bed rest is a doozy!

Ive just had a visit from my LMC. "Kylie," she says as she examines my tummy, "no more walking around for the next few days." And that was that. Sentenced to the confines of my super-king posturepedic. Jealous? Dont be.

Usually the thought of layin up in bed chillaxin all day sounds like heaven. You know, curlin' up with a good book, taking the phone off the hook, shuttin' the blinds and assuming your coziest position. Sounds like a dream, especially when you have an energetic two year old turning your house upside down most days! Today, Im laid up in bed, but its nothing like the scene I've just described.

The two year old is at grandma's so no probs there, but I can't curl up b/c I have to lie flat on my back...I'll get to that soon. There arent any good books around (ok thats my own fault, note to self- get more good books) and I cant take the phone off the hook because Im expecting an important phonecall from my LMC. I dont really want to shut the blinds because I want to get some fresh air in the room or else I'll die of over heating, and the coziest position right now is anything other than flat on my back, which is where I have to stay!

Dont get me wrong, I dont encourage moaning about the stink stuff as its a trait I find hugely annoying in others. Instead I thought Id use this time to reflect upon things I usually take for granted when Im my fully functioning self. But before that, understanding how I got to be here might make things clearer, then again, it makes the moaning about it that much sillier, coz really, I should be thankful. Nevertheless, this is how I got here...

Ok, so its been three weeks and two days since I had our baby boy Dallin. He was born by caesarean (for an actual reason, not coz Im a fraidy cat), which as you can imagine was far less painful than a normal labour and birth. Recovering from it so far has actually been really good. I knew before I had Dallin that it would be up to me just how fast Id heal and that it would mean taking things slowly and "keeping things clean," (and by "things" I mean my wound silly.)

Thankfully Dallin was born during Edens holiday period, so he's been home to take over a bit while I rest. Honestly, what a blessing! So, to cut a long story short (baby is doing great by the way, almost 5 kgs now!) three weeks have gone by and my LMC says I need to take things even slower! One of my stitches popped (gross I know, soz) so now Im in bed, flat on my back, its hot outside and I want to go for a walk and enjoy the day while the sun is still out. Um, not gonna happen. And yeah, thats the how.

Now to that list of little things usually taken for granted:

1. Walking. Yep, plain old walking. Continuous one foot in front of the other kinda walking. Ok, so of course I can still walk and get up and get around, but seriously, no walking for a little bit = I'll get better faster and be able to cope better when Eden goes back to work next week. I guess when I put it that way its not so bad. Still, freedom to walk at whenever times, definitly gets taken for granted.

2. Picking up Asher. No heavy lifting (heavy meaning anything weighing more than the baby) means no picking up Asher. Baby = 4.8 kgs. Asher = 12 kgs. It's sad not being able to pick up your own child when they stretch up their little arms towards you. Just sad.

3. Being able to vacuum. I cant stand when the vacuuming isnt done properly! I dont mean properly as in "my way," what I mean is nothing gets left behind, lift up the rugs, go behind the door, underneath the couch cushions, properly. Ok so maybe I do mean my way. But honestly, you dont realise how much stress your abs are put under until they have to recover from major surgery. I vacuumed once, and now Im in bed. Sigh.

4. Being able to drive. Cant drive anywhere for at least another 2 weeks. Stink!

And the list goes on. No gym, no running, no bunjy jumping, no swimming, no bombing into the "no swimming" pool, no doing anything that involves the use of tummy muscles. Ok so its just a list of things I cant do while Im recovering, but things I definitly take for granted being able to do.

Things will return to normal eventually. But still. And it definitly goes without saying, at least I have Dallin. I'll save my brag session about him for another day. In no way was this post meant to imply that I wish I didnt have him. Id do it all over again if I had to. Rather, being here in bed all day, as in ALL day, did help me realise that there are certainly little things in life we all take for granted.

So, the next time someone asks you to drive them some place, or you cant be bothered getting up to switch the channel coz you cant find the remote, spare a thought for your old pal Kyz. It's like that old comedian Joe E. Lewis once said, "you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." My thoughts exactly! Get up people! Coz bed rest is a doozy!