Postpartum

At almost 4 weeks postpartum these are the things I've learned:

1. Weight does not equal Shape
Though I am still 10-15 lbs shy of my pre-pregnancy weight, I have a section of my wardrobe from my heaver days that should fit. Unfortunately, it seems my weight is all in new places and very few of my non-maternity clothes fit. Also unfortunately, my maternity clothes are mostly too big. We'll see what happens if I drop another 5-10 lbs.

2. The dark line on my belly doesn't disappear when the baby arrives.
What the heck? It hasn't even started to fade!

3. An alcoholic drink now and then is important for survival and feeling like a grown-up.
Alcohol in breast milk is about the same as that in your blood. A general rule of thumb is that if you are okay to drive, you are okay to feed your baby. I also always feed Charlotte right before I have my drink, so it has time to filter out of my milk before she wants to eat again.

4. When the baby is sleeping in her own crib, work quickly to do whatever you need to get done!
She likely won't sleep very long before she notices that I'm gone, there is no more milk, and the rocking stopped, so if I want to eat lunch, for example, I better be quick about it!

5. Finishing a hot meal is a rare gift.
Enough said.

6. My hair is falling out!
Although a pregnancy book had to point it out for me to notice, my hair stopped falling out and felt nice and thick throughout my pregnancy. Unfortunately, the side effect of NOT being pregnant means that my hair has started falling out again. I enjoyed not having to clear the drain of my hair...

7. My baby is cuter, smarter, stronger, and way more advanced than any other baby her age.
Well, she is :-).