picked out a big boogie. She looked at Liz and I, then tried to put it BACK in her nose, and then handed it to aunt Liz and said "garbage" in a very matter-of-fact tone of voice. LOL. It was hilarious!

Evan got home just in time to kiss her goodnight and fill her humidifier for me. I did a few loads of laundry with Marek in the Moby wrap. it's the first time I put him in it, and I LOVE it. I bought it from my friend Christina, and I am so glad I did. I was actually able to do laundry completely hands-free. I could lean over and put the laundry in and out of the dryer without holding his head at all. It was awesome. AND for the first time EVER, I did something smart. instead of transferring laundry from the sorter to the washing machine from 5 feet away, I ROLLED the sorter over to the front of the machine and did it from right in front of the machine. Partially because there was only one bin full in the sorter, so it wasn't heavy, and partly because I had never thought of making less work for myself before. Duh. That means that I didn't drop any socks that I had to retrieve afterwards. Sweet. Why didn't I think of that when I was pregnant? Or when I had Ardyn?

Well, that's all for now. We are still here, and I will write more when I can! Take care!