How has it already been three months?! All of my other fellow postpartum mamas and especially the first-time friends out there, embrace each and every moment that you can. Soak it in. Revel in it. I tuck my soon-to-be 12 year old into bed some nights and tear up at the reminder that he used to fit on my chest. The days are long, but the years are so short. And with that, let me share about postpartum month three.

HOW I AM FEELING PHYSICALLY:

Anyone else feel like they were sick the entire month of December? Between me coming down with a horrible head cold and couch that wouldn’t quit, the rest of the family came down with stuff as well as we rang in the New Year snuggled up in bed with the hum of the humidifier. Bleh. Christmas Break this year was a definite bust, but what can ya do?

Being sick definitely set back my goals in working out and getting back into that groove, but I’m trying to remember to be patient. I find ways every day that I can move my body and get outside which helps so much – even if it is as simple as walking to the school to pick up the kids at the end of the day.

HOW I AM FEELING MENTALLY:

Things are really good in this department. I haven’t had to rely on the Xanax for those feelings of being strung out or overly stressed and unable to cope with certain situations which I have been so happy about because I was expecting different. I was expecting much worse actually.

And getting back into work during the holiday season ended up being better than I thought in the beginning stages of postpartum only because it wasn’t a violent shove back into it. Everyone was busy and trying to prepare for the holidays so its been a slow and steady incline back to my normal pace which has really helped.

Brooks is still quite attached and I do have days where I feel like I don’t get as much accomplished as I should have or set out to, but I am handling it better and somehow I feel like I have more patience with it all. This is my season of life and I can either spend my energy fighting it and being frustrated or I can embrace it and know that it will pass far too quickly.

FEEDING:

Brooks’ previous tummy issues are non-existent at this point and for that we are so thankful! For you moms out there who are newer into the postpartum journey and have a little one struggling in either the tummy department or with colic, I promise it gets better. Hang in there and before you know it, life will be easier.

Brooks is growing like a weed and he is now drinking 6 fluid ounces of formula approximately every 4 hours.

SLEEPING:

Brooks is still up most of the day unless he has someone he can nap with or doze off on which isn’t always possible since Jarett and I are both running our own businesses as well as the household.

His night schedule has been darn near perfect with him going to bed about 8:00 PM and waking up around 7:00 or 8:00 AM. I am still trying to force myself to go to sleep by 10:00 PM every night to ensure I am getting proper sleep and staying healthy, but old habits die hard. You fellow night owls know exactly how hard this area of life can be.

BABY’S GROWTH:

Because of how extreme this flu season has been and how sick we all have been, I have delayed Brooks’ appointments in the doc’s office until after the holidays. We will be in the first week of February so I will have a better idea of where he is at then in regards to weight and length and all of the well-check fun stuff.

He is officially and exclusively wearing 3 to 6 months clothes and I swear I cried the day I tried to put him in a 0-3 month onesie and it looked like muscle tee on him. Didn’t we just have him yesterday?! And he is finding his voice more and kicking TONS. The kids are having so much fun seeing what makes him smile and he is almost to a full on giggle. We are all on the edge of our seats!

MY ADVICE FOR FELLOW MOTHERS ABOUT TO EMBARK ENTER THE THIRD MONTH:

You might be getting that feeling that you should be back to normal and functioning as you did before and life should flow the way you want it to. However, remember that the “fourth trimester” is officially three months. You are still in the thick of it and if you feel yourself worn down, it does not mean you are weak. If you feel that you need help, ask for it. And if you feel like it will never get better or easier, I promise that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are so many of us right there alongside you. Keeping taking it slow.

And just a note for those of you following along with my postpartum journey…

Now that we have reached the fourth month, my focus on the postpartum journey and what I share once a month will be more about my recovery. With this being my fifth baby, I can tell you that the self care didn’t happen with my others. I was younger and thought that I could do it all. Now at 33 years old and with five kids, a household and businesses to run as well as being a wife, I know that my attention and time in this area is so important to avoid dealing with not only postpartum depression again, but stress. I have failed at self care for far too long and I have vowed to do better for so many reasons. Reasons that I will continue to share about. And my focus has never and will never be on weight loss or meeting a certain clothing size. It’s simply about feeling good mentally, physically and spiritually. It’s about feeling strong and confident in my body again without the extreme dieting or gym routines.

I hope that you will continue to follow along and I hope that these updates have helped or been enlightening to my fellow postpartum mamas out there!