The stomach that has housed six kids...2 weeks postpartum

I wasn't sure if I wanted to post this photo, but I thought. Yup, I will. This is my lovely stomach, that has housed my six pack. I may not have a six pack abs, but I have a lovely six pack that I love very dearly. They are my six beautiful kids.

This photo is from this morning. I asked Cliff to take this photo. Notice, I have no stretch marks. I still find that amazing. I have everything else, but no stretch marks ;D

I know my stomach will not look like this forever, but I sure do not like the way it looks all stretched out. That is the amazing thing about our bodies, the way they can go back to normal (well as close to normal as possible) and, if not, there is always a tummy tuck. I now have my before photo, and cannot wait to reveal my after in October 2008!

I will not miss these items either!

I will not miss these items when I am finished with them either. The big pads, to go in the big granny pants. The peri bottle, the bum cream and wipes. I just want to feel normal again! Oh, how I want those days back!

Oh how I miss my matching bra and underwear sets...

Oh, how I miss my smaller size. Oh, how I miss wearing matching undergarments like on the left. Oh how I will not miss my granny pants (on the right) oh how I cannot wait to burn them. I will not miss these pants that is for sure. They are so big and unsightly. Oh, I cannot wait to let these go.

I cannot wait to buy new bras and underwear in a smaller size and have a new set for each day of the week!!

Bye bye to baby boy clothes...

and to maternity clothing. The small wee bag on the left will be going back to my cousin Andrea. I hope SOMEBODY has a little boy...not in my future. I already gave the brand new baby boy stuff to my Mom...somebody...oh somebody needs them I am sure!

And, the big pile on the right, are the last of the maternity clothes. The lucky recipient is Cynthia! I know she will put them to good use. And, I am just waiting for my friend Lisa to have her sixth, and then I get my maternity jeans back. Cynthia gets those too.

I am looking forward to losing the baby weight, and to wearing clothes with a waistband! And, in a much smaller size...

Veins Update - Courtney 2 weeks old tonight

Here is the bruise remaining from my IV vein blowout

OK, and here is an updated shot of my veins this morning.
I have a few more days of antibiotics. I think an doctors appointment will be in order for Monday. Unless it just goes away. To me it looks like it is here to stay.

How do I feel this evening?

Well, sleep deprived that is for sure. But, I feel happy! I am enjoying motherhood even more than the first five times, because I know my sweet Courtney is our last baby. So, I plan on enjoying every moment there is. Sleep deprivation, the body problems. Everything. I just want to remember everything, and perhaps help others going through the same things with their bodies. I am not embarrassed to share. I guess that came from birthing my six kids that is for sure. I think before I had kids I would be mortified to talk about things happening to my body. But now, not so much.

I am happy for good nursing bras today. I spent a fortune on two bras (a black one and a white one) and so far I am beyond thrilled with them. They are made in England, and the fit like a dream, and I know I will get my monies worth out of them. Usually I would wear a nursing bra that didn't fit, or old ones. I actually threw my old ones out last go around after Caroline. I didn't think I would be wearing nursing bras again!

Another thing I want to mention something my sister Amy said. When I was nursing Courtney on the weekend, she said that each of my breasts are WAY BIGGER than Courtney's head. Yup. I make good milk lol! And, I think when the engorgement phase started I had enough milk to feed several babies. It has been like that with every baby! Crazy. I am starting to think I would possibly donate some milk to the local milk bank. That would be a good thing. Thank goodness I still have a pump around. I am going to have to look more into that in the future.

Other than my tired eyes, bags under my eyes, pale skin and sore achy leg! I feel super!

veins veins veins - view at your own risk

Thrombophlebitis in my right leg
and below, and extreme close up!!! Here is my problem area. Well, the biggest one to date. I have other problem areas but I will focus tonight on the veins ;D

You can see where my doctor circled the Thrombophlebitis. Now, the swelling is moving upward where you can see a bit of red. I will have to get a photo of it.



See why I am making friends with a vascular surgeon?! He will be my best friend next year sometime. And, I bet he makes a lot of money off of my legs. One day I will take a photo of the other veins. You ain't seen nothing yet!!



And, in the title I mentioned veins 3 times. The other problems would be with external hemorrhoids. I will spare you a photo lol! I am on some good ointment from my doc! It is helping a bit more. Courtney will be 2 weeks old on Friday, but the 'roids surfaced a few weeks before she was born due to the pressure. My guess is that they will go down, but not completely away. Another joy of pregnancy that many do not talk about. I may have to have some work done down there.

And, then of course is the vein the nurse blew out trying to give me an IV. The bruise is still there, and I took a photo of it. It is still in my camera.

Yup, veins and me. And to think when I was growing up that I could not stand veins. And now I am the queen of veins.

Thursday, November 29

A much better night. Must have been my Subway sandwich! Courtney fed about 3 times last night which was great.

My bleeding is getting a bit better, I find the less I do the less I bleed. The more I do, the more I bleed. My veins are getting no worse, and maybe a bit better. They still ache. My antibiotic pills smell like cat pee which is not so nice.

My milk is in, and regulating and normal which is great. I feel tired, but then again Courtney is not even two weeks old.

Post Partum Period - Day 10

10 days post partum

Here, I am. A lot less swollen. I could actually see a bit of my ankle bones coming back. I thought they were lost and gone forever. But, they are working their way back to me. I am down 20/34 pounds here. When I walked to school, friends said I looked like a different person! I guess that is good. But, I still feel really bloated and belly yuck. I notice a real difference in my face from the 8 day photo.

Post Partum Period - Day 8

Here is 8 days post partum

Nope, there is not a baby in there. Just the postpartum pudge/rolls that I cannot stand. And, a lot of swelling due to Pitocin. My face, hands, legs and feet. I thought I would document this here, because for the record, I will not be going back EVER to this! I was down about 13 pounds here.

Funny day to start a blog

It was actually the date that we conceived our first child, Cameron way back in November the 26th, 1998. I could have never imagined if you told me way back then, that we would go on to have five more kids! But hey. This is my life!

Next year, I will most likely stop breastfeeding around this date. And that is a decade worth of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. Wow.

November 26th 2007

Well, my baby is now 10 days old. Hard to believe time goes by so fast. I am enjoying every minute of her that is for sure.

I tried my best during my pregnancy to watch what I ate, and exercised as much as I could. I think that hard work has paid off, because today I am down 20 pounds out of 34 pounds which is really amazing to me. Usually in previous pregnancies I would have put on about 50 pounds.

I am only 14 pounds away from my pre pregnancy weight, but that weight is much too high. I am going to get down FINALLY to my GOAL weight! I have one in mind!

After I get over my vein troubles I was given the OK to go ahead by my doc to start exercising whenever I feel like it. So, hopefully in the next week or two I will just get out and walk. Even if it is on the treadmill for 20 mins. And, I also want to start working on my core strength. I don't think I have any core strength left. All of these pregnancies have done a real number on my body. I don't think I have abs, and if I do they are hiding under a fat roll.

Finding Cathy

This is my new adventure. The journey to find Cathy. The Cathy that is a Mom to six kids, but also a person waiting to break out and find herself. I will document my postpartum journey here, and also when I am ready to journal my weightloss plans to find the true me!