She is BIG!

Yesterday was an exciting yet depressing day. JK went with me to see my OBGYN because we could get a glimpse of her during the ultrasound, where her development was once again checked and her weight estimated. The technician even gave us a 3D picture of her face, which was nice because we could see how she looks even when she was in the womb. She is chubby with a button nose, just like daddy as I was told by JK. She is healthy . . . and 5 lbs 15 ozs!!!!!! By size, she is 36 weeks. By gestational age, she is only 34 weeks. So good for her, sad for me as I will certainly have to push for more than 2 hours this time around. She is growing at 1 oz a day at this stage of her life. So by 38 weeks, she will be more than 8 lbs. All these brought back memories of a difficult and painful recovery. Then, of course, I was, as well as everyone around me were, very happy to see a healthy and vibrant baby. But like the experience of all mothers, mothers are often forgotten as soon as the baby is born. Having babies is thought to be such a "natural" thing that women are expected to bounce back to normal health and spirit very quickly after the baby is born. This is true for some women, but not for some. I am not one of those lucky ones as my babies tend to be big and I am just not so physically fit.

As a mother, I am grateful that she is healthy and I can't wait to hold her in my arms and kiss her tender skin. I just hope I'll be healthy enough to bond with her and to take good care of her.

JW