I hope you’ll congratulate me on the birth of our new baby…girl who looks just like Mr. Churchill, scowl and all. We have a real name but not a blog name yet. Some of the contenders are Ermentrude and Hyacinth (because she was born on the same day as the actor who plays Mrs. Bucket’s poor husband). She weighed, at birth 8 lbs 13 oz (one ounce off of the last ultrasound in spite of being consoled over and over by the doctor, all the nurses and most everyone else, that those things are like a pound off and completely inaccurate). She’s not very long and, I would say, not very big, just solidly heavy and covered in layers of fat.
I really appreciate all the prayers that she would turn–which she did without help from the doctor. I actually fell heavily in the snow right before going in to the hospital which shook us both up very much and immediately made everything feel different.
So, in case you’re thinking about having a baby any time soon, I thought I would suggest some things you can do while you’re in labor and then maternity.
While Laboring You Can
Listen to Matt read sermons by John McArthur about women being saved through child birth
Listen to Palestrina
Sing the Fruits of the Spirit song over and over in your head and realize that having all those things isn’t actually supposed to be a passive activity but something you make an effort at (a little).
Have the hymn Come Labor On become permanently lodged in your head (I’m not kidding, I began to be hysterically unable to get the words to go away.)
Whine about being in pain and how much you hate labor and giving birth
Gaze out at the landscape and realize that Binghamton in the winter looks just like Communist Russia
Hear over and over that you 1. have a proven pelvis so everything will be fine and 2. have a tired uterus because you have had SO MANY children already
Seriously consider hugging the Epidural person for making it feel a lot like Christmas
Reminisce about growing up in Africa with the nurse who is also an MK only from the Philippines
Finally give up and give birth
While in Maternity You Can
Eat two dinners and then two breakfasts
Spend the night praying for the baby next door who is not eating, not sleeping and unhappy about everything
Read all the Father Brown Mysteries you were intending to read while laboring
Discover something called Percocet
Remodel the Maternity ward in your head
Count the seconds until you can go home
Continue to be completely amazed by how fat your new baby is
Freak out that your awesome new Kim Kardashian approved Belly Bandit will be way too small
Finally be allowed to go home
Pictures to follow!
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