The Fourth Trimester
So Isaac is now 3 months old and I've made it through the 4th Trimester!! I've survived! After I had Kayla, I gave myself those first 3 months to eat and exercise as much or as little as I wanted. I wanted to focus all my attention on her and my new role as a mother. With her, I gained nearly 50 pounds in pregnancy and had lost close to 40 of that by the end of those 3 months. None of my clothes fit, since those 10 pounds were part of a new (motherly) body. But with work, I lost probably 5 more pounds and significantly toned up my body so my clothes fit again. I started my pregnancy with Isaac about 5 pounds more than what I was when I started out with Kayla. With him I again gained close to 50 pounds! Unlike my pregnancy with Kayla (where I remained active the whole pregnancy) I was so sick for so long I couldn't work out until the nausea was over (week 22). By that time, I was large enough that I wasn’t able to work out hard. So, my weight gain with him was quite different than with her. This time around I was motivated (maybe because it's summertime and I have to wear shorts) to lose the weight. For Mother's Day I got a heart rate monitor and started the Couch to 5k running program. I am now in the middle of week 8 of the program (which means I'm running for 28 minutes straight), and have been consistently running 3 times (or more) each week. That has helped me lose about 35-40 of the 50 that I gained.... the last 10-15 are going to be work to come off! I don't fit into any of my pants/shorts but thankfully I'm borrowing a few from a few different friends so at least I don't have to wear maternity pants anymore!! I am motivated to lose the weight and tone up my body, although I know it is a slow process. At least I'm enjoying working out! It is nice that with our membership to the YMCA there is childcare included, so I not only get a chance to work out, I get a break from the kids. That makes working out even sweeter!
As for other adjustments, I'm doing really well. I am confident as a mother and found the addition of another baby to be rather easy. He asks so little and his needs are easy to meet (feed him, change him, hold him, etc)! I find my challenge for sure is with Kayla. But she has adjusted well to having a sibling. Her behavior doesn't seem worse than what it was before he came along.
Sometime it brings tears to my eyes that I don't have the ability to treat Isaac like I did Kayla. I mourn the fact that I can't always pick him up when he cries because I'm attending to Kayla's needs. I mourn the fact that sometimes I push his feeding time so that we can get out and do something fun with Kayla, but as a result we have a very hungry and very sad baby the whole car ride home. I mourn the fact that I can't constantly stare at him and kiss his head and give him all my attention, for fear of creating jealousy with Kayla. But I celebrate the love that he and Kayla have for each other. She truly loves Isaac and loves to hug and kiss him, comfort him if he's sad, hold him, bring him toys.... and he loves her to pieces! She can man-handle him and he just smiles and coos! When she gives him attention his face lights up. I just love watching that relationship form.
One other big change for me is that in these last 3 months I have become a coffee drinker! This change has been coming slowly over the last year. It started off with flavored coffee once a week at church. Then this fall I started going to a mom's Bible Study and I began drinking it there too. Then I started to enjoy the Caramel Frappe’s from McDonald’s. Then when the Taylor's came in town dad brought his coffee maker (we don't own one!) and bought yummy creamers. When they left I used instant coffee to finish off the creamers (wouldn't want to waste them!). Suddenly I find myself making a cup as a daily activity and something I look forward to! It isn't necessarily for the caffeine, although that is a nice benefit for sure. But I actually enjoy the taste (well, with the creamer!). I made it through college and the work force and having 1 child, but adding the 2nd made me an addict! There are worse things :)