Adjusting to 3: PART 2 Coming Home And Our New Normal

I came home from the hospital knowing I was moving a little slower with this recovery due to having so much scar tissue from two previous c-sections, losing a lot of blood during surgery, and some massive bruising across my tummy.

But I thought I’ve got this…third kid…I know what I’m doing…

c-section recovery and all.

But this time was different.

My reality check quickly set in by day two, taking me down a couple notches…

I realized as your heart grows with love, so do your concerns…

new kid = new worries.

We are blessed with an insurance company that sends a home health nurse to our house one to two days after we go home. The nurse checks on both mom and baby, as well as answers any questions. It has always been a comforting visit, reassuring me that every thing is going okay.

This time our visit sent this tired mama into freak out mode. Baby Brody’s jaundice had gone up, he hadn’t gained any weight in two days, and the knot he was born with on his fore head gathered yet more attention from yet another medical professional. She scheduled a follow-up return visit to the house in a day. I spent a day in tears, frantically breastfeeding him every two hours round the clock.

The home health nurse returned and this time Brody’s jaundice had gone down as by day 5 his liver decided to wake up and start doing it’s job and he gained more weight than expected. Relief flowed through me. And as I knew our little guy was going to be okay the lyrics Mama said there’d be days like this, there’ll be days like this Mama said…started blaring on repeat in my head.

After the two-week check-up, his weight continues to go up as the jaundice continues to go down. The knot is just bone overgrowth on his skull. Apparently harmless and finding a surgeon to remove it for cosmetic reasons on a lil baby would be virtually impossible.

Abby loves to hold her new brother and AJ is coming around.

There are legos, laundry, and abandoned snack bags all over the house. It’s a continuous game of Bop-The-Mole. I just get one kid settled and someone else needs something else…help with a lego kit…a potty practice…the dog needs out or back in…it’s time to breastfeed again.

Through my exhaustion the other day, I sighed to Andy and said,

“I just want things to be back to normal.”

To which he replied, ”This may be our new normal.”

And he is right.

As I type this with one hand and a baby in the other,

I realize this is our new normal,

and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

All I can say when you visit us is…

It gets kinda crazy around here.