Things have been a little quiet on this blog of mine, I know. The whole having-a-baby thing has taken up more of my time than I had imagined.
I anticipated that the aftermath of childbirth would be tough and tiring, and yeah it really was. (Read this post about my recovery post-birth.) But I figured that by a month or two in, I would know what I was doing and would be able to fit the baby around my life. That yes, I would be looking after a miniature human, but surely in-between feeds and naps I would have so much time to write blog posts and pursue my passions, right? Maybe even launch a new exciting side business that would rake in the dough?
Lol, no hun. Not quite.
I end every day wondering where the hell the time went, checking nothing off of my to do list and saying to myself ‘it’s ok, I’ll definitely get it done tomorrow’.
I’m actually getting sick of the ‘Oh so what have you been up to during your time off?’ questions… TIME OFF? Mate, last time I checked pushing a 35cm circumference head out of my nether regions, then dealing with poop explosions on a daily basis wasn’t a holiday. Don’t get me wrong, I love it and Indiana is such a dreamboat, but it’s bloody hard work. Since having Indi I think I just haven’t quite found my groove yet.
And I think that’s ok, because the first three months of a baby’s life are considered the “Fourth Trimester”. It’s a time when babies would rather be in the womb. You’re meant to feed on demand and make them feel secure and snuggled up as much as possible. And it’s more difficult to create a routine during this time because of it. So I think it can be tricky in general.
But you know what, I really can’t complain. By six weeks Indi was sleeping through the night. Any parents that just read that will instantly hate me. Because, a baby sleeping through the night by 6 weeks old is the absolute dream and some babies are still waking every hour. I realise there may be some kind of soul-destroying sleep regression coming my way, but right now I’m very grateful that my little pickle let’s me sleep at night!
Days however are a horse of a different colour. Amongst the feeding and burping and nappy changes and sterilising bottles and baths and cuddles, I slot in getting myself ready and doing the washing and making dinner. And y’know what, funnily enough there’s no time left in the day… I think because Indiana is such a good sleeper at night, naps during the day are hard to come by. So she takes up a lot of my time. On the plus side I’ve managed to watch a lot of binge-worthy TV lately whilst feeding/soothing her. (Big up Queer Eye, The OA and Marvelous Mrs Maisel).
In these three months we’ve also experienced Indi’s first jabs (PSA: vaccinate your children), I’ve done the dreaded ‘walk through the office with your new baby’ (I hate being the centre of attention but she was very well-behaved) and I’m pretty sure this kid has started teething (pray she still sleeps at night, kiddo.)
The Fourth Trimester has certainly been difficult and has taken up all of my time and energy. But now it’s over I am definitely starting to feel like myself again. The fog is clearing. I’m starting to write blogs again and have time to think about things other than when the last feed was. I’m starting to leave the house with Indi without worrying about what I’ve forgotten. I’m starting to see the beginnings of a routine emerge.
So yes, what I’m saying is, I haven’t really been myself on here and social media, but I’m slowly coming back. I can see the light at the end of the newborn tunnel. I can imagine a life where Indiana is a big part of it but not necessarily all of it, y’know? I really think it’s important to find that balance. Watch this space.
Head on over to my Instagram and Twitter channels for regular baby spam and updates from my travels.
