The first month of Leo’s life has been full of joy, love, and amazement; but also rife with challenges. There have been successes, and there have been failures. A prelude to what parenting will likely be.
Having my mother and sister here has been a wonderful gift.
My mother arrived shortly after Leo was born. She promptly began cleaning – our floors, our bathrooms, our laundry – cooking, changing diapers. She even got up with me to keep me company during late night feeding sessions. She helped get us through a broken kitchen faucet, a broken refrigerator and a new momma with a fever to 103 for three days. All within Leo’s first 2 weeks of being home. Plumbers coming in and out of our house, breastfeeding with shaking chills, and sleep deprivation were a lot easier to handle with my own mother here. And as usual, she asked for nothing in return – albeit a few Coca-Colas and chocolate. Which we were happy to buy: in bulk.
When my sister came, thankfully there were no major new house disasters, and I was no longer sick. Jax arrived with the recent knowledge and experience of being a new mom. Her help around our house and her gentle reassurance were amazing. Taking a line right out of our mother’s book, she also cooked, cleaned and helped with 3am feeding sessions.
These ladies even gifted me a massage and Aunt Jacquie babysat Leo for an hour so this new momma could relax.
Dropping them off at the airport was difficult for me. I didn’t want to see either of them leave. But I also felt a little stronger, and a little more confident than before they had arrived. They both injected new life into me. My life, and Leo’s life, is so much richer for having these two strong women in it.
