Dear One Year Ago Self,
It is July 2, 2014. You are currently 79 weeks pregnant, or at least it feels that way. Things are swollen. You want a glass of chilled white wine, or three. You want to sleep on your stomach. You want this child out of you! You will only be pregnant for three more weeks.
You won’t make it to your August 1 due date. Something scary will happen and you will have a C-section at 3 a.m. You will worry that despite your body feeling huge, this baby isn’t big enough to be born yet. She will be tiny. So tiny that when the nurses shout out her weight, you assume she is headed to the NICU. But no NICU! She’s healthy!
Nothing about being a parent will be as difficult as people try to make you think it will be. People hype everything up. When things are difficult, you will still be more than happy to do them because that is how much you love her. You won’t sleep as much as you used to be it won’t bother you as much as you think. Your husband will be the perfect father, even better than you expected, and that will keep you sane as a mother. Here’s some advice for you, One Year Ago Self:
- Make your husband take more than a week off after the baby’s birth
- Don’t be afraid to tell people you just aren’t up for company: Your abdomen was just ripped open and a person removed- it’s OK to want some alone time
- Don’t let the new nurse put in your IV
- Don’t doubt your name choice for the girl: You love it just as much now as you did then
- Buy more nightgowns-sweatpants won’t work on a post-surgery abdomen
- Go ahead and just bring your dog to the hospital so you don’t have a hormone-fueled meltdown worrying that he’s afraid of the thunderstorm
This is your girl and she is great. She has her father’s smile and your eyes. She is active and a fast-learner. She is sassy and has the most infectious laugh. She loves to try new foods. She is a bit of a Daddy’s girl but acts more like her Mommy. She’s almost one!
Love,
Me
A HOUSE WITH CHARACTER 