Happy Mother's Day! I'm looking forward to celebrating with my own mom this evening.
As for myself though... this holiday is as much about Bryn as it is about me.
She's the reason I celebrate.
Being a mom is my proudest accomplishment and the title I'm most honored to have.
From the moment I knew she was in my body & my life... our souls were intertwined. And she will forever be the person to whom I'm the closest.
I may have given her life, but she gave me a better life when she came into mine.
Bryn was born by C-section because she was breech.
Prior to that date... my doctor suggested I come in for an External Cephalic Version to see if he could turn her around. If you're not familiar with that procedure... essentially the mom is laying on a bed, while the doctor places his hands on the outside of her belly & attempts to turn the baby around using his hands.
I'll sum the experience up as this.... it was really painful. And I have a pretty high tolerance for pain.
It felt as if he was trying to take one of the organs from the right side of my body & move it to the left. And quite honestly as I was digging my fingernails into the bed trying to hang in there, I kept thinking... if this hurts me this much... what the heck is it doing to my poor unassuming baby who's just laying there peacefully & then boom... hands aggressively grabbing her & trying to turn her upside down?
Suffice it to say though... she's as stubborn as her mother & didn't move an inch.
So my doctor said... well... we can schedule a C-section up to 10 days prior to your due date.
I said... yes... I'll take that date. I was huge, uncomfortable & ready to move on with things.
She was born on June 9th at 8:15am. And only 6 lbs, 6 oz.... which meant I had a LOT of weight to lose. I'd gained about 45 lbs and well... I was 10 lbs heavier pre-pregnancy than I am now... so.... yeah, I was kinda hoping she weighed about 35 lbs. LOL
But no matter how old or senile I ever get... I will never forget the following moment for as long as I live.
It took what felt like an eternity from the time they sliced open my belly & pulled Bryn out before I actually got to see her. They don't hand you the baby right away like they do in a normal birth. They instead took her immediately over to the other side of the room to get weighed, cleaned up, and whatever else happens, while she cried & cried.
I just laid there helpless crying along with her. It was the first time we'd been apart in 9 months.
Finally they wrapped her up in a blanket & handed to her dad to bring her back over to me, still crying.
He put her right into my face because I couldn't move more than to just turn my head at the time.
I said, "Hi sweetie..."
And the crying stopped instantly, just slightly whimpering to catch her breath.
As I kept talking, she just listened quietly... to that same voice she'd heard for 9 months.
It was the single most incredible moment of my entire life.
Amazing how a child just innately knows their mom.
So very thankful for Bryn... today & every single day. She'll be turning 20 in exactly one month from today and I couldn't be more proud of the woman she's become.
It's all one big journey of slowly letting go of your child and teaching them independence from the moment they're born.
So thankful for my own mom that I love so much, and for all the other amazing moms in my life.
All the dads are pretty cool too. I'm truly blessed.
XOXO