"Normal"

Recovering from childbirth is not the easiest thing in the world. However, even a week later, I'm beginning to feel like a normal person again! There's a lot to be said for hot showers/baths, good food, a clean house, and sleep. I was sad when Mom and Carmel left, because they were a big help.

The emotional adjustment is a lot easier this time around. I'm already a full-time mom, and I'm not switching from being a full-time student. Sure, I've had my weepy moments, but a couple of really crappy things have happened in the last week, completely unrelated to the baby, like

1. Our dishwasher broke. As I speak, we are finally getting a new one.

2. The kitchen sink also broke. The handle is really loose, and it keeps getting loose every time we use it (even though we know how to tighten it!) It gets stuck on either all hot or all cold water, and then it's really hard to turn off. This problem is complicated by #1, because it makes it a real pain to wash any dishes!

3. Our debit cards expired. It's totally lame to have to rely on checks while we wait for the new ones to come. Apparently, they were sent to the wrong address in February, and then the bank deactivated them since no one used them. Hello, bank? Why didn't you tell us this so we could change our address for you?

4. James's schedule is completely reversed from how it was during student teaching. Though not an inherently bad thing, it's tough to completely flip flop my own schedule AND throw in a newborn, who is entirely unpredictable right now!

It's really not as bad as it seems. Baby Kenneth has reminded me of all the things that weren't easy with Joseph, but that I forgot about (like cluster feeding!). Apparently, I wasn't scarred for life from going through it before. Kenneth is really healthy so far, calm, content, and just cute. He's already an ounce heavier than at birth, which is really unusual for a baby only 4 (now 5) days old. Of course, he doesn't really have a schedule, but I've learned that the sleeplessness doesn't last. If I make it until 2 a.m., then I always get  long stretch of 3 hours. As long as I go to bed early, I can get enough sleep, since Joseph wakes up by 7:30.

Since James is working at night now, we're going to eat lunch together. I'm making what I used to make for dinner, for lunch. Today was really the first day that I cooked a real meal, and it felt good. Life is good, even though it's so unpredictable right now! James is still applying for jobs all over Utah and Idaho, plus a few elsewhere. We have faith that it will all work out, but it's still tough to be without anything permanent yet. Still, it's amazing how much the Lord has taken care of us and our family. He is good.