I guess two weeks is long enough.
A woman's post-partum body is a wonderful, miraculous thing, especially after pushing out 10+ pounds through a hole that is usually less than one centimeter in diameter. There's the biscuit-dough stomach. The vagina with PTSD and the 1000-yard stare. The 'roid rage (and I ain't talking steroids, ladies). The various pinpricks from IVs, epidural, Rhogam, bloodwork. The engorgement that comes when your boobs think they need to feed the entire west coast.
And yet, two weeks from the moment you've pooped out 10 lbs of baby, it's almost all just a memory. The tummy is, well, not flat, but at least more parallel to my body than perpendicular. The vadj is recovering, with much therapy (talking about what happened helps). The 'roids are not raging. The pinpricks have healed. The boobs and I have come to an understanding that it's just the one child we need to feed.
All that means that I get to focus on the whole damn point of it all. Ladies and Germs, may I present, in her debut blog performance, Mam'zelle Tabitha (and her veteran co-star La Ruby).
Ruby, totally fascinated at the first meeting.
Checking out the newbie. Ru has wanted to be way more hands-on than I thought she'd be, so our mantra with her has been, "Gently. Gently."
And she's totally getting it, as displayed by how gently Ru placed T's new toy over T's face and mouth.
Three of her many hairstyles. The George Clooney circa "ER."
The Don Draper.
The punk-rock girl ("...just you and me punk-rock girl...").
Playing model for the camera. The child's not ugly, so at least there's that.
POOPING!
Ruby, practicing the big sister thing.
I daily try not to die from the cuteness.
And, of course, life would not be complete without all this adorablity being tempered by lameness. Within three days of bringing Tabitha home, Ruby came down with a runny nose, and then a hacking, croupy cough, and then a fever. As if the threat of swine flu every time we leave the house isn't enough, I have this shit to deal with. However, as you can see, illness has not affected our Ms. Ru's personality, as was displayed today during our afternoon of painting.
And yet, two weeks from the moment you've pooped out 10 lbs of baby, it's almost all just a memory. The tummy is, well, not flat, but at least more parallel to my body than perpendicular. The vadj is recovering, with much therapy (talking about what happened helps). The 'roids are not raging. The pinpricks have healed. The boobs and I have come to an understanding that it's just the one child we need to feed.
All that means that I get to focus on the whole damn point of it all. Ladies and Germs, may I present, in her debut blog performance, Mam'zelle Tabitha (and her veteran co-star La Ruby).
Ruby, totally fascinated at the first meeting.
Checking out the newbie. Ru has wanted to be way more hands-on than I thought she'd be, so our mantra with her has been, "Gently. Gently."
And she's totally getting it, as displayed by how gently Ru placed T's new toy over T's face and mouth.
Three of her many hairstyles. The George Clooney circa "ER."
The Don Draper.
The punk-rock girl ("...just you and me punk-rock girl...").
Playing model for the camera. The child's not ugly, so at least there's that.
POOPING!
Ruby, practicing the big sister thing.
I daily try not to die from the cuteness.
And, of course, life would not be complete without all this adorablity being tempered by lameness. Within three days of bringing Tabitha home, Ruby came down with a runny nose, and then a hacking, croupy cough, and then a fever. As if the threat of swine flu every time we leave the house isn't enough, I have this shit to deal with. However, as you can see, illness has not affected our Ms. Ru's personality, as was displayed today during our afternoon of painting.
posted by Michelle at 2:31 PM
5 Comments:
FINALLY! LOVE the update. LOVE the adorable family. LOVE You!!!
*sigh*
so adorable. (both ms. t and rubes)
i especially love the punk rock and painting.
and i love your writing. it makes me smile all the damn time.
big hugs
aya
You're going to think I'm a weird stranger, but I just couldn't hold back a comment here! I'm friends with Amber (in Portland), and I read your blog regularly. So, I just HAD to say Congrats and welcome to the world of being a parent of 2! Tabetha is gorgeous, and Ruby is a DOLL. I read your post and felt like you were speaking for me, after our 2nd was born, our eldest, Jakob was sick as well, family here, adjusting again to having milk spewing everywhere etc etc etc. I should also note here that your birth story/updates were fantastic - again, like you spoke exactly what I was thinking during labor! Although neither of my kids were 10 pounds!
Congrats, from a stranger in Portland!
Jessica
Thank you for another entertaining update.
I love that last picture of Ruby. So awesome.
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