After Baby

I know that I am super behind on posting this, but January was kind of a wash for me. The first week Sterling was intensely studying, my niece Olivia flew here to help me with the kids since he was so busy, and then school started, Sterling had a couple weeks of a super busy sub internship, and suddenly it's the last week of January!

First off, Olivia was an absolute lifesaver. She pretty much woke up, helped me feed my kids breakfast, and then immediately took them out of the house. We had incredible weather while she was here and she was super excited about having the beach ten minutes away (the kids seemed less thrilled, they are so used to it, but always came home exclaiming that they had so much fun) and it was perfect. She took them to the beach, the park, out for ice cream, and the pool. She took them to the beach and then to the pool on a few days which was awesome because then all the sand went to the pool and not my house haha! She also played card games with them almost every evening-we may have converted her to the amazingness of Sleeping Queens and DragonWood) and sang them songs and MOST IMPORTANTLY chased and chased and chased and chased Russell around and around. I actually think the transition to having a baby around was so easy for him because he still had so much attention for so long after the baby was born. First mom and then Olivia just were so amazing at playing with him (he is busy and exhausting but he is also SO much fun!) that he had the baby and attention simultaneously and then when they left he was used to her. I could go on and on about Olivia and her greatness. Suffice it to say, I had days and days that week where I only had to do laundry and cook meals and that is REALLY easy when there is no child care involved at the same time. I will forever love her. Haha. I'm also pretty positive that I was not that helpful when I helped her mom out after Garrett and Brynne were born. But then again, I was only 12 and could not drive. I do remember swimming laps upon laps around their pool with Little Megan on my back, so there's that. I was nervous that there would be a lot of screen time over Christmas break because of the baby and how much time they had off (they were off until January 9th) and I am so grateful that they got so much outside playtime!!!

Backing up, mom flew in when I was still in the hospital. She came Monday morning and I had Grace Monday night. There is no better peace of mind leaving your kids than when your mom has them. And she was incredible. She did all the things. School drop-offs, pick-ups, lunches, naps, swimming lessons, Christmas programs, pajama school days, homework, piano practice, chores. The kids didn't even notice I was gone. I always wish my mom could stay forever. She does all the wonderful mom things. Like make fudge. And caramels. Buy Chinese food. Wrap presents and hide the under my bed for Christmas. I felt like everything was a whirlwind and I blinked and she was leaving! By the end of her week here she knew everyone's names that walk their kids to and from school in our neighborhood (she kept telling me things and using their names and I'd be like "I don't know peoples names, they just walk to school by me and I nod and say hi" and she'd know their whole life history, I just love that woman!) and she knew all the families that frequent our neighborhood park (my running buddy Megan that I haven't ran with since training for my half!) she knew the best grocery stores for hard to get items like anise, and the best grocery store to just run to late at night. She knew all about my kids' social life and who their friends were and who was in their swimming lesson class and what they needed to work on for next time we do lessons to pass their level. She is amazing. Thank you, mom, for taking such good care of my little family! I love her.

We did Christmas Eve pajamas a day early so mom could join in the fun, and she flew out and we had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together as a family. Sterling wanted to be studying, but after putting in some hours on Christmas Eve morning, he spent the rest of the time with us. We had our traditional hoagie meal and nativity and played games. Christmas was magical--our kids are at the very best age and they were so happy about everything, no grumps or sadness!!

The day after Christmas and the following three days our bishop's wife came and watched our kids for about three hours at the park by our house and I slept or showered. It was such a tender mercy. I knew Sterling needed to be studying, but our baby was just a week old! Thanks to her I felt like I could handle the rest of the day because she gave me those few hours. Plus, when she brought the kids back it was time for Russ to take a nap, so I could just lay him down and I really only had to deal with him in the afternoons and evenings. Our ward was also PHENOMENAL at bringing us meals. I say this with so much gratitude because I have honestly never had meals from a ward after having a baby. In Utah, they assumed my family would do it. After Molly we had a night that the medical students brought us about 12 fully cooked meals on one night (how do you even store that much cooked and hot food?!?!?!?!? They obviously were not the best planners) but none from our ward. After Russ our ward did bring a couple, but twice we actually threw it away and Sterling ordered pizza. It really was that bad. Guys. But since our ward combined and we have a new presidency and basically a new ward (Delray Beach was so so small and joining Boynton gave us so many more members!) we were blessed this round. We had four meals brought spaced out over the week after mom left and they were delicious. Really good food. And the last one was pizza, on the night we normally have movie night, and they brought enough for lunches for the next two days---which lengthened out my not having to cook even further. It was seriously the best ever. THANK YOU EVERYONE!

Then Olivia came. And then the kids started back at school.

But my recovery was so easy that by then, almost three weeks later, I felt so good and was so ready to be out and about again. I have to say I think this was the best postpartum experience I have had. If I could have always planned it like this, I would have. And Olivia was the answer to my prayers! I had worried so much about that week that my kids were still out of school and my baby was still so tiny! And I am so grateful mom spent the busiest week of the year--the week before Christmas--just dropping everything and spending it here.