One Week Postpartum

Zane's been here a week. (Read all about his first week here.) On my last pregnancy update I looked like this....

That was just a few days before Zane came into this world. At one week postpartum I'm now looking like this...

....and feeling GREAT! It's so nice to be back to a size that doesn't make me feel like a moose. (Though yes I still have quite the booty!)

I think I am probably about the size that I was at week 20 or 21.

Total Weight Gain: 33lbs (8lbs more than I wanted to. I really packed them on at the end.)

Postpartum Weight Loss: 15lbs  

Clothing: Still rocking the pregnancy jeans. They fit so comfortably over my belly which is still trying to firm up. (The first few days it felt like a waterbed!) I haven't tried on too many of my old clothes but I'm guessing that they probably fit like they did at 21 weeks. This week I'm cycling through three different nursing tanks until I decide to stop being lazy and look through my closet for clothes that will make breastfeeding easy.

Stretch Marks: Got away stretch mark free. :)

Sleep: Trying to get sleep when I can. Getting rest when Zane does isn't always an option as I try often find myself unable to sleep. At night I wake up pretty easily with Zane for feedings and tend to get to sleep again quickly.

Best moment of the week: Meeting my son. Seeing his face and hearing him cry for the first time changed me forever. He's so perfect!

Missing Anything?: I miss feeling Zane kick and get the hiccups.

Happy or Moody: Happy! With the exception of Zane's weight concerns, I've been a very happy lady. I'm definitely paying attention to my moods. I think being aware of how I'm feeling will help me catch signs of postpartum depression if they should arise.

Wedding Rings On or Off: Off. My hands are still a bit swollen, and the extra weight I'm still carrying doesn't help. My right hand is starting to get feeling again so the carpel tunnel seems to be fading. My joints and knuckles are still sore and achy.

Recovery: After seven days I'm feeling wonderful. (The human body is seriously amazing.) The first few days after having Zane I was obviously sore, achy, and tired. Thanks to Zac, I was able to stay in bed and rest. Walking around was difficult and our stairs were no fun. After 5 days I was back to walking around and feeling very close to "normal". The last two days I've run errands with Zac and have been able to keep up rather than waddling slowly behind him. Chores don't wear me out, though I don't have to worry about them because Zac is always two steps ahead of me. All cramping has ceased and I feel good. The only lingering pain is a sore back.

Postpartum week one has been pretty good to me. I'm definitely looking forward to getting my body back, not just to what it was right before I got pregnant, but what it was when I was actually in shape.

Before I got pregnant I looked like this....

I felt good at this size but there has been a time when I have felt better. Two years before that picture was taken, I was working out regularly, eating very well, and just taking care of myself. I felt amazing and I was super happy and proud. I'd love to get back to that....

It's not going to happen quickly. It's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication to get back to that but the work is worth it. Thankfully I have a great support system. Back when I was working out all the time and keeping up a well balanced diet, Zac was, too. We challenged each other, motivated one another, and held each other accountable. I miss our jogging dates in the park. Throughout my pregnancy our mini dates have consisted of vegging out on the couch and munching on junk food. I'm definitely looking forward to having fun healthy dates again.