My hormones are a little more in check {the teary ones}...I think this may have a lot to do with the fact that I don't get to sit around and watch sappy shows all day like I did with E. Which brings me to....
I never get to watch TV anymore. Very rare, and I only record one TV show now. One. I just don't have the time. Nap time? I like to devote to finishing up blog posts and other projects that I may be working on. At night? I want to spend time with my husband and throwing in loads of laundry. But when we do get to catch up on the tube? It's nice.
My hair didn't fall out. I was very much expecting this. But it hadn't. Or, shall I say, it still hasn't. With Elliana, I lost it and I lost it in large amounts and very quickly. In fact, I had these "mini" bangs for quite some time before they finally grew out.
The weight. It came off pretty quickly. However, I'm definitely a little more flabbier. Which, I know, people may get mad at me saying this.. "but you are so skinny, so tiny," I get that. I'm not saying I'm not. What I am saying is... it's definitely not the pre-kids body. Trust me. And I'm still allowed to be critical of myself, regardless the size of my jeans or the expectations people may have.
I don't feel like a zombie. Strange, I'm getting less sleep it seems and having to do MORE during the day. But I never had that zombie feeling that I had the first time around.
I read more. About parenting. About food making. About food in general. Health. Toxins. Products. I research more. I like to learn more. Really know what is around us and how it is affecting us. I feel like now that I have this motherhood thing by the horns, I want to truly master all the different aspects of it.
I just nod my head at the doctor. They are great to have. Trust me on this. I am thankful that I have a great resource and trusting physician. We attend all our well-visits. We ask the questions that need to be asked. But I no longer rely on the doctor having all the right answers. I remind myself that he is not the parent of my child. He is the expert on medicine, but not the expert on parenting. So I nod my head and say "yes" and smile until next time whenever little tid-bits of advice are thrown out there. Neither of my children have had to go to the doctor besides for well visits. Neither have had an ear infection, a fever, or anything that would alarm me. No Tyelnol, no cold medicine. We love our pediatrician. I have extended chats and discussions with him. But I do not always agree with everything. And that is okay you know, as a parent, to just follow your mothering intuition versus medicine. There is one thing that we do agree on 100%. And that is when he tells me, "You are doing a great job with your kids," after our well-visits. Yes, thank you, I know.
So yeah, I'd like to think that things are different the second time around, but what I really mean to say is that as time goes by, you really do gain more knowledge and wisdom as a mother, you read more, you want to do more, be more, love more, parent more. Better. Wiser. You learn from your mistakes, and you try to do thing differently.
You won't always know it all or have all the right answers, but somehow, it all works out.
You are totally allowed to be upset about the post-two baby body. I get the same sort of comments because I am super tiny too. BUt that's just cause people don't get to see the boobs...or butt...or stomach. It's hard that not everything is in the same place it used to be!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. That last little bit I think all moms need to hear sometimes. That is just works out. No matter what you're doing. If you know it's best for your baby, it's the right choice.
ReplyDeleteMy hair fell out around 5 mos w my first but this time started earlier an is still going. Yuck.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Our doctor is very laid back. I didn't realize how much that helped me to rely on my own intuition and not his. I call him when my kids are sick and only when they're really sick. I was joking that now if I'm concerned about something, I put breastmilk on it for a day or two and then call. Sounds funny, but that's usually his suggestion-and it usually works. So often someone will say, we'll what does the pediatrician say? I don't know. I didn't ask. I'm pretty sure his med school curriculum didn't involve potty training, sleep schedules, or adjusting to a sibling. I would think it should have some info on breastfeeding but most of what I've heard from other docs leads me to believe they're often grossly undereducated in that area.
This post actually makes me feel better! Glad to hear that things are going pretty smoothly {overall} with two!
ReplyDeleteThe second time is much easier. I remember being so tired the first time that I was afraid to hold the baby because I didn't want to fall asleep with her on me.
ReplyDeleteThe second time my hair fell out around 6 months and I kept thinking wis this is nice my hair isn't falling out but then it did and I chopped it off.
Also I'm skinnier now than I was before either of my pregnancies but I would rather have my old body, that one was bigger but a little more solid so to speak. My tummy just feels like mush now. I've also been either pregnant or breastfeeding for 3+ years so maybe a break will help that area.
I'm 15 month post partum and STILL have the baby bangs which seem to grow SO much slower than the rest of my hair.
ReplyDeleteAlso, even though I'm "skinny" I still have a belly pooch that won't go away.
Haha I just wrote about my "mini bangs". HATE them!!
ReplyDeleteI'm on number one and I'm already just nodding at the doctor!
ReplyDeleteMy hair *just* started to fall out about 10 days ago and I'm 4 months PP. It's no joke---it's EVERYWHERE!
ReplyDeleteAnd my thing with the doctor is that if I am going to do what I want anyway (like when I'm going to introduce solids), I don't even ask the question.
I SO agree with nodding your head at the doctor!!
ReplyDeleteafter 6 babies i thought i would be bald by now ive lost so much hair...it ALWAYS starts when my babies are 4m TO THE DAY....here i am 4 months into the hair loss and my tiny bangs are growing in...been there done that...i'm so over it haha
ReplyDeleteas for the dr's TELL ME ABOUT IT. with my 1st could kids i did EVERYTHING the dr's told me...then i woke up and thought 'wait a minute...these are my kids and i MIGHT just might know something you don't know' (we don't vaccinate now)
thankfully i have a dr who pretty much is on board with our way of thinking and i love learning from her!
My hair didn't fall out until I stopped breastfeeding #3! I seriously thought I managed to escape it, but then it happened!
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