Week 11 and 12 Post Partum Vlog by Teresa Palmer
What week
11 & 12
How big is baby
14.7lbs & 14.11lbs
What’s something new this week
11.
This week Mark has been away and my mum also left back for Australia, so I’ve gotten a taste for what it’s like to have 3 kids on my own. It’s all about patience, being organised and using a baby carrier! Right now I’m writing this on the plane. I’m flying solo with the 3 kids to Idaho to stay at Sarah and Eric’s home there so that Sar and I can get some days of writing in for the project we are working on. The iPads are a godsend! Honestly, it’s one of my favourite kiddie hacks. Don’t let the little tackers have an iPad until it’s travel time and then you have the most chill travel experience because watching shows/playing games is such a novelty that they’ll just happily sit next to you and devour media!
12.
We’ve had such an incredible trip in Idaho with the Olsen’s. Their property is just GORGEOUS. I spent the first 3 nights on my own there with my 3 and then Mark and Isaac joined up with us. I took a bath/shower with all of us, kids in the bath, me juggling Poet and trying to wash everyone’s hair under the shower, including mine and Poets. There were multiple moments of getting out breastfeeding and wrapping P in a towel and putting her in the dockatot until she wanted to come back in. It took me about 45 minutes, but I felt quite accomplished that I was able to get us all washed, dressed and downstairs for breakfast. Oh, the little victories!
Most challenging moment
11.
I got very ambitious this weekend and had a bunch of play dates scheduled, plus I decided to Marie Kondo the kids clothes. Naturally I ran out of time which meant that the second half of the weekend I was rushing like crazy and felt stressed trying to get everything together. The play dates were fun, but the stressing not so much (this jam-pack-everything-in vibes is absolutely my MO).
12.
This week has been really fun, Idaho has been an absolute blast. The logistics of juggling the three of them has been challenging at times, but really not a lot to write home about this week! I have tons of packing to get done for Wales, but we hired Bodhi’s old preschool teacher as a babysitter this week so I’m hopeful we will manage!
Favourite moments
11.
Poet did a big chuckle for the first time on July 3rd. We were looking in each others eyes and I said “oh my goodness!” and she chuckled, a proper big laugh. It was the sweetest thing. I got so excited I kept trying for the next hour with the kids, and we got another few chuckles out of her. Total bliss and just melted my heart. She been doing these coo laughs before, but nothing as big and distinct as this.
12.
Watching the Olsen children and our clan play together in nature all day long has been so lovely. Just using their imaginations and problem solving has been really enjoyable for us. This is what dreams are made of and the Olsens are one of very few families that we travel well with. It’s always an epic adventure and so magical. We have felt very grateful to have had this experience with them.
Mama time
11.
Not a ton of mama time as Mark has been away this week and I’ve been ON.
12.
After the kids are asleep, Sarah and I have been drinking a couple of glasses of red wine and debriefing about life. It’s been so nice having adult conversation and it’s been a lovely break for us both who are on all day with the kids and then we get to switch off, unwind and have a cheeky glass (or two!) of red.
My body
11.
Feeling really good, tired naturally but pretty great. I’ve been very hungry lately though!
12.
Great! Feeling back to my old self but with some serious dehydration!! My lips are cracked and I have to keep reminding myself to drink water! My body is also back to where I need to be for starting ADOW in a few weeks. There is direct continuity from season 1 to what I’m filming in 2 weeks so I did have to think about looking closer to what I looked like pre pregnancy. It’s happened organically though, without getting stressed about it, it was the last thing I had time to think of. Although I’m a similar shape as last season, Diana has much bigger boobs this time round!! All that time travel made her boobs gain a cup!
What am I eating
11.
All the things!! Pasta, pizza, marshmallows, salads, Lovewell chocolate protein shakes, popcorn, guacamole and chips, vegan sushi.
12
Beyond meat and TONS of it, avocado, salads, amazing artichoke dip and chips, hot chips, veggie burgers, vegan sushi.
What’s working
11.
The baby swing is a godsend. Poet just loves it. To anyone turning their nose up at utilising a swing in their home, let me tell you, I love all the crunchy mummy things too, but having a swing that the baby loves is incredible, even for just taking a shower (can’t wear your baby in the shower!!) or tying or shoes, or wrangling your big crazy dogs to get in the car. I can get the boys dressed in the AM while she happily swings and then get her out and get her dressed. She does not like being laid down, even for a minute.
12
Mark and I have been great at doing the “divide and conquer” style of parenting. He takes the older two, I’ll take the younger two. We get stuff done, run errands, all meet up for lunch, etc. It’s been really fun these last few weeks having Izy and really seeing what it’s like to juggle 4! I’m loving it, and Izy is just so helpful with the kids and constantly wants to hold Poet, it’s beautiful.
Checking In
I’m sad to say goodbye to my fourth trimester. My little baby is getting so much bigger, the newborn days are moving behind us as we welcome her new stages. Her newborn brown hair is slowly lightening, the blonde glistening at the roots, her face filling out and getting older, her personality bursting through. She’s growing and changing before our eyes. We are utterly enamoured with her.
Time is so precious, these long child filled days, one after another pass. It hurts my heart to think about how fast it moves, You just want to hold them at every age and say “let’s just stay here a little while longer,” but life moves on, chapters end and new ones begin. We, as parents, sit and observe our littles as they are in the world: so curious, brave and inquisitive, carving out their own adventures as we look on with that knowing feeling, that these days will be the memories we look back on, when our skin is wrinkled and our eyes wet with feeling. Cherish these days, even the tough ones, because soon they’ll be behind us and we will have that longing in our heart for just another day like today.
Thank you for taking this journey with me. What a remarkable community this is, and you guys are what makes it so special. I read every Instagram comment and often I’ll find myself lying in bed at night looking through pictures of your beautiful children on your pages, thinking about just how incredible it is to feel so connected to people who I’ve never met. That’s the thing about parenthood, it has the ability to bring people together. The kinship I feel with you guys is wonderful and it’s something that both holds and moves me. Sending you all tremendous love wherever you are in the world and whatever path you’re on.
💗💗💗