Number Three Anybody?

No, this isn't an announcement - at least not that I know of, it is always a possibility right?

Garrett and I have just been starting to discuss another baby as of late. We've been going along for quite some time now thinking that there was a possibility that we could be done. The friends and family that I shared this with said that it wouldn't happen and that we were bound to have more children. So, here I am eating my words and thinking about baby Chappell number three.

I must admit this one is a toughie. You see, we know EXACTLY what we are getting ourselves into now. With Kenzie and Jordyn there was a whole lot of unknowns and a whole lot of learning as you go. While I know that there is always more to learn, we are still well educated on natural child birth - the unplanned kind where you think you are going to get an epidural but oops, no, wait, the baby is born 54 minutes after the first contraction so lets just pray to get to a hospital on time. We know all about the lack of sleep, the nine months of pregnancy, the midnight feedings, and the doubled laundry load all from a little person at least half the size of everyone else in the house.

To add to the toughness there is the haunting idea out there that number three is this like catapulting yourself into this insane state of parenthood in which the children outnumber the parents.

On the flip side we know that there is nothing sweeter than watching your spouse hold a new infant in their arms and care for that precious baby. There is nothing sweeter than knowing that you can provide that baby with a stable home - a bit quirky, but stable nonetheless. There is nothing more inspiring than bearing a baby and watching that baby grow inside of you. And there is no better way to learn the great characteristics of patience, love, and long-suffering than by becoming a parent.

So here we are grappling with the beginnings of becoming baby hungry as we hold the sweet little babies of our good friends and having a pretty good idea of just how much it takes to add to your family. While I know the hardness of the step won't keep us from adding to our family, it is still just a funny place to find ourselves in. I'm sure we will happily take on the challenges associated with adding to our family (most days anyway) but it sure is a funny place to be standing right now.

Now don't get me wrong here, I am not trying to paint this all awful picture of parenthood. As is true with all things in life - the things that take the most effort reep the greatest reward and are well worth the challenge. And at the end of those storm clouds is a rainbow and some life lessons learned that are well worth effort! :)

What They Never Told Me About Recovery

The top five things that I NEVER knew about recovery:

1. I would leak from every hole my body has! I know, I know, its SO gross. I sweat more than ever between nursing a baby on hot days and chasing a toddler around the house (why I need to exercise to get back into my old jeans is beyond me?). Then there is that runny nose that I got from my husband, who got it from our toddler, who got it from the nursery. They are both over the cold, but not me! Unfortunately my body requires rest in order to fully recover from a nasty cold and rest just isn't apart of my life right now. Then there are the boob leaks. Gotta love those moments when your nursing pad has soaked through leaving you with a good sized circle on your chest, and then there are those moments when your baby yanks off of you because your milk lets down too fast, this results in both of you being sprayed in the face and the soaking of both of your clothes. Oh, and lets not forget about the fact that you bleed for about six weeks postpartum and you can't wear a tampon! (I HATE pads - I feel like I'm in a diaper all day.) I'm just grateful that I am no longer vomiting . . .

2. Then there is nursing. All those books you read before you start to nurse really downplay the pain of nursing. They tell you you will experience "some pain" until your milk comes in. First of all, it isn't just until your milk comes in, secondly its not just "some pain", "some pain" sounds bearable. What they need to say is that you will be curling your toes, biting your tongue, squinting your eyes and wanting to yell out because not only does nursing create some painful contractions, but it also feels like someone is trying to twist your nipple off with a pair of pliers. Then there are those wonderful moments when your baby startles while nursing and rather than simply spitting your nipple out, they pull back while still chomping on you, stretching your nipple out like a rubber band - yeah, that hurts. We won't even start on the possibilities of blisters, bleeding, thrush, nipple confusion, and who knows what else.

3. The exhaustion. There is just nothing that compares to the exhaustion of a newborn.

4. Movement can be a little bit difficult for a few weeks. You must remember that you are recovering from a little body coming out of an even smaller hole. That creates some discomfort for your sitting and walking moments for the first few days (if you're lucky, many women go MUCH longer). The best is when your excited toddler runs to give you hug only to accidentally plow her little head into your crotch - that doesn't do much for the recovery (I was very grateful for strong pain medications at that moment).

5. You will most likely be an emotional wreck. Things that usually don't make you cry will make you sob, and things that usually don't make you angry will have you wanting to pull your hair out. And the entire time you are being irrational you will know that you are being irrational and that will make the tears come harder. You will all the while feel like you are the only human being going through this . . .

While this all sounds horrible, don't be discouraged - it is SO worth it. Seeing your baby smile, coo, laugh, crawl, and all that good stuff makes it all alright.

The Newborn Stage

I have been reading this book called The Toddler Busy Book that is jam packed with great ideas about what to do with a busy toddler. In the book the writer talks about enjoying every stage of your child's life because they grow up so fast. As I paused to think I realized how many great things there really are in each stage. It's so easy to dwell on the exhaustion, the healing from the pregnancy, and the other discomforts of a newborn; but when you stop and think there are so many more amazing things! I just need to be better at remember the amazing rather than the miserable. The way people hear me talk sometimes they must wonder if I even like being a mom!


Here are the wonderful things that I remember about a newborn:

1. They cuddle with you endlessly for as long as you want.

2. That first smile is a heart melter.

3. They seem so in awe at the world around them. It is so fun to sit and watch them just look at everything around them taking it in for the first time.

4. Nursing, while painful and frustrating at times, is such a neat bonding experience with your baby. It's just you and baby time and it's something that you can do for your baby that no one else can. I don't mean to sound like a crazy "nipple nazi" - as my doctor used to refer to them - but nursing really is a neat experience.

5. The newborn cry - while it was usually a cause for distress at the time, now when I hear one it just makes me smile. There is no cry like a newborn cry. I have a feeling that the newborn cry is the only cry that will ALWAYS mean that your baby truly is in need of you. Now crying can mean that I am needed, but it can also include a range of temper tantrums and the funny fake cry!

6. Everyone loves a newborn! While I was super anal about germs - there was always a good prideful feeling that I got when someone wanted to look at or hold MaKenzie. Everyone just has such nice things to say about how beautiful your newborn is and I loved that feeling!

7. Finally, the best memory I have my newborn was the first time I held her. The love that you have for that little baby is beyond description. I always knew I loved my children and I always looked forward to having them, but nothing could prepare for the overpowering feeling of love and protection that overwhelms you when you and your husband get to hold that infant in your arms for the first time.