HaleyI had intended to write a 1 week post (as I did when the boys were born), then time got away from me, and the same thing happened at the two-week mark. So here I am, three weeks after little Scarlett’s birth, attempting to recap the past few weeks and give an update on life in the Hobson household.
See my recaps with the boys:
- the first week (Beau)
- one week postpartum (Beau)
- three months in (Beau)
- one week down, a lifetime to go (James Michael)
- 2.5 weeks with baby james (James Michael)
- three months: baby and postpartum update (James Michael)
SCARLETT
Thankfully, baby Scarlett has been such an easy baby, much like Beau as a baby. Or maybe it’s that this is my third time doing the newborn jig and any baby is easy after your first baby because you feel like you somewhat know what you’re doing 🙂
Little Scarlett, you nurse well and often, but I don’t mind because it’s practically the only chance/excuse I have to sit down for a few minutes with the Rowdy boys underfoot. You nurse a lot during the day; sometimes it’s every 30 minutes for a couple hours, sometimes every two hours. But luckily you take a break at night and go at least 2.5 to 3 hours, and a few nights you’ve graced me with 5- or 5.5-hour stretches. I woke up so refreshed from the nights you had those longer stretches; it was amazing. One of my hopes for you is being a decent sleeper, because it took the boys close to a year to sleep through the night.
You slept the majority of the time your first two weeks, but this past week you’ve had some long stretches of alertness, at times being awake for three hours before taking a nap. I’m just thankful it’s happening during the day and not at night.
You have no special nighttime routine, especially because Mama is alone at night while Daddy works and most of the attention is focused on getting the Rowdy boys to bed. I give you baths during their naptime, because it’s the only chance I have. And you’ve taken quite a few lately due to the amount of blowouts you’re having. But that’s ok, because it means you’re eating well and getting bigger. At your two-week checkup, you were a pound above your birthweight, which is huge considering you started off so tiny. Your cheeks are really filling out, and I hope you’re not offended if I’m secretly wishing you’re not quite as large as your big brother Beau. I plan to babywear you for the next couple months so I can keep up with your big brothers and keep you content and safe from winter germs, so if you’re not 18 pounds at 4 months like Beau, I won’t complain.
You rarely ever cry, especially when Mama is close by. Even in the middle of the night I can scoop you up to feed you before you get worked up. I’ve heard from so many moms that third babies are go-with-the-flow types because they have to be, and so far, this is ringing true for you.
ROWDY BOYS
Your big brothers are so in love with you in their own unique ways. James Michael is as smitten with you as I am, and is a tender soul when it comes to babies. Beau has learned to be more gentle with you and loves to kiss your feet and legs, as those are the only parts of you I’m willing to risk him touching 🙂
I’ll admit, the boys have been a bit crazy the past couple weeks, but I’m not sure if that’s because of your arrival, two weeks of sickness or three weeks of a different routine. More than likely it’s a mix of all of these, so I try not to worry about it too much. I’ve spent a lot of my time keeping the Rowdy boys in line lately, which means you’re nursing sessions are interrupted about half the time. Luckily you’re so laid back at this stage and it doesn’t seem to phase you. We’re all trying our best to adjust to this new normal, Mama most of all.
MAMA
So how is Mama doing? Well, on the whole. I was eager for this week to begin, marking a New Year of new hopes and allowing us to get back to our usual routine (which I’m hoping will help with some of the discipline issues we’re having). I’ve managed to take two naps the past three weeks, which isn’t too bad considering I’m a horrible napper. I’m much better off going to bed early, which is what I’ve been doing. Most nights, after reading a few chapters in some kindle books on disciplining, I turn in between 9 and 9:30. Scarlett’s best stretch of sleep at night is her first one, so some night I get lucky and we go to sleep around the same time, which means optimal sleep for me.
My night sweats didn’t start until two weeks postpartum, and I think my hair is already starting to fall out, since James claims he can’t even walk in the bathroom without hair sticking to him everywhere. I’m not looking forward to thinning hair, especially since my hair is so fine to begin with. But hopefully if I keep my hair trimmed and shorter I can mask the thinness.
My final weigh-in at the OB put me at 21 pounds gained, and as of 1 week postpartum, I’ve been sitting at about 3 to 4 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. I like to think these few pounds are reflected in my larger bust, but I know better 🙂 I may hang on to these last few pounds for a while or until I stop nursing. And I’m ok with that. I meant to snap a couple more pics over the last couple weeks, but honestly this was on the bottom of my to-do list. But honestly, I’ve looked the same the past two weeks so it doesn’t really matter.
I think my hips are still retracting a bit, or I’m hoping they will get back to normal soon! I’ve been wearing normal clothes since I came home from the hospital, but my jeans with stretch fit much better than my jeans that won’t give at all. They are still tight when I button them up, which is one way I can tell my hips are still spread a bit.
Despite being almost back to my normal weight, my body is still different. I still have more fluff practically everywhere, and less muscle everywhere. I’m hoping to make it back to the gym in two weeks when my mother-in-law is here to visit for a couple days. Obviously, I won’t be doing anything hardcore, but it will feel nice just to get in and fit in a light workout. I’m still unsure of how I’ll fit in regular workouts with three kids, but hopefully I’ll have a plan in the coming weeks.
This is probably another post for another day, but I’m still figuring out how to be a mom of three. Sure, we’re surviving each day, but I want us to thrive. I started a new bible study with SheReadsTruth.com last week, and it’s been great to get back in the Word–I’m a much better and more patient mom. God is using it to refocus my heart, bestow upon me grace, give me a fresh perspective for parenting and disciplining, renew my strength and confidence as a mom and remind me that life is much greater than my day to day obstacles.
