Post partum has been kicking my butt. I had completely forgot how long it takes after having a baby to get back into the swing of things. And this fifth time has been the hardest one yet…physically and emotionally. The best bandaid though is the sweet newborn cuddles and when Ella is up for it, I am complete mush. She is just the squishiest and softest little kitten ever and I could literally hold her all day every day. Just typing that out makes me want to get her right this second.
my favorite newborn pic by the super talented Jamie Sapp
Speaking of Ella – girlfriend is quite particular at times. I wonder where she gets that 🙂 When she is tired, she likes to be thoroughly burped, swaddled and put in her swing….any deviation of that is not fun…for her or us. She doesn’t love to go outside….which all the boys really did enjoy that so I struggle with stimulating her while being inside. And she likes her paci but still can’t hold it in…so we do a lot of paci assistance. Will & Weston both were paci-babies and Max and LJ were not….so we think Ella is gonna favor her biggest brothers. Also her schedule is a little weird….she likes to sleep her long nap from 1-5pm and then from 10pm-3pm but after that, girl is awake….which means I am awake. Hopefully we can get that sorted out before I go delirious.
Just baring it all here….I have been struggling getting back into my old clothing….I forgot that the ole body doesn’t just pop back into place immediately. It seems like after every baby, the hips and stomach and even my arms are slightly different. It’s like playing with slime….you can never quite get it to the same shape twice. It’s always evolving. So I have tried to embrace that by getting some additional clothing items…a little splurge to make myself a little less insecure as I readjust. And yes, I am a normal human who feels frustrated and insecure about body issues….but the best piece of advice I can give someone else about it is….treat the postpartum stage just as you would the maternity stage. Nobody thinks less of you if you get clothes that fit your new form. Don’t be crazy and try to do unhealthy stuff….just heal and embrace the moment. That’s what I’m telling myself 🙂 Here are some of my favorite purchases so far….
The leopard sweatshirt is actually becoming one of my favorite tops….I do a lot of layering with it…but I always feel a little more put together than my normal sweatshirts. And I have literally waited a year for the drapey long top up there to become available in gray….A YEAR. So I will let you know how that looks when it finally arrives. I also got a long deep red t-shirt tunic….I bought that specifically to go with leggings and this blanket scarf. I have a feeling that outfit will be worn a LOT this fall. And you can see I’m wearing my favorite jeggings (I got them just recently in black!) because they are basically just stretchy pants that pull all the squishy bits in 🙂
I also bought some things for the house….one being a couple new pillows for inside and a couple $4 pillow covers for the front porch…I got the black and white ones! I also ordered Weston a couple things for his birthday. One of them is this Nowhere To Go game. I hope he likes it – I know he loves games and I figured this one would be good for both him and Will to play together. The other thing is a ride-on that our neighbors have and he has been asking about it. We really feel like there is never a bad outdoor toy purchase for our family….they all get used. I’ll let you guys know what he thinks about these ones 🙂
In other news….the blog is getting a makeover! Prepare yourself to see a lot of changes around here. I know. I know. I don’t deal with change well either….but we can hold hands through the process. I personally am super excited….next month, the whole Bower Power site is getting tweaked. Hopefully it will be easier to navigate, easier to find old posts and just look overall so much better. This has been long overdue and I hope that you like it! Stay tuned for that!
Katie,
You look great! Absolutely love the leopard print sweater outfit you were modeling. Good luck with sorting out Ella’s sleep habits. I know that is not the easiest thing to do. I’ll say some prayers. Keep on being fabulous and thanks for blogging!
Her newborn photo literally made me gasp. Gorgeous!
And mama you are looking great. I wished I looked that good after I had my first!!!!!!
Love love everything you do and all the tips! I love all your suggestions for fashion and reference your posts A LOT before I start anything! And I am in awe of how you even get anything done with all your cute little ones- like put clothes on your body or food in your mouth. Seriously impressive. I only have 2 and sometimes my day goes crazy! Thanks for being real and helpful and positive- love your blog so much!!! And true words about body changes- you look great no matter what- took 9 months to grow baby, give yourself AT LEAST that long before body bounces back. Xoxo fan girl for life
Hang in there, Katie! You are beautiful, you are a wonderful mother, everyone in your family loves you, and you will feel better. Remember? : ) ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT!!!
I left this note on your Instagram, too, Katie, but there is a postpartum kit called The Dia Method (named for diastasis) that includes a sample menu for getting your system back on track, and some 30 minute postpartum exercises for pulling everything back together, and a resistance tube that’s super super great for the muscles between shoulders that get sore from nursing and cradling. It’s on Amazon and about $80. Thanks for giving your body for five chillins and here’s to you all settling in!!
