His vitals go haywire! The cord is wrapped around his neck! Knives are drawn! Knight in shining armour doctor! Knives are sheathed! Phew.
Long.
Harrowing at times. And quite painful (like having your spine drilled through)
before the epidural.
But
giving birth definitely lived up to the hype.
It’s been nearly three months
- since my water broke (two days before I realized it did);
- since my cervix refused to dilate;
- my blood pressure dipped dangerously low almost immediately after getting an epidural (“how are you feeling?,” a nurse asked me tentatively, surveying my face with a worried look. “Uhm, fine, I guess,” I said. “Maybe a little dizzy come to think of it…”);
- since the baby’s heart rate dropped each time I had a contraction because the Lentil wrapped the cord around his neck (why would he do that?!).
- since the doctors decided a C-section was necessary, then decided it wasn’t.
Since my Ob/Gyn handed me an entirely cone headed baby and said: Here you go! It’s a boy!
And since
my husband decided to capture the moment for all eternity with photos taken
from every angle (“we’ll show them to the boy!” he said. “Actually, no we
won’t.).
But seriously though…
Meeting Hudson Louis, born seven pounds on April 18, was an experience I’ll remember in vivid detail (also, one that will require a fry pan to the head, a funnel of 80 proof Vodka and the promise of expensive jewelry for me ever to repeat).
It is
also something I’m grateful I decided to do (have a child, I mean).
The Lentil has turned out to be my beautiful, blue-eyed, pink-cheeked little boy. And I couldn’t be more in love (or more of a sap).
Who woulda thunk a gritty crime reporter could have such a soft side?
Staring
at Hudson for hours has become my favorite pastime. Stroking his tiny head my
favorite hobby. I become more smitten each time he smiles.
And it’s true what they say: it’s a pleasure to change poo diapers for your own child.
So that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 11 weeks. Please forgive me for not writing.
There has
been no post partum depression. No baby blues. Not even a few tears at the 4
a.m. feeding.
I can’t
use post-baby mood disturbances as an excuse for why it’s taken me so long to
put pen to paper, er, fingers to qwerty.
But I do
apologize.
Talking,
thinking and writing about having a baby for just shy of 10 months gave me realistic
expectations for what life would be like post-pregnancy: the exhaustion,
confusion, elation, exhaustion.
But it
didn’t prepare me for how few hands I would have at my disposal. Typing on a
computer was out of the question. Until now.
I hope
you’ll follow along with me as I navigate maternity leave.
Congratulations to everyone who has recently become a new mom along with me!
And thank you for reading!
oops, just noticed I misspelt your name, my apologies!
Posted by: NC | July 08, 2009 at 02:39 PM
Okay, you said you wanted us to warn you about things, so here goes:
1) You *will* forget exactly how excruciating and scary labour and delivery were. Honest. Oh, sure, you might retain some vague memory of it...
2) ... but it will not be enough to keep you from wanting to do it "just one more time," no funnel of vodka or frying pan required.
Want me to send you pictures of my two, over-9-lb babies as proof?
Posted by: Betty | July 09, 2009 at 01:12 PM
Congrats Michele!
Posted by: Melissa | July 09, 2009 at 01:22 PM
I just want to say how happy I am you're going to continue with this blog! It'll be a few more years before I'm ready to enter motherhood, but I've loved reading about the whole process from your POV. Great job (on the blog and the baby!) and I look forward to reading more!
Posted by: Katherine | July 09, 2009 at 04:27 PM
gritty? really?
... congrats Michele. enjoy the new boy, and we'll enjoy the blog.
Posted by: ted | July 13, 2009 at 03:33 PM
Yay! Glad to see your back to blogging! No need to apologize for being MIA...you had a baby! I'm due with my first in October and have enjoyed reading your blog so far and look forward to reading more!
Posted by: snakecharmer | July 15, 2009 at 11:30 AM
yes! Send pictures!
Forget?? I dunno..... The experience seems seared in my brain. Of course, I haven't really slept in three months so who knows what I'll retain in 10 months from now!
Posted by: michele henry | July 15, 2009 at 10:55 PM
YOU'RE BACK!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Tracy | July 20, 2009 at 08:24 PM
At least you (and I for that matter as I have a three month girl) get to enjoy the summer a bit. My son was born in July and I distinctly remember waking up from my exhausted daze to realize it was almost- October???!!!
Posted by: Daphne | July 28, 2009 at 10:31 PM