Time Flies......

when you have a baby.

You thought I was going to say "when you're having fun", right?  Well, I am extremely happy and content, does that count?

Remember when you were a kid and time seemed to stand still?  My theory is that kids are always waiting on a birthday or Christmas because they will hopefully receive presents.  Waiting for something to happen that you are looking forward to makes time creep by.  I experience that sometimes, such as when we have a vacation booked.  Other than that, since I have been an adult (not sure when that transition happened exactly) time seems to fly.

The phrase time flies has changed dramatically for us over the past few days.  I have realized that time really flies once you have a kid in your life.  Since we got home on Sunday I have been so busy the days have completely slipped out of my hands.  One minute I am waking up (from my last few hours of sporadic sleep), and the next minute it is time to attempt to head upstairs to bed.  Between those times I am constantly doing something.

Nursing, changing a diaper, bottle feeding, holding Jackson upright (to prevent reflux), pumping milk every three hours, logging baby care events on our handy iPhone app, washing and sterilizing bottles and pumping accessories, doing dishes, laundry, picking up the house, organizing gobs of baby clothes and other accessories....

Rinse and repeat.

Heaven forbid I eat a meal, drink some water, take a shower, and get dressed for the day.  Oh, and I am pretty sure I have some bills and insurance business to handle and some appointments to make and keep.  I am sure I will get around to taking care of that soon.....

Fortunately, Colin has had the luxury of taking this week off so we can figure this transition out together.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I don't know how single moms do this alone.  At least at first.  The logistics are insane.  There are so many new things in your life you have to use to function.  I am dealing with bottles, a fancy breast pump and accessories, bottle and breast pump parts sterilizer, bottle warmers, diapers, butt paste, wipes, pacifiers, onesies, sleepers, beanies, blankets, bibs, assorted sheets and covers, packing a diaper bag, stroller, car seat, swing, vibrating chairs, the list goes on.

Keep in mind, I am trying to function with all these new things as a part of my routine on very little sleep.  In essence, I am a moron.

That's another thing, I am not very smart anymore.  I won't go into further detail about new mommy brain because most of you know it firsthand, some of you warned me, and the rest of you can take my word for it.  Lack of sleep combined with taking care of a baby zaps your brain cells quickly.

Despite my dim-witted condition, I have had one important realization.  I have figured out how women manage to lose weight postpartum when they are not physically allowed to exercise yet.  In my case I have two reasons.

1. No time to feed myself - this is likely the primary method of losing weight for most new mommies: involuntary anorexia.
2. Every time I go downstairs or upstairs, I have left one of the many new things I need to function (remember, I am an idiot) so I am constantly climbing my stairs and running around like a chicken with my head cut off in my house.

Those women who have a single level home probably lose weight a little slower, but they are most likely scurrying from room to room trying to get it together most of the day.  So there it is, the bright side.  At least I am starting to lose weight again.  I had plateaued while Jackson was in the NICU.  I lost 20 lbs. within the first two weeks postpartum and I have stayed at that weight for the past three since.  Rather than get discouraged I have kept in mind that I am eating whatever I want and considering our situation it has been a lot of eating out and takeout food.  

Another advantage of nursing your child besides the fact it is the best thing for them and free: eating an extra 500 calories a day.

They say time flies when you're having fun.  I agree.  However, time really flies when you have a baby.  Before I know it, Jackson will have a girlfriend and be leaving us to go to college.  I better enjoy this while I can.