The ride on toy is amazing! My sister’s family has them and we call them ‘scoot scoots’…Definitely make sure he wears play shoes though because the sides of his shoes will wear out! They’re actually pretty fun for adults too down hills..
Your boys will love the little plasma car ride-on toy. My son has had his for at least 4 years and he still rides it. No batteries, no noise, and they are nearly impossible to break. My husband and I have both ridden it. ha ha!,
That ride on toy is the best invention ever. My advice, get a few and then your kids can have races. That is what we do, even the Dada get in on the action (the weight rating is actually pretty high). We have the Plasma Car version and love them. We have 2 for our 3 boys and would love another one! You won’t regret that purchase!
Love the clothes, esp the scarf! Looking great Momma!
Awww I think you look great! I noticed the other day on your Instagram that you have lost the ‘end of pregnancy’ puffiness. Give it some time it’s only been a few weeks!
My youngest got a wiggle car for Christmas and all 5 kids.love it. I have even ridden it. Hang in there momma!
Amen to the Rockstar Jeggings! I have two denim pair and need them in black! They are the best “jeans” ever! They hold everything in and make you look thinner too! Also… BEAUTIFUL, sweet Ella! Ya’ll are blessed!
I just love your style! I need that tunic top in my life. Embrace that post baby (numero 5!!) body girl! So blessed to have those healthy babies! You got this momma! Sending you a virtual hug! everything will fall into place in due time.
Sorry to hear you’re having a hard time. I hope you get to feeling back to normal again soon. Miss Ella is so precious. That picture of her is adorable. Personally, I think you look great! Leggings and dresses are my favorite fall go-to’s because A-they always fit if your weight happens to fluctuate and B-it’s such a comfortable look.
That scooter is GREAT! Just be prepared… it completely RUINS sneakers. Either way, all the kids will love it.
We have one of those wobble cars or wiggle cars (whatever they’re called) and both my kids (6 years and 2 years) love it! Hey
You look great! I just found an online nursing clothing company I really like – Latched Mama. I have a t shirt, a dress and the romper. They are so soft! Just be aware they kinda run large, so don’t size up like I did.
Also – my third Baby was doing that wonky schedule too, my pedi kinda gave me a lecture that I was letting him sleep too much during the day. She convinced me to wake him up (which I hate doing) don’t let him nap very long, make sure he eats every 2-3 hours etc. but then let him sleep as long as he wants at night. Sure enough! He just turned 4 months and takes smaller naps on his own, so I don’t have to wake him, and sleeps through the night. It’s so hard when they are so little to figure out what’s what!
You look great, Katie!! 🙂 If you figure out the sleep thing, please share! Ella sounds a lot like my son in that regard. He was wide awake at 3 am as well at her age. We’ve gotten him to wake later over the past few months but can’t seem to get him to sleep past 5:30 am. I’ve tried everything to convince him that dark = sleep, though sadly, he remains unconvinced. Babies are funny sometimes. Just know that you definitely aren’t alone in the wee hours. Sending positive sleep vibes your way!
Katie:
Be patient with yourself. You JUST had a baby. Your body will fit into your old clothes soon. Don’t beat yourself up. You are beautiful inside and out.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
It takes time!
B.
Just wanted to comment regarding the pacifier, try a WubbaNub if you haven’t. It’s the only thing my pacifier loving 2nd baby would keep in and could get back in herself easily when she was that little. Be warned though, they will get attached to their WubbaNub – we went through 3 I think and finally ‘lost’ it right before she turned 3.
I think you look beautiful. <3
Plasma bikes are so fun! We changed the front two wheels to roller blade wheels.
80/82a. Hope that number helps! Ordered from rollerblade.com
Seriously, game changer! Our grandsons ride them indoors, I have lotsa tile, they keep busy for hours, and the rollover blade wheels make for a smoother faster glide!
Ps, the weight limit is 200lbs on the bikes (we may or may not have had an adult race or two;)
Oh Ella is too beautiful. Thank you for your honesty about the postpartum period. I don’t feel like it’s expressed often enough. I’m a couple weeks away from having my first baby and I’m honestly more nervous about the postpartum period than my whole pregnancy & the labor! I’ve definitely bookmarked some of those cute outfits to help me feel more “myself” after the baby. Sending lots of love & positivity your way! Reading Bower Power always makes me happy.
You look lovely and you are lovely. Look after yourself and give yourself a little grace
There are similar ride on toys on Zulily for $27.99. My daughter and nephew love them!