Perks of Postpartum

So there are MANY perks of postpartum with a new baby besides the obvious THIS......snuggles.

But just to state a few others, here we go.........

1) Food has NEVER tasted so good. 

I say that EVERY time after I have a baby. It's the most amazing feeling to be able to EAT and have room for it in my belly, not have to sit down forever after, or have the smell turn you off, or too nauseous to eat. On TOP of that, for some reason food just tastes more flavorful and yummy (especially if someone else cooked it........why is that?). I told Brooks the other day, "I don't know if there is enough food in this WORLD to satisfy my belly!!!!" Then we paused, both looked at my belly and then he gave me his sneaky smile that he gives before he's about to crack and joke and said, "Yea, it sure LOOKS like it".

2) Pillow

SPEAKING of my belly.....it's a very confusing concept to young children. They SEE the baby out of my belly but STILL see my belly bulge. Two of them have already asked me if there is ANOTHER one in there. When Royce asked me that I just told him no and that we have Everly now. Then he looked confused and pointed to my belly and said, "What dat?" and I told him (and Iris) that it was Everly's pillow when she was in my belly. Ya know.....her "fluff" to keep her safe and cozy. The PLUS side to this pillow-concept is that it actually IS one now to Kellyn when she lays on my belly. See, TOTAL postpartum perk...........for Kellyn.

3) Image Change
Not sure if this is necessarily a "PERK" per se, but it's definitely a reality. Iris made THIS on our flannel board of me and her:

So now I'm the mom that always wears her glasses........but hey, at least I have a rockin' headband, right? (I'm gonna assume she put my lips upside down on ACCIDENT instead of meaning to make it look like a frown)
Along with my image, our "Family Pictures" that people draw now have me holding a baby instead of a huge sideways "b" person in the picture. I loved this picture Aleeya drew at school and how she wrote the note to the family saying, "I love all of you. My famile is ecalit" (excellent)

4) TP bill goes down

Maybe this is TMI (not maybe, it IS) but when you're not pregnant you aren't running to the bathroom as much.....and for the first time in almost a year you have the OPTION to wait and go later......like if you're at a park with your whole family and the bathrooms happen to be PORT-A-POTTIES (grossest things EVER!), you don't HAVE to use them. You can wait until you get home. It's amazing. Granted we have the usual toilet paper usage around here and the occasional whole roll of TP that Kellyn throws in the toilet but I am NOT the culprit anymore.

5) SLEEP

I love sleep almost more then anything and I'm quite selfish about it. After having a baby it's like sleep is SO beyond cherished and it feels better then ever before!!!! Besides the first 4 nights when Everly was a raccoon and took on the nocturnal schedule, she really sleeps well at night for me. I don't think I've had a baby this early sleep so well. Sure we're constantly waking her up when we're awake during the day so she crashes harder I think, but for 2 weeks straight now I have put her down at 10-ish and she wakes up at 3:30 or 4 to eat and goes RIGHT back down. Two nights ago she actually slept until 5:30 a.m. which is fine because I get up at 6 anyway. It felt amazing. But even during the DAY sleep feels so good...........wonder if it's because I can NOW sleep on my belly again. Hmmmmm

6) The JOY of SUCCESS
Everly had been spoiled rotten but there still is a "rotten" time of her's riiiiiiight before bedtime. Around 9:30pm. It's the I'm-tired-but-can't-sleep cry for sure, but I hadn't figured out her "Thing". You know how every baby has their favorite way to fall asleep? Whether it's burrito-style, arms in, arms out, not swaddled, on the side, inclined, etc etc. It's trial and error for a while and we were error-ing. But we did find ONE thing that worked.........listening to this.....

It's "Come Thou Font" hymn sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Calmed her down everytime. But SINCE THEN it's been THREE days that I've had success and FINALLY found her "thing" and her way and favorite position to fall asleep within a few minutes. Success always tastes so good. (not as good as food though, as I mentioned before)

7) STARES

The staring SIGNIFICANTLY goes down. You don't get those "Aw- you-poor-uncomfortable-thing" looks when you're in public. Everyone just stares at the baby usually strapped to me gives me the "awwwww-good-work" look. 

