Getting Comfortable

Yesterday, I got out of the shower to find that Curtis had decided he wasn’t enjoying reclining in his bouncer seat. Apparently, he prefers to nap curled up. Good thing he was strapped in there!

Grant has been back at work much more this week. He’s been dropping Eleanor off at school and then going to work for the rest of the workday. (I know I’m much more spoiled than some wives, but I’m also much more wimpy.) Yesterday was rough, but other than that, the kids and I have made it through alright. It’s just hard on those days when I really need a nap and I’m at the mercy of Curtis and Phaedra to somehow miraculously nap at the same time. This is especially difficult when Phaedra plays in her bed some days instead of napping (such as today).

My recovery has gone pretty smoothly. I’m not dealing with any physical pain, and I’ve gotten most of my strength back (as long as I eat, drink, and sleep). My main challenge right now is keeping my emotions under control, which is greatly influenced by how much I’m allowed to sleep.

Phaedra has had good days and bad. She’s especially disobedient on days when she skips her nap, so this evening with no daddy around (he’s in class tonight) should be fun.

Curtis is still a great baby. His nights have gotten a bit more tricky now that he’s a little older. He was sleeping like a dream, going to bed around 9:30 and sleeping all night except for a few feedings after which he went right back to sleep. The last few nights, he has gone through a crying period that can keep us up pretty late. Once that’s over (around 11:30 or midnight), he goes to bed and has a typical good night where he wakes to eat and goes right back to sleep. Grant is wonderful and lets me go to bed while he deals with Curtis’ crying, but even then, I can have a hard time settling down while listening to my baby scream in the other room.

Curtis is having more alert time during the day. It’s fun to get to see his little eyes more often.

I’m trying to be patient and tell myself that it’s okay if we have days where all I do is meet our basic needs of survival. The rest will come. Life just has to slow down for a while.

I feel limited by not being able to run my own errands. We don’t want Curtis out in public too much because of how some people maul babies they see in public. Also, Phaedra has really been a terror even when we all go places as a family. I have no idea how I would handle her if I tried to take all the kids alone. That really worries me. I don’t know how I would chase her through a store with baby in my arms. If only Amazon did groceries!

If I complain too much on the blog, forgive me. It’s just a nice place to vent right now. I’m not trying to send out a “cry for help.” I’m just getting thoughts out so they can stop rolling around in my head. Let’s blame it on the hormones, shall we?