Post-Partum Letter to Myself
Dear Philothea Rose,
First of all, let me just tell you that your baby is perhaps, the most precious little thing on earth. His sweet face, gentle cries, and lovely smell are capitvating. Every stress you had about having five kids completely vanished the moment of his birth. Praise God, Praise God!
Now, time for me to knock some sense into you.
1. You just had a baby 6 days ago; of course your belly is still big! Please do not cry everytime someone sees you without the baby and asks when you are due. Please do not fret that you are still wearing maternity clothes because your old ones will fit one day. And please ignore the incredibly stupid lady you encountered in the doctor's office yesterday. As your Gorgeous Redhead told you, why do you listen to someone who is so obviously stupid?! (If you need a refresher, I am speaking about the lady with which you had this exchange):
Lady: Oh, how old is your baby?
Philothea: 5 days old!
Lady: And you are still pregnant?
Philothea: (looking down at her huge post-partum belly) Um... no, I had him 5 days ago.
Lady: Oh! I was wondering, "how that could possibly happen!?!"
2. Now, when your husband cleans the house for you and tells you how tired he is, please do not assume that he is trying to tell you that he is more tired than you are or that he is trying to make you feel guilty for not getting up and helping. He is just stating a fact. He can still be tired, sweetie, and he isn't trying to take anything away from the fact that you just had a baby and need rest. This isn't a competition, he is not trying to show how he can be "a better homemaker" than you are. He is just helping out! If he didn't help, you'd be mad at him for that and would cry that he was being a selfih, lazy jerk. Tell him thank you and go back to sleep. If he decides to rest a bit himself, it doesn't mean he's giving you a clue to get up and do some work. And please don't ever assume he has anythjing but good helpful intentions toward you, because it really makes you look like an ass!
3. Please do not get all worked up over your house not looking perfect. You were not expected to get your porch scrubbed or your air vents vacuumed when you were nine months pregnant, and no one expects you to now. When people come to your house, they are coming to see you and your baby. They are coming with love and support. They will not be running a gloved finger over your furniture to check for dust and they will not be counting the spiders gathered on your porch. And if they are, they probably don't have five kids as you do and so don't worry about what they think anyway! People are coming to the home of a recently-pregnant-currently-post-partum-mother-of-five with a husband who goes to work and school full-time along with internships and volunteering commitments. Your friends and family know this and do not expect your home to be a showcase. That will not come for another 18 years, at least.
4. Yes, your youngest daughter at home while the others are in school will be spending a lot of time at home, playing by herself, and probably watching a bit too much TV while you rest, sleep, nurse, and take care of your new baby. Get over it, It isn't the end of the world. She can count to 20, right? Her brain cells will be fine.
5. Just because you don't feel all that great doesn't mean you can't pray. You always think you have to be feeling fabulous and with everything done before you sit down for some good, quality God-time. But you'd be so much better off if you started out praying rather than finishing off praying (because when are you ever finished?). Pray tired. Pray sleepy. Pray sore. Pray nursing. Pray wiping. Pray "God, please be with me" in between the crazy moments. Just pray. It will help you tremendously during this time.
Now, you are in a good mood, a good place now. But you will completely forget all these things within the hour and begin stressing out again, so come back often and read this and remember the peace you were feeling when you wrote this. Your friends love you. Your family loves you. Your new baby loves you. Your Gorgeous Redhead loves you. Your God loves you. What do you have to stress out over?
Love,
Philothea Rose
First of all, let me just tell you that your baby is perhaps, the most precious little thing on earth. His sweet face, gentle cries, and lovely smell are capitvating. Every stress you had about having five kids completely vanished the moment of his birth. Praise God, Praise God!
Now, time for me to knock some sense into you.
1. You just had a baby 6 days ago; of course your belly is still big! Please do not cry everytime someone sees you without the baby and asks when you are due. Please do not fret that you are still wearing maternity clothes because your old ones will fit one day. And please ignore the incredibly stupid lady you encountered in the doctor's office yesterday. As your Gorgeous Redhead told you, why do you listen to someone who is so obviously stupid?! (If you need a refresher, I am speaking about the lady with which you had this exchange):
Lady: Oh, how old is your baby?
Philothea: 5 days old!
Lady: And you are still pregnant?
Philothea: (looking down at her huge post-partum belly) Um... no, I had him 5 days ago.
Lady: Oh! I was wondering, "how that could possibly happen!?!"
2. Now, when your husband cleans the house for you and tells you how tired he is, please do not assume that he is trying to tell you that he is more tired than you are or that he is trying to make you feel guilty for not getting up and helping. He is just stating a fact. He can still be tired, sweetie, and he isn't trying to take anything away from the fact that you just had a baby and need rest. This isn't a competition, he is not trying to show how he can be "a better homemaker" than you are. He is just helping out! If he didn't help, you'd be mad at him for that and would cry that he was being a selfih, lazy jerk. Tell him thank you and go back to sleep. If he decides to rest a bit himself, it doesn't mean he's giving you a clue to get up and do some work. And please don't ever assume he has anythjing but good helpful intentions toward you, because it really makes you look like an ass!
3. Please do not get all worked up over your house not looking perfect. You were not expected to get your porch scrubbed or your air vents vacuumed when you were nine months pregnant, and no one expects you to now. When people come to your house, they are coming to see you and your baby. They are coming with love and support. They will not be running a gloved finger over your furniture to check for dust and they will not be counting the spiders gathered on your porch. And if they are, they probably don't have five kids as you do and so don't worry about what they think anyway! People are coming to the home of a recently-pregnant-currently-post-partum-mother-of-five with a husband who goes to work and school full-time along with internships and volunteering commitments. Your friends and family know this and do not expect your home to be a showcase. That will not come for another 18 years, at least.
4. Yes, your youngest daughter at home while the others are in school will be spending a lot of time at home, playing by herself, and probably watching a bit too much TV while you rest, sleep, nurse, and take care of your new baby. Get over it, It isn't the end of the world. She can count to 20, right? Her brain cells will be fine.
5. Just because you don't feel all that great doesn't mean you can't pray. You always think you have to be feeling fabulous and with everything done before you sit down for some good, quality God-time. But you'd be so much better off if you started out praying rather than finishing off praying (because when are you ever finished?). Pray tired. Pray sleepy. Pray sore. Pray nursing. Pray wiping. Pray "God, please be with me" in between the crazy moments. Just pray. It will help you tremendously during this time.
Now, you are in a good mood, a good place now. But you will completely forget all these things within the hour and begin stressing out again, so come back often and read this and remember the peace you were feeling when you wrote this. Your friends love you. Your family loves you. Your new baby loves you. Your Gorgeous Redhead loves you. Your God loves you. What do you have to stress out over?
Love,
Philothea Rose
posted by Philothea Rose at
3:25 PM
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