8) NEW EXPERIENCES

Even with 7 other kids before, there is STILL room for new experiences in nursing a new little one while out and about. I can honestly say I have never been in a baseball field restroom stall feeding a crying newborn, while crossing my legs so Kellyn could sit and play horsey on one foot, listening to me sing "What does the Fox Say" to calm the crying KELLYN down. Not sure what everyone walking into the bathroom thought hearing that, but who cares, I was just hoping Royce wasn't causing havoc outside running around. I felt bad I missed most of Emerson's game but Everly and Kellyn had HAD it by the third hour there. Oddly enough this scenario didn't stress me out, I just smiled and texted Brooks from my bathroom stall on the "glamorous life I lead". Actually, I take the "stare" comment back.......while at the baseball games I get a LOT of stares. I haven't met a parent there who has more then 3 children......sooooooooooo I still get my fair share of stares there.

9) NOT HOMELESS LOOKING CHILDREN
Now that I'm functioning and running the house just fine, Kellyn no longer looks like this: (these two pictures were taken during the week after Everly was born and Brooks was "in charge")

10) MORE SNUGGLE ROOM
I love it now that I can hug my children as tight as I want......hold two of them on my lap and not feel "claustrophobic" like I did when I was pregnant. Even at church I can hold Royce in the death grip (so he doesn't make a break for it) and still have Kellyn on my shoulder......or resting on my "pil``low". Speaking of church, I had a man at church come up to me and tell me the funniest comment he had made about me to his wife. Part of my postpartum healing is actually doing things that make me feel HUMAN.....so I always return to church the first Sunday I can. So a week after Everly was born I was there. Unbeknownst to me, this man's wife commented to him before church, "What do you bet Sister Smith is at church today...." Then he replied, "I'll up you one and say, 'what do you bet she's pregnant'. " hahahaha
Clearly this man hasn't seen my list of perks here. ;)

As mentioned before.......the biggest and most definitely the best perk of postpartum is THIS:
(Two of my favorite things.......Everly and Strawberries)

 And I just can't contain myself......this profile picture of Everly is so beyond yummy and shows all the sweetness of her....and her sweet lips and nose and gentle-newborn-gaze.

Spring Break

The kids' Spring Break from school was the week before Easter. Little Miss Everly was born the Saturday of Spring Break, so before then the kids had a week of being home with a "fun" 39 week pregnant Mom (I'm using the word "fun" in the MOST sarcastic way possible)

A lot of their friends went to the beach, or away on vacation or went a lot of places locally.....but not my kids. No siree.....we just know how to par-tay in the most mom-is-exhausted way at home.

But hey, at least the weather/scenery was gorgeous. I LOVE the springtime and my neighborhood has a ton of these dogwoods that were in bloom.

Oh, but WAIT!!!! My luck was changing, I did INDEED bring entertainment to my clan......see? The road in front of our house was being worked on!!!!! So bring on dirt and tractors and big holes to watch!!!! (our house is on the right.....you can see the Yeti)

Speaking of my house, I had no idea all the bushes in the front were azaleas and came out in the brightest of pink just in time for the princess to arrive.

But back to our main (and only) entertainment......roadworkers.

I know they were glad to have extra people to supervise their work......ya know, just in case they messed up or something.

I mean what kid in their school REALLY could say, "I stood in a dust storm for Spring Break!!!" I bet Emerson is the ONLY one. I planned it that way, obviously.

I ALSO planned the little snake to appear in our front yard for Royce to play with. He was so excited jumping up and down showing me that I couldn't even get it in the picture!

That's better. Here Royce is putting the snake in the war-torture-method of the stretch.

Kellyn was sick so this was kinda my view most of the week. 

Tuesday night I did take Emerson, Bronson and Camden to Mr. Peabody and Sherman. I promised Emerson I would take him there for his birthday since he had WANTED to take all his friends someplace but I didn't feel up to it (party-pooper central, I know) so I promised I would take him to the movie theater. I don't think they've been in over a year and a half, so this was a big deal. We went to Cheddar's before to take my favorite Cookie Monster dessert. Note to self: my kids are ONLY used to Fast Food......as in when the food comes fast, so only take them to those places. And by-the-way, the movie was hilarious.

Thursday I was still dialated to a 3.5 and thought "heck, why not go on a nature walk and get this baby here!" So the kids and I went to a park and played and then walked around these nature trails. It was actually my most enjoyable time of the week. The kids just love being outside and not corralled....if that's even a word. Kellyn would NOT let me hold her, she kept up with everyone else....and as an ADDED bonus Aleeya caught a frog.

That's not TOO boring of a spring break, right? 

"Boring"/"Bored" I hate those words. In fact, they're not allowed in my house, but when they LOOKED like they were bored I would say, "Hey, wonder what the tractors are doing outside!!"

