This was one of those weeks that feels like a month. It was probably the roughest week I’ve had since Lila arrived. Nothing catastrophic happened, but I had a really exhausting experience, and it just drained me. So when I realized Lila was turning 4 months old this week, I knew I had to mark the occasion. Because hard weeks shouldn’t end on a crap note. So here’s our 4 month postpartum update before we get into the nonsense of this week.
4 Month PostPartum Update
- Lila is just over 12 pounds this month, which means she has almost doubled her weight!
- Speaking of weight, I have probably lost about 10lbs total since Lila’s birth. And I care 0.00% about it, haha. If my body stayed this way forever, it would be absolutely fine.
- I’m so proud to say that Lila has been exclusively breastfed for her entire four months. I’m a firm believer that fed is best, especially after formula feeding our son. But breastfeeding is hard work, ya’ll, so I’m really proud of myself.
- Lila sleeps like a little champ. Her nighttime is 7pm-7am, and she is down to three naps. The length of her second and third naps are pretty variable, and on days where I can tell she needs a little help getting to bedtime, we’ve been going for a stroll in the Ergo and catching a 10-15 minute catnap. She’s staying awake for longer stretches between her naps now – she generally can go about 90-120 minutes at this point.
- She is officially unswaddled (still in her Halo SleepSack), and has been doing great with that transition.
- I noticed this week that Lila has TWO TEETH coming in on her bottom gums. I cannot believe she’s already sprouting those suckers.
- She can roll from front to back pretty easily, and is super determined to start rolling from back to front soon. She has really great head and neck control, and does really well with tummy time. She can sit assisted for short periods of time, and it seems like she prefers to be upright.
- We haven’t started any solids yet, but we did invest in her high chair, which also doubles as a reclining seat. She loves to hang out with us in the kitchen, and it’s been so fun having her be more involved in our day to day activities.
- I’m finally able to run beyond the 10k distance without having to incorporate walking breaks, which makes me so happy. My paces are still very slow, but it’s been awesome to feel my endurance coming back.
- I’ve been going to CrossFit consistently, and am still modifying most core and jumping movements. I don’t know when I’ll feel more comfortable, but I’m not pushing it at this point.
- Hiring a nanny has been the BEST decision we have made. She watches Lila while I go to CrossFit and work, she picks up Enrique when Henry isn’t able to get to his school, and she helps out with Lila’s laundry and bottle cleaning.
Related Post: 3 Month PostPartum Update
So what was so hard about this week? Well, like I said it wasn’t terrible. But on Thursday, after Lila’s nap, as I was holding her, all of a sudden she started to wail. And this sweet girl never cries. Like never. Since her first week of life, she has cried twice. And both times she was in pain. She fusses. She whines. She lets you know when she’s unhappy. But she doesn’t cry. And she screamed for 30 minutes without ceasing. She finally did calm down enough to take a bottle between cries, and after a few more little crying episodes immediately after, I decided to take her to urgent care.
I was sure there was something physically wrong with her that was causing her pain. Because I could not console her, and that NEVER happens. Like ever. So I loaded her up, got in the car, and called Henry to tell him. Fortunately there was some road construction that slowed me down, and as I was talking to Henry, he said, “she doesn’t sound upset now, why don’t you see if her pediatrician can just get her in.” Rational. So I called her doctor with the full intention of taking her in to urgent care if there wasn’t an opening within the next hour, and thank GOD there was. One visit later, we were sent home with a diagnosis of reflux and teething combo. So. Much. Drama.
Honestly, I was sure that she had strep. Or a stomach bug. Or something else terrible. But no, just your run of the mill teeth. So moral of the story, yes babies do cry. Even ones who normally don’t. And while it probably doesn’t mean too much in the long run, you still need to trust your gut and take them to see a medical provider if you think there’s something potentially medically wrong. Even if all the doctor does is hold your hand, tell you that your baby is perfectly healthy, and give you some peace of mind.
Now, that may not sound like that big of a deal, and in hindsight it wasn’t. But when you’re worried that maybe, possibly, your teeny tiny not quite 4 month old is sick, or has a hair tourniquet, or somehow broke a toe without your awareness, things just suck. I came home that afternoon and felt like I’d been physically assaulted. I had been stressed. I was overwhelmed. And I had a huge helping of mama anxiety.
So for the rest of the week, I promised myself to take care of myself. I kept getting in my workouts. And because we had such amazing weather this past week, I was able to take Lila out for some stroller rides in early evening before her bedtime routine. She’s finally big enough to sit forward facing (when I’m walking). So in the evenings, I got her comfy in the stroller, grabbed myself an adult beverage, and invited my 8 year to ride his bike with us around the neighborhood for 30 minutes. And honestly, those walks were the best part of my days. It gave me a little period of time to be outside, enjoy my kids, and enjoy the weather (and my beer).
So that’s how my week went. Nothing crazy, but a whole lot of emotions for one mom. Extra gratitude for my BOB stroller, a healthy baby, and a few Shiner’s in the fridge.
This Weeks Workouts
Total Miles: 21.11 Miles
Total Workouts: 4
How the Run Felt
I was surprised how great all of my runs felt this week after having such a sad week last week. I’m starting to feel like it might be time to bump up my weekday runs to include more running and less walking in my intervals. All of my weekday runs were on the treadmill before work this week, and they were all relatively easy. Saturday, I was a little nervous about my long run. This was the first time I’ve set out to run more than a 10k, without any walking intervals. And it felt great! I didn’t feel like my core or form suffered at all towards the end of the run, and my endurance felt fantastic. I’m still running very slow paces, but I was very happy with the distance.
How the WODs Felt
This weeks workouts also felt pretty reasonable. I was a little disappointed in my deadlift weight, though. Prior to pregnancy, I was able to pull about 225 for a one rep max, and probably around 200 for a 3 rep. Only pulling 145 for 3 was a little hard to swallow, but this is just where I’m at. I definitely didn’t love 20 minutes of bike on Wednesday, but the run and rope helped break it up nicely. I was pretty happy with a solid 85# squat snatch. I feel like the snatch is one olympic lift I feel really comfortable with, which I know is weird, but getting under the bar has always been one of my few CrossFit strengths.
What I’ve Been Listening To
This week, I kept listening to Over My Dead Body, and let me say it has quite the interesting twist. I started a new podcast called Trapped in Treatment, which explores the troubled teen industry, and just how easily patients are abused within this system. It reminds me a lot of Camp Hell, and is produced by Paris Hilton, who spent 2 years at an abusive treatment facility. Having worked in a residential treatment center for a few years, I know how poorly some of these places can operate, and I’m really glad there is some small light shining on this subject. I also caught a really interesting episode of Was I In A Cult on the MLM LuLuLaRoe. Definitely a must listen!
What Went Well
Getting back on track after nearly a full week off.
What Went Shitty
Rushing Lila to the doctor, for sure.
Plans to Improve Next Week
Now that my long runs are exceeding the 10k distance, I’m definitely planning on breaking out the fueling options I haven’t needed to touch in nearly a year.