Lifting, mentoring

Work actually went ok this week.  I had more energy than I thought I would, so my hypothesis was right:  I was tired because I had nothing to do.  I'm sure the narcotics I was taking, the second surgery, the blood loss, etc., played a role, but getting out of the house and feeling 'useful' again, certainly helped my energy level.  I can't do a fair amount of my 'normal' job since I'm on lifting restrictions, but I can do seated work.  Which basically comes down to experiment scoring, data analysis, and validation.  Yay.  But at least I'm back into a routine.

I saw my surgeon a few days ago, and he 'graduated' me from weekly check-ins.  I go back in three weeks.  I'm still swollen and numb, both of which will take months to go away.  That's normal.  And I still have pain, but its a different type of pain:  up and down my abdomen where (I imagine) the sutures are.  Yesterday I actually had to take some Vicodin for the first time in about a week.  It was my fault:  I was laughing a lot at work and laughing + abdominal surgery = pain.  Laughing, coughing, turning over while laying down all still cause pain.  And I'm still wearing a compression garment, which I hope to stop using soon.

Baby steps.

Speaking of which, both girls are now pulling themselves up on furniture, and Meorah can now lower herself back down.  Prior to this, she would pull herself up and then cry because she would be 'stuck'.  Now she can slowly lower herself back down.  Tzelia still isn't crawling...she's doing this odd breast-stroke crawl:  using her upper body and dragging her legs across the floor.  It looks like she's swimming, but darn it she's fast!  Nicole said when she isn't wearing pants she actually WILL crawl, probably because dragging her bare legs on the floor must hurt.  But if she's in pants, she'll just drag her legs behind her.  She must have great upper body strength for a baby.

And bridging off that...I really miss the gym.  As said, I'm on a lifting hiatus until mid-November.  Nothing over 10 lbs until then.  And even then, I'm going to ask my surgeon what is ok.  Typical day-to-day lifting activity is different than throwing 80 lbs on your back and squatting (as we like to say) ass to grass or doing Pendlay rows.  Even when I do go back, I'm going to have to go slowly...much like I did after returning from bed rest.  I was so weak then, but regained strength rather quickly.  I'd rather take more time off and be 100% sure I'm ready than risk going early, going too intense too soon, and hurting myself or possibly ruining the surgery.  (Plus, since I go at 5:30 in the morning, going that early in December isn't something I'm looking forward to...its freaking cold!!).

Had my Moms of Multiples meeting this week and I'm now running their 'Mentor' program.  People contact me if they want (or want to be) a mentor to someone else in the club. When I was on bedrest, I had a mentor through another program and found it immensely helpful.  And I like being involved...its a way to 'force' me to talk to people and feel like I belong better.  I sent out an email yesterday and got many responses, so now I just have to match people up.  I don't think it will take up that much time...this first response was a lot because it was an initial email, but I don't imagine it being so busy normally.

Going out to lunch today.  Our old summer nanny is coming to babysit.  We haven't seen her in about a month and a half.  It will be nice to see how she's doing.