A Postpartum Post

We’re starting to find our groove around here. But it hasn’t been without a small slice of tribulation.

Baby Margot 2

Our first week home from the hospital was really rough since our dog Iggy turned out to be kid-unfriendly. His behavior from the moment we walked in the door with Margot became erratic and unpredictable, and proved to be too much to put our newborn through. With heavy hearts we had to say goodbye to Iggy and surrender him to the same no-kill shelter we adopted him from. Iggy had territorial tendencies, and the last thing we wanted was for his jealousy to turn even more aggressive towards our new baby. I spoke with a trainer who confirmed that his behavior was not something that could be trained out of him, and she advised we’d made the right decision. I sleep a little better at night knowing that much.

Margot Collage

I still cry when I think about Iggy, but I’m confident we made the right decision. Coming down from pregnancy hormones, recovering from an unexpected cesarean birth, saying goodbye to Iggy, and welcoming this beautiful baby into our home was a lot to handle right off the bat, but the atmosphere has become much more peaceful around here.

Baby Margot 4

We’ve been fortunate enough to have family friends and neighbors bring us dinner every night since my mother-in-law headed back east to Oklahoma. Without that help, I can’t image the further disarray our home would be in. Since being promoted from housewife to stay at home mom I’ve often found myself missing daytime meals while trying to catch up on sleep, or feeding Margot. I’ll strike a balance soon enough.

Baby Margot 3

Otherwise, I’m healing from my cesarean nicely and almost back to full swing. Isaac has gone back to work and a mood of normalcy has settled over the home, much like the light layer of dust coating my untidy living room. I’ll get better at juggling everything, but for now I’m really enjoying Margot. It’s easy to get lost in her steel blue eyes, or giggle when she sneezes her tiny baby sneezes. I still can’t believe she grew in my belly.

And every once in awhile, she throws me a grin that melts me to the core, regardless of the baby flatulence that typically follows.

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P.S.

I didn’t realize it before, but my baby’s name and dog’s name sound very similar and are in fact indistinguishable to my beagle’s ears. Anytime I ask if Margot is hungry, Yango jumps up and waddles over to his bowl overcome with mealtime glee. It’s one of those funny little things that go on under our roof.

 

Introducing Baby Margot

The last few days have been a whirlwind! Our baby Margot was born on Monday after 30+ hours of labor that began early St. Patrick’s Day. My anatomy didn’t make things easy for my 8 lb 6 oz baby to enter the world so I ended up having a cesarean section to ensure her safety. Don’t worry, there was never an emergency looming, it was just a typical difficult delivery.

Scenic Hospital View - Tacoma, WA

Long story short, the labor was long, the delivery was short and our baby is healthy, happy and beautiful. I’m elated that we had no major complications, and that we had such a great team of medical practitioners to coach us through the entire journey.

The process was only made smoother by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law who flew in from Oklahoma to help around the house before and after the birth. Our dogs were well taken care of, and coming home to a clean house with a fridge full of food was beyond the best case scenario.

Baby Margot 3Welcome MargotDaddy & MargotFirst Car Ride for Margot

Well friends, and family, please forgive the brevity, I’m still healing and I’ve got a glorious baby that I’d rather be holding! Thanks for the enduring well-wishes and kind words during the pregnancy and beyond.

Mommy & Margot

Year Twenty-Seven and the Roller Coaster Ride into Motherhood

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Well, I survived another year on planet earth, barely. Yesterday was my 27th Birthday, and things got off to a rocky start which has sort of been the norm for the last few weeks. I ended up sick as a dog, and threw up with such violence that I burst dozens of capillaries in my face. My now red-freckled face, paired with the unmistakable waddle of someone with sciatic pain, is a sad testament to the miracle of pregnancy. Ha! The day improved considerably after my husband whipped up my favorite fruit salad, (I’ll have to share the recipe soon because it’s winning) baked me a beautiful carrot cake, and proffered lots of hugs.

While the morning of my Birthday was quite sour, the final week of being a twenty-sixer was marked by pregnancy symptoms far worse. My midwife ended up prescribing me painkillers after witnessing my body shaking uncontrollably from the pain. Although I tend towards hyperbole, I must clarify that these body aches were more severe than any other pain I’d ever endured, and they were apparently a rare sight according to my clinicians. Now I’m able to walk around unassisted, and tear-free! So trust me when I say, I’d take the Birthday nausea and the subsequent red-face over those body aches anytime.

So on my Birthday, with my mobility roughly restored, my husband and I took to the mall for a Birthday present but I couldn’t find anything I wanted. Probably because I usually gravitate towards clothes, and this super pregnant body has not complied with that type of shopping for months. In fact, all the shopping I’ve done during this pregnancy has been on baby stuff and home decor (see the photos below). I reckon that must be God’s way of redirecting the selfish desires of young women (okay, me) toward more matronly pursuits. 
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Then today, as though I’d never had a pregnancy discomfort ever, I was the best I’ve felt in weeks. I was able to clean the entire first floor with just normal distended-belly discomfort. It was pretty miraculous, so I hope this strength and energy continues until Margot arrives, which is hopefully on her due date this Friday.  Otherwise, it’s back on the pregnancy roller coaster ride I’ve been stuck on for 9 months.
LinensAnd I owe a great many thanks to my friends, family and readers who have shouldered the brunt of my recent pregnancy woes and consoled me with well-wishes and unending empathy. I sincerely appreciate your support and love during such a life-changing period! The next post you’ll see around here will be a baby welcoming one.

Friends of Margot