My first baby happened to be one of those adorable holiday babies. November 9th was just enough time for her to be ready for her first showing at holiday time. Dresses were donned, mother was ready. Where do we go? Living in NY, it had never been a problem to visit both families for the holidays. First we go to the Walkers for the food spread and then to my family to shake off the excess pounds:). That used to be as easy as pie. 1+2=3 and it shouldn't be any more difficult to carry 3 across the city, from stem to stern than it was to carry 2. She is little and she is a "good" baby. How hard could it be?
Ugh! I certainly lost that point. I am not ashamed to say so. Perhaps, I was starting the post-partum, even then, unwittingly. Nobody could have told me not to do it. When I look at the replays in my mind I am screaming, Don't do it! Take a sick day! You are going to lose your mind.
Not only did I lose my mind! I lost my health and ended up with a very severe infection from trying to nurse in unorthodox positions while sitting in Aunt Meg's small bathroom. I had not negotiated the feedings into my thought processes. Of course I am a naturalist and there will be no problem nursing with family. My mom did it all the time and everywhere.
I hadn't remembered that his was a family of mostly men. I felt awkward and sick and the baby cried and cried to nurse, more because she was overwhelmed by all of the new faces.
Where's my baby? Where am I? What are we doing? Why are we here? I felt aweful and we had only been at baby's first Thanksgiving for 10 minutes.
Sharing my baby would be a lifelong journey. I would learn lesson after lesson about God's mercy and grace which was just beginning at that session of spin the mommy. I came out of there busy and Truly Thankful! Sickness does that to people and don't try to take a new mommy's baby out of her hands in the first weeks.
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