What week

2

How big is baby

8lb 2oz/3.6kg. They like to see babies back at their birth weight at around 2 weeks post birth, and Poet is above her weight now. I’m not surprised because she is a total boob monster!

What’s something new this week

Baby acne! Poet has lots of little red pimples on her face, I’m not sure if she is having a reaction to something I’m eating or perhaps it’s just because she has very sensitive skin! I’ve been putting breastmilk on the little spot but they don’t seem to be bothering her. Any tips of helping them clear up, let me know on Instagram!

Most challenging moment

Her beautiful nights of sleep the first few days have disappeared! The beginning part of the week, Poet was waking about every hour- hour and half from 9:30pm-4am and then having about 2.5 hour stretches from 4am. That felt pretty brutal as Forest was also waking up around 6am, and sometimes earlier, to have a mummy/daddy check in before going back to bed. The last 3 nights Poet has had 3-4 hours stretches, which has feel so much more manageable!

Favourite moments

I have been loving just being with the boys and Poet. Bodhi had so many special moments with her this week. Wanting to touch her and kiss her, pick her up and sing to her. It makes my heart absolutely melt. Just having these lovely slow days all together has been completely blissful.

Mama time

I’m having a few days here and there where I can get a bath in and do some work on YZM and Lovewell. Other than that, I’m pretty strapped for time since it’s school holidays and the kids are all home. It’s bouncing between the kids making sure they’re all good. Luckily, we have so much land here so the boys are off running around in nature or jumping on the trampoline. It’s been so nice just being here at the house. I know I’ll have some more me time in the upcoming weeks, for right now I’m really loving being with the gang, and I’m not craving me time the way I was during my pregnancy.

What am I eating?

I’m actually craving healthier meals than during my pregnancy. I start the day with Lovewell shake and then usually have some kind of smashed avocado or a focaccia or some veggie sushi. With Easter, we have really indulged in chocolate!! Like sort of in an insane amount. haha. The kids we well looked after by the Easter Bunny, somehow the Easter Bunny just knew that Mark and I love dark chocolate caramels, so we have an entire stash that we are working our way through!

What’s working?

I’ve been managing to get the kids out of the house on time to attend the extra curricular and social activities on our calendar. I keep a backpack in the car with all the things I pack for the day which I just replenish at the end of the day, ready for the next morning. That way all I have to do in the AM is make the kids breakfast, bathe, get them dressed and teeth brushed, ready for whatever adventure awaits us.

This is what I pack in our day bag;

Snacks for the boys.
3 water bottles for the boys and I.
Spare change of “just in case” undies and shorts for Forest.
Bib for Forest.
3 changes of clothes for Poet.
2 burp cloths.
2 light weight swaddling blanket, one used to put on top of a changing table.
6 nappies.
Water wipes.
Natural butt cream.
Sun hats for the boys.
Lip balm for mama.
2 toys for Forest (Bodhi carries his own toy he wants to bring along, usually a puggle!)

What has also been working is breastfeeding on demand, we always like to do a “meet the need when the need arises” kind of non schedule with our babes. We allow them to tell us when they want to sleep/eat/play. We just tune into their signals, and it works really well for us. Some people like to be very structured during the newborn days, but we are the opposite. We just tend to her cries and it’s either that she wants to be in arms, have a nurse or that she has a wet nappy. The days feel very cruisy. It been nice staying in pjs some days and just hanging at the house, they’re my favourite sleepy and relaxed days!

Checking In

I’ve been thinking about my life a lot this week and really just appreciating all the goodness that we have. My boys are just such divine and beautiful little souls, and having Poet just makes me love them even more. I’m really recognising just how special they are, their empathetic ways make me so proud. My heart is overwhelmed with love for my whole family, it’s just a really beautiful time.

I’ve also been having some bittersweet feelings this week. As happy as I am, I know I’m looking down the barrel at a fair bit of separation as my time of just being a stay at home mum will be coming to an end come July. I love work, I really do, I’m so lucky to get to do what I love for a living, but my favourite thing in the world and my number one passion is being Bodhi, Forest and Poets mummy. It is the best job in the world. I’m very grateful to be on a TV show that really embraces working parents, and because of this I know I’ll be able to be very hands on with the kids and also be at work. I recognise what a luxury and a gift that is, not one that’s afforded to many mothers out there but still it’s going to require balance and not always getting to be there for the kids in all the moments of every day, the way I get to now.

I’m sure these feelings are coming up now because I’ve just had to say goodbye to Bodhi and Mark as they venture off to NYC together. The movie they are in together that Mark directed is being celebrated at TriBeCa. It’s a trip Mark and Bodhi have both been so excited about, and they get to have special one on one time together. I know it’s amazing for them both, but of course my heart broke as I said goodbye to them. Lots of tears and snuggles. Bodhi will be home in a week, but still it feels extra long right now, especially with these slow dreamy newborn days at home, the house just feels extra quiet. It’ll be a nice chance to spend one on one time with Forest though, and that is something that I know he will get a great deal out of. Mark has been gone a lot the past few months and now with Poet here, all I’m craving is family time and simplicity in our life. I really dislike being separated. If it was up to me, we would always be together and never have a day apart, but I know that given our careers, that’s just not realistic and I’m so happy that Mark is off promoting his movie and getting the acclaim he deserves! Absence makes the heart grow fonder and I’m just grateful that there’s so much love in our lives that it hurts when we aren’t together, as Winnie the Pooh says “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”.

Week 2 Post Partum Vlog by Teresa Palmer