One Week Later

The baby boy is doing well. We are having a good time in our gilded cage but planning a trip down the stairs for later today. Just one trip mind you, we are going to follow orders and keep ourselves strong and healthy.

Yesterday, we opened all the windows which was a welcome reprieve from the AC. It was beautiful and the big boys played outside and enjoyed a little time on the swings as well as some active time with daddy. Kris and I sat here on the little love seat and watched the football game we had recorded the night before with a cool breeze blowing in the window and steaming bowls of white chicken chili in hand. It was a perfect first day of October.

Owen’s birthday is fast approaching and we are hoping to give him a nice little party this Saturday. I go back and forth with my thoughts on birthday parties. Part of me thinks it shouldn’t be such a big deal and that we should just take such times to do something special with our little family. Yet, this is a tough time for both Owen and Ivan, with mommy out of commission they have both shown signs of jealousy and need of attention. So…maybe this isn’t a good year to shut down on birthday parties. We did go ahead and plan something simple. I really can’t host here at the house, it would just be too much right now and we don’t want to put it off as this is the beginning of the busiest time of year. So…Chick-Fil-A has become our hosting ground and all we have to do is show up with a cake and hand them a check. Kris and I are going to Bowling Green this weekend (just overnight on Friday) for a church retreat and will be back Saturday afternoon, so we had to keep it as low maintenance as possible. Owen’s only request: “lots of people.” It’s looking like he will have his wish and I hope he is very happy.

Ivan is my little sweet heart. He has done well and loves the new little baby dearly but misses his momma and this morning was leaning on my bedroom door when I opened it at 6:15. He immediately rushed past me and went to the love seat (where I spend most of my time lately), climbed up and sat down with just enough room for me to sit beside him. When I joined him he sat quietly with his head leaning against me his little hands folded in front of him and his legs straight out. Just sat there. All he wanted was a little time with mommy.

We ate well again last night. We have had the best meals. I don’t think I’ve ever had such good variety and yummy flavors in volunteer dishes before. Every one has been very different from the others and all in excellent taste. I mean, I’m going to have to really work on my thank you notes in order to express my pleasure. The left-overs have been so plentiful and delicious I have a hard time choosing what to eat for lunch each day. It inspires me to want to cook again after a long hot pregnant summer. Mmmm…it’s soup season again!

I am healing. Each day feels a little more normal. I hate to say this is more like my recovery with Owen (which took forever) but it is. I am not as sore or tired and fully expect to recover much quicker than that time, but I do feel some of the weakness that Owen’s birth brought. The soreness in my abdomen, I guess from pushing so hard, is lessening each day and I can tell that I am getting around better than I did before. My back is not nearly the issue that it was four years ago and that helps a great deal. I know God will have me up and running properly as soon as I am supposed to be. I feel good and very confident that I am where I should be in the process for now.