September and Surgery

Hollin is quickly approaching her one month birthday! Slow down, time! When she was just three weeks old, I underwent surgery to have my gallbladder removed. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I'm not a gal who feels comfortable taking pain medication- or who enjoys needles. The thought of being put under with a tiny nursing newborn was not all that appealing, but I knew it was time. Gallbladder attacks aside, I'd not had any red meat, soda, dairy {no cheese at all!}, processed foods {not even a single bite of Ritz cracker!} or high fat anything for five long months. That means no tacos, lasagna, spaghetti, creamy soups, steak, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, Diet Coke, french fries, chips and salsa, potato salad, cookies, cakes, or casseroles for five long months. I've basically been eating lots of salads, baked chicken, green beans, and baked potatoes. {which is probably the way I should continue to eat!} Surgery went well, though I'm definitely still in the recovery process. I'm back down to my pre-baby weight and hope to keep up some of these good eating habits, though I miss ground beef and cheese. My husband and kiddos have adopted my eating habits during this pregnancy, so we've all learned a great deal about self control when it comes to processed treats. All that aside, I'm looking forward to eating some of my favorites in moderation again soon.  : ) I celebrated my 33rd birthday in bed with an ice pack and a good book  {I'm reading the Divergent series and on the third book} and am doing really well post surgery. I was treated first thing in the morning with gifts from my family, which was a fun treat. My mom is thankfully still here to help with the kids. Very blessed to have a mom who can commit to stay and help for a full month. It was a great birthday! Hollin is growing and thriving! She is nursing exclusively and weighs about 8.6 pounds at 4 weeks. She is a quiet, easy baby which is an answer to prayer. Very thankful for my little girl. My brain is already surging ahead to Halloween costumes for our church's Fall festival, my Christmas cards that will need assembling soon, and the fun winter activities ahead of us. The changing of the seasons plus being a mom to three little ones sure makes for fun, but busy months ahead!