And it would start again.

The kids' highlight (as always) is when Dad comes home. I don't blame them, he's pretty fantastic. But on Friday Royce filled his watergun and wanted to squirt Dad when he got home.

Here he is hiding behind the Yeti waiting to see Dad walking down the road.....

Ah-HA!!!! He got him.

Brooks would come home, play baseball/basketball/wrestle/soccer/football or whatever the kids wanted but what the girls love most is singing along to music with dad while they clean up the kitchen. I caught their singing to "Brave".........the only part of the song they know.

LINK

But I came through folks...........I may have been the most boring mom EVER during Spring Break, but by the time the kids went back to school on Monday the WHOLE Spring Break was forgotten as the kids could announce, "I have a new baby sister!"

So maybe Spring Break wasn't so uneventful......

Week One

Here I go.....FINALLY documenting our first week with Everly.

Everly's FIRST picture ever right after she came out and Brooks was cleaning her up. 

Everly with her doctor.........her very PROUD doctor.

All right........ready for bed. She was exhausted.....or maybe she just didn't like the oversized hat.

I mentioned the kids were so excited to wake up to Everly in the morning. Brooks grabbed my phone and video-taped when Royce and Kellyn came into our room in the morning and their reactions.

HERE

I LOVE LOVE this picture of Royce with Everly. It almost looks like she is smiling in it and of course, Royce is smiling.

Kellyn with her little sister. In this picture you can really see her chubby face.

The girls came in next.....they were REALLY excited.....TOO excited to care about holding the baby's head, I guess.

Aleeya's face says it all.

Emerson came in and thought she was so cute. We told him her name was "Everly" and he said, "WHAT?!?! That's a HOWWIBLE name!" and he stomped out.

Then he came in later all smiles and ready to hold her. Seriously......

Good ol' Camden.....he has the SOFTEST spot for babies.

Just admiring her.

My bookends.......

We have 9:00 a.m. church and it was Easter Sunday. Brooks told the kids they couldn't hold her again until they were ready for church. That was the QUICKEST Emerson had ever gotten ready.

I wanted a picture of all my kids before they went to church. They ALL wanted to hold Everly so they had to pick a number between one and twenty.

Bronson won.

All EIGHT of my children..........EIGHT?!?!?!? Everly is 9 hours old here.

They all left for church while Everly and I slept.

I tried to capture some of the many faces of my sweet girl during her first few days.

The first-day-swollen-face-cheek-chub look

Her sleepy-long-Smith-kid-finger look

The my-older-sister-can't-keep-her-hands-off-me look.

Seriously, SO SO many pictures have Kellyn's hand in them.

The Scowl

The Monkey Face

Her Chillin' look

Her I'm-not-even-12-hours-old-and-you-put-a-bow-ON-ME?!?!?! look

I LOVE LOVE LOVE baby hands and feet. I love it how their feet are so soft but have the wrinkled look.

And their hands.......oh, how I love them. Iris asked why her hands "looked old" and Camden said because they turn like raisins just like his do when he's in the bath for too long. Yep, that's about it.......here are Everly's sweet water-logged-raisin-turned hands.

This was when she was one day old (hence the red-skinned look) but I just love how the kids could sit and stare at her.

And in the hospital I can't just ask the nurse to say, "Hey, can you just hand out in here with the baby so I can take a shower?" like I can at home. Camden is always MORE then happy to snuggle Everly and "protect" her to make sure Royce/Kellyn/Iris don't get her alone. ;)

But Iris IS very trustworthy if Everly needs company. I asked Iris if Everly could watch her play dolls and this is how they were for about 30 minutes.

Here is Everly in her VERY first Family Home Evening. She was our honorary guest.

Like I said, they could just sit and stare at her.....

I don't think Royce has ever heard a baby with the hiccups but for some reason it REALLY cracks him up. I took a video of him laughing over it. It's so funny.

HERE

This is BIG!!!! She took a bottle so easy. Didn't even question what was in her mouth. YAY!!!!

 And the other kids are excited to have a new something to "play" with. Here they are with their new trumpets......hope they enjoyed it while it lasted because this was their LAST time playing with them too.

Joining our dinner.....

 Milk drunk......she's an addict

 To celebrate her 1 WEEK BIRTHDAY, Brooks went and got doughnuts and OJ for breakfast.

Happy 1 Week to my angel.......my sweet sweet most perfect angel.