I had a baby. Two months ago. It’s been the most exhausting two months of my life, but well worth it. I had a perfect baby boy on June 17. The birth was AMAZING. It was my best birth so far. Everything just went really well. We were worried about making it to the hospital on time, but it all worked out. I went into true labor around 3:00 a.m. on the 17th (my due date) and had my boy at 5:55 a.m. Fast, but marvelous. I used essential oils, labored in the tub, squatted on a birthing ball, and was able to birth him naturally. He was really a HE! I was still nervous that a fourth girl would come out, but I actually have a son. It’s still a little weird!
We stayed in the hospital for that day and overnight, then got ready to go in the morning. Everything was awesome in the hospital. The nurses left me alone and let me sleep, the nursery took great care of our baby boy, and I got to just relax all day and night. He nursed right away like a champ. I didn’t have to have stitches which made a WORLD of difference in how I felt, and the only complaint I had was when the after pains hit! OH BOY, did they ever hit me like a truck – it was awful. It’s true what they say, each baby they get worse. I don’t even want to know what a fifth would feel like. Ouch. I had my husband rub Deep Blue rub on me and took lots of Ibuprofen. We got home and introduced our baby to the girls and they were smitten (except our 18 month old, she didn’t care at all and still doesn’t).

If you have been wondering where I’ve been . . . I have been trying to SURVIVE. Everything was put on the back burner for the last two months as I have just tried to adjust and sleep every minute I could, and try to keep everyone alive and happy (or mostly just alive, the happy was optional most days). This baby had some serious gas/upset tummy issues which were only recently resolved this past week (knock on wood). He wasn’t sleeping well, which meant I wasn’t sleeping well, and there were three other children to take care of! My mom came for 11 days when he was about 2 weeks old and she saved me. He was eating every hour day and night for about a week with his 2 week growth spurt, and we both had thrush during that time as well. It was awful. But we made it. My mom did dishes, woke up with the girls, fed everyone, played with them, and rocked my baby so that I could nap. She was a life saver. I was sad to see her go. There were children everywhere! ha. It felt so overwhelming. I could have easily dealt with the fussy baby if he was my first. But he wasn’t. My oldest was having a really rough time with the big change and all the time I was spending with the baby or napping. It was hard for all of us.

When my baby was 6 weeks old I got the surprise of a lifetime. I was hanging out with my cousin one day and in walked my sister – from CANADA! I had no clue she was coming, and I started bawling like a baby. Her and my husband orchestrated this huge surprise and it was incredible. I was still exhausted and having a hard time and she came right when I needed her. She took over the house and the babies and was amazing. I still get emotional thinking about how much help I have received and how amazing people have been.

My mother in law lives next door on the farm and has been the “silent” helper. She is always there. The girls are always running over and she plays with them, feeds them breakfast, invites them for tea parties, watches them when I needed to go to town for appointments or groceries, and has just probably worn herself out helping me manage these babies. She had the older two girls sleep at her house one day just for fun. It was so nice. I love her and am just so thankful for everything she does each day.

So now . . . I feel alive again! I feel like I have time to myself here and there where I don’t feel like collapsing and never reviving because I’m so exhausted. My baby is sleeping so much better, and in his own bed instead of on my chest all night long! So here I am, back blogging. It’s been a break that I haven’t thought much about. Blogging just wasn’t feasible for me, so I didn’t even think about it! But now I do. As I prepare for the new school year and home school and babies and everything I have going on, I miss sharing things I observe or create and hope to do better. My mental list of posts is outrageous so I better get working!