Goodbye...Hello

Having a baby is a time of huge transitions - even if it is your 3rd. Here are just a few of the things that have come or gone.
I've said goodbye to...
- the big maternity pillow (like a boppy for a grown-up) that has taken up two-thirds of our queen-sized bed for almost 1/2 a year, but provided invaluable support for my expanding belly
- the Rolaids that were a dietary staple in recent months - I actually threw away what was left of my supply of these. Not very practical, but man it felt good in a strange, symbolic way :)
- the kids turning to hug and kiss and rub my belly as a greeting or parting gesture - this is one that I really miss... Right after the baby was born they turned to do that a few times and realized, 'hey, this is some weird belly now that looks like it should have a baby inside but doesn't' - thankfully that creepy belly is mostly gone now and I'm just left with the 35 pounds I still need to lose
- exceedingly frequent trips to the ladies room
- stabbing pain in the center of my chest where my ribs were torqued out of place
- the sweet connection to my unborn baby that would respond to my touch through my belly
- swollen hands and feet; I actually don't swell as badly as many women do, but it's been nice to put back on my rings and my toe rings :)

And hello to...
- beautiful fall walks with the baby and the stroller to get the kids from school (without contractions!!)
- interrupted sleep and the ditziness that goes along with it - I almost mowed down two pedestrians today at HEB and got a speeding ticket (my first in 10 or 15 years) last week; also last week I worked for an entire day on a work problem that I know should have taken me an hour to solve...
- breast feeding with all the almost unbearable pain that comes with it initially but then with the sweet bonding time that I wouldn't trade for the world; with Jake, I had advice from a friend not to give up nursing before six weeks and between 5 & 6 weeks somehow the pain magically went away and it was wonderful. It wasn't easy to stick with it because the 'experts' will tell you (why I don't know because any mother will tell you otherwise) that if you are doing it right, breastfeeding shouldn't hurt. I think when the baby sucks so hard that it's uncomfortable when they suck on your finger there's no possible way for it not to hurt your nipple - but that's just my take. The good news is that it takes much less than six weeks for the pain to fade with subsequent children.
- our precious baby girl, live and in person; having the chance to see her beautiful features and hold her in my arms

I may add to this list later, but need to take Sydney to tutoring now.

We had Kiley's 2-week well check today and she has gone from 8 pounds, 3 oz. in the hospital to 7 pounds, 10 oz. at 48 hours old - back up past her birth weight to 8 pounds, 7 oz. That officially means that my body is giving her what she needs to grow big and strong - yeah! She still has a couple of red spots in her left eye from the birthing process and the little red birth marks on her nose and between her eyes that sometimes are very obvious and sometimes not at all. Unfortunately Jake and Kiley and I all have a cold right now as well so that's a little tough, but we'll get through it. The only thing the Dr. asked us about that she's not really doing yet is tracking visually to our faces or other objects. I think that will come soon and that maybe she was staring at my face when I changed her diaper this afternoon.