On Becoming A Mom

OMG I am a Mom! I’ve become that person that a wee little one relies on for nourishment, safety, cuddles, and guidance as he figures out the world we live in. No pressure. No seriously, the thought is just a tiny bit overwhelming still, even after being on the job for almost 3 months. But so far the kid has survived our parenting so we’ll call that a success (knock on wood).

Leo joined our family on a summery day in July after 23 hours of labor (but I’ll spare you the details) and then had to stay in the NICU for 5 days. That was completely unexpected as he was full term and all the ultrasounds had indicated we’d have a perfectly healthy boy. Needless to say, after the exhaustion of labor and birth with no sleep and then the worry about our boy and the hustle and bustle of the hospital I felt more like a zombie than ever before. I know everybody tells you that you’ll worry for the rest of your life as a mother but I surely did not expect that much worrying right from the beginning.

Anyone will tell you the NICU is a tremendously emotional experience and they are spot on. Thankfully the NICU staff was awesome and our son hated his breathing aids and was determined to get rid of them pretty quickly. He pulled the tubes out of his nose and no one noticed as his oxygen and breathing values didn’t set off any alarms. So as the days went by we received much positive news and he was finally discharged with a clean bill of health. Hoorah! We truly feel lucky and blessed as we know all too well that not every NICU story has a happy ending.

I SHOVE MY C-PAP OUT BECAUSE I HATE IT
That navy strap is supposed to be under his chin and the clear tube in both nostrils. Leo had shoved it half out because he clearly didn’t like it.

Then our crazy first month at home started. I can’t say enough how lucky we were to have saved up enough dineros for Husband to take off six whole weeks from work! Between taking care of baby boy, washing breast milk pump parts and bottles, keeping the dog alive, my postpartum recovery (which no one ever tells you about that part of having a baby, so, surprise!!), personal hygiene and eating our days were pretty busy and exhausting.

But, I’m happy to report things have gotten a ton better! Leo now pretty much sleeps through the night and nurses well. Almost every day he learns something new and it is so fun to watch and help him figure things out. It absolutely melts my heart when he smiles at me and I am completely in love.

And… he just woke up from a nap. So leave me a nice comment to read while I go deal with some poop….

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