oloriel | Childbed ramblings (Reply)

I never understood how people found it difficult to keep up with others after the birth of a child; and I thought, considering that I'm already living mostly in isolation, that my social contacts/ time away from home could not actually get any less; but now I see how that happened, and that they/ it can.

Such a tiny tiny human, and he's changing and restructuring everything.

But yesterday we managed to take a short walk (v. short walk, and by the end my pelvis was already complaining. Bah. ;_;). The day before I took Felix to our uphill neighbours. They were delighted to meet him! They also told me that their granddaughter (who was due with twin girls in September) had to have a Cesarian because one of the babies was undersupplied. O.ó So instead of some time in September, their birthday is now July 26th, one day after Felix. They're both well and so is their mother (under the circumstances). Scary thought though!
Today we took Felix grocery shopping (with pelvic pains again, damn it all), and next weekend, my father's side of the family will come to my parents' place so we'll go there as well. Thus Felix' world grows, and I guess mine as well!

And Felix has already invented a fun game; Jörg calls it "Ballinuk" (short for Ballistischer Nucki, i.e. "ballistic pacifier"): After I'd nursed him and put him back to bed (so we knew he couldn't be hungry just then), he started crying. So Jörg gave him his pacifier, soothed him a little, and went back to bed. And just when Jörg had snuggled back into the blankets, Felix spit out the pacifier, took a few deep breaths, and started crying again. So Jörg got up. And gave Felix his pacifier back. And Felix started sucking on it, happily. And Jörg went back to bed. And Felix spit out the pacifier, took a few deep breaths, and started crying... this went on for almost an hour, then Jörg was too tired and took Felix along to our bed. Where Felix slept happily - without his pacifier...

Also, parenting (or mothering, really) is a full-time job. Nursing is the greatest time-eater of all, easily swallowing up 10 hours a day - Felix is a slow but persistent drinker. Last week, Jörg couldn't help me at all -- our tenants have been having problems with mice in their ceiling for a goodly while, and last week, they were on vacation, so Jörg (with the help of his brother and mother) had five days to tear down the ceiling, find all the mouseholes, close them up and put up a new ceiling. It worked out -- just barely. I, meanwhile, was sitting somewhere with Felix attached to one of my breasts whenever one of them dropped by. As a result, mom-in-law is now offended because she's been working so hard (and with her wrecked knees and all) and all I'm doing is lazing around. I could rant a while on that topic, but it won't do any good, so I won't.
Fortunately, Jörg took three months' paternity leave, so we have some time together yet. And I'm learning to do things one-handedly so if I prepare things well, nursing time can be used for other things (such as folding laundry (badly)) or typing LJ-entries or just plain reading. And fortunately Felix likes being carried around in a wrap sling, so once I'm more mobile I guess I'll get stuff done again instead of delegating everything (or trying to hastily do everything in the moments that Felix is content to lie in his cot instead of being carried/cuddled/nursed/changed)...
Unfortunately, sewing requires two hands. And as ever after the Drachenfest, even if I didn't go there this time, I have so many bad ideas. Not to mention that I need a whole new set of garb for my new character (the elf days are over). And, of course, her son... ^^