Casted Baby

Living with a baby in a cast is not recommended if you can avoid it. but as we can't avoid it, we're doing it. this is one of those situations like natural childbirth... the only way out is THROUGH. and it's one of those times when i'm glad i DID natural childbirth because i feel like i can do ANYTHING after doing that.
in general sabine is doing really really well. in the last week she has majorly adjusted to being in the cast. she has gotten much more focused in her looking and reaching. she also is putting many more things in her mouth and i'm wondering if that is to get the stimulation she isn't getting from gross motor movement and sensory perception on her legs. and she has been in the most ridiculously good mood. it's like she just discovered she's alive and she is VERY happy about it. she could be the poster child for 'life is good'
so really i need to get over myself and take a lesson from her to just enjoy myself, no matter what is...
but here's what is difficult. suddenly, as far as caring for her goes, it's like we have a newborn again. we can't use the cloth diapers so we're changing diapers much more often. and we have to be very vigilant about it, they get full fast because they are so small. and so she's cranky when she has a full diaper (as anyone would be) so i feel like i'm ALWAYS changing diapers. also, so far, she hasn't let us put her down very much. she isn't comfortable on the ground and is totally revolting against tummy time. i don't want to put her on her back during the day because she sleeps on her back and we're supposed to change her position often. so it's a LOT of carrying her. and she got really heavy with that cast. she's also resisting the stroller again like she did as a newborn so now i'm slinging her to go for walks.. no breaks for my body there. and all those little 5 to 20 minutes snippets of time when i could do something while she played by herself on the floor... gone!
and SLEEP. or should i say ... lack thereof for her and for us. first after the hospital we moved her into our bed for her comfort and to be able to reposition her and watch her closely. that was OK except she got a cold and snored and she took up the whole bed somehow. now she's comfortable back in her own bed but she's waking up A LOT. A LOT LOT. so i'm up all night long going in to reposition her or change her diaper. and how can you help her help herself sleep when she can't even adjust herself to make herself more comfortable? i don't know what the answer will be with that one.
and finally. a few days before her procedure i jacked up my arm while teaching yoga. (!) arg! i was in SERIOUS pain for about a week. now i'm doing better and am going to physical therapy for what appears to be a strain of the muscle underneath my shoulder blade (how do you DO that?). but being in pain and emotional about the whole experience also makes it all feel like she is a newborn all over again.
a newborn that doesn't sleep and needs to be entertained. but at least that's the fun part.
this week i think she's already easier than last week in the cast, so hopefully we'll just continue to improve. the fact that i'm not in pain anymore makes everything much more tolerable. now if i could get a few more minutes of sleep i'd really be in good shape. i'm not counting on it though.
(such gratitude for the nap she's taking right now!!!!)