Jessica, :lb10:
Your journey is just beggining..
As for drinking, take small sips all the time to keep yourself hydrated and as much water as possible. I also still love to chew ice to help with water intake...
Ab workouts, it took me about 1 1/2-2 months to be able to do crunches without any issues, but now at 3 months out, they are no problems whatsoever...
Since my kids are 10 & 14, I don't lift them anymore, so I cannot answer that.
Keep us updated,
Kristi