March...um...25?
OK, that works for me.
Been sick for days...pneumonia. Pink eye. ETC. One thing I've learned: the nurse (aka Mother) who takes care of the sick children is not allowed to be sick. EVER. So, this nurse has nursed the sick children of her home since March 4.
21 days o' fun. Little sleep. Much coughing, washing, vomiting, ETC.

So, while children are all seemingly better, I fade. The answer??? Make friends with your family doctor and drink wine.
ALL BETTER!

OK. Now to write. What shall it be tonight? I've covered pottying. Hmmm...
I know!
My poor cousin has had a baby and she is sad. She doesn't feel well. Too many visitors. Baby doesn't sleep. Too bloody. Too sore. Too tired.
This is all part of the process that people DO NOT tell you when starting to think of having a family. I should say "having a baby" because once the first comes, most people do a lot of hardcore thinking before making a "family"...as in, more than one child.
I had little experience with children growing up. I, being an only child, had (THE FREAKIN BEST LIFE EVER) little involvement, other than occasional babysitting.
I always felt maternal, very maternal in fact. I never doubted in any form that I would marry and have a child. I liked other people's kids, in general.
So, I marry. My husband had one little neice, who was just born when we started dating. She was not even two when we married. I adored her. She lived four states away and we saw them infrequently. I just loved the heck out of her. She was good. She was cute. She wasn't mine.
I wanted her.
So, I marry. Unbelievable as it seems, I get pregnant five weeks later. Not planned. At all. OK, here we go. First nine weeks go by fairly quickly...we make the big announcement at Thanksgiving. "WE'RE PREGNANT!!!"...
On December 23, 1998 (yes, this is how clear the event was) my husband and I go into our first ultrasound experience. I was about 11-12 weeks pregnant. I was not even showing yet, maybe had gained 4-5 lbs. Still wearing amazing jeans and high heeled boots.
We go into a little dark room, and they prepare to do what is called a "transvaginal" (fun, right?) ultrasound. We do it. I lay there and the tech had the screen facing her, away from us. She studied it for a long, long time. Husband and I hold hands, waiting for her to say, "here is a heartbeat" or "see this blob?". So, while we hold hands waiting for the magical moment she turns the screen and says "there are two, you're having twins". Magic moment over.
HUH? I can remember feeling how sweaty our palms got holding on the other hand. I know my heart rate exploded, because I could feel it pounding.
Twins?
I don't know anything about kids. Husband knows less. Twins?
We go home and make a big announcement on Christmas "WE'RE HAVING TWINS!!"
Ten more weeks go by. I am tired, or so I think. I'm starting to round out a little.
20 week ultrasound. "Please have one girl"....is resounding in my head.
Two boys.
I don't speak for two days. I am disappointed. Isn't that terrible?? I'm awful, but at least I'm honest. Two boys? Gross.
Here we go. Twenty more weeks go by. Yes, I'm accurate, I carried them full term in the middle of summer. I am probably the ONLY woman ever to carry twins full term in July. I didn't want them to come out!
Labor: is a whole other story. Fast, hard, done.
I resented those babies before they were even born. That's the first time I've EVER admitted that. I am not sad about it. I wasn't ready to be a mother first of all, let alone to TWO BOYS.
So, we bring them home, it's not like we could leave them at the hospital, although in the weeks and months to follow, I'm sure it would have been easier.
Welcome to hell. Newborn twins are not a dream come true.
No one tells you that:
you bleed for weeks and weeks and weeks
your breasts are foreign bodies, used only for food
your stomach is like a deflated helium balloon, and you can't even use it for fun voices
your hair falls out
Plus, guess what??? Babies cry. Like, a lot. And I even had a colic baby. One good, one colic.
People were dropping into our home constantly...people I hadn't seen in years! Like we were a side show from a circus.
We were. Or rather, I was.
Acceptance is key here, I know this because I've gone on to have two additional kids and really come to like it.
A new mother needs to accept the following:
Labor is not fun. But it is one day. One really, really sucky day.
Babies are not fun. They also suck, literally and figuratively.
Bellybutton care is not for wimps. It is gross and hard to work around.
Nurses do not like you if you are pretty and/or have a good looking husband.
Stomachs do return to post pregger look. I know this because I do at least 300 crunches a day.
Hormones are NOT A MYTH.
MIL are not like your mom; and no matter what anyone says, in those first days after a new baby (or two) all you want is your mom.
IMPORTANT: there is NO SLEEP. EVER.
Husbands really want to help, but do not know how...by the time the fourth comes, mine screws up jobs on purpose so I don't ask him again.
Vaginas are awesome. It will return to it's original state.

These are not even all of the things I didn't know BUT NOW DO.
I will return for more on having a new baby.

Remember I said I thought 'wine' was part of my recuperation?? It is, was, and now I'm barely keeping eyes open!!

Thanks for reading, anyone.
I will return for more at a later time..