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... of a complete loss of dignity

This post is not for the faint of heart. And I am not just saying that. If you are not a parent (maybe even more specifically, a mother), you may need to consider stopping right here. Or scroll quickly through to look at the few pictures and scoot yourself right back to Facebook, or wherever you came from. If you do not have kids, but think you might be ready to have kids, this could be a deal breaker for you. So continue at your own risk. You have been warned.

Tonight, I feel I truly became a mother. Up until this point, I really thought I would do anything for Abram, but I had never been called on to do too much out of the ordinary. Sure, I've lost a lot of sleep and made a lot of stupid faces and noises and been peed on and spit up on, but these all felt like normal baby-caring things. A babysitters' resume would look similar. But tonight, I crossed a line. THE line. The Mommy line.

Since we started feeding Abram solids in the last few weeks, we have noticed that he has been pretty constipated...

...You see where this is going yet?...

... When he has been able to go, it has been pretty difficult and it's only been when I've been helping by massaging his stomach and pumping his legs. And he gets all strained and he tries really hard and he cries after something comes out. And it breaks my heart. I mean, I feel him. I know exactly what it feels like. And the last thing I want is for my 6 month old to get hemorrhoids. So, it's been about 5 days since he went last. His stomach was all round and sometimes he would strain like he was trying to go, but to no avail. I gave him baby prunes yesterday and today and was hoping for something to happen soon. I also read something the other day about how, if you think that your baby is straining to go, put them in a warm bath to get them to relax...

... Yeah, it's going there...

... Tonight, we were having dinner with some friends, Maggie and Danny.


We were feeding Abram and all of a sudden he started straining, trying to go. I whisked him out of his high chair, ran him to his room, put him on the changing table, stripped him down, and started pumping his legs and massaging his stomach. After being peed on, I finally was able to help him get some very hard and painful stuff out. He was red and crying and very uncomfortable and I was on the verge of tears for him. He had already gotten a good amount out, but when he started straining some more and was not relaxing, I yelled for Quinn to start a warm bath.

Now, we usually bathe Abram in a little whale tub that doesn't immerse him and his tummy. So I was going to have to get in the actual tub with him...

...uh huh...

... After about five minutes of calming him down and pumping his legs and playing in the bath with him, it finally happened. I became a real mother. As I sat in the bathtub with my son and his... little... accomplishments, with our dinner guests in the living room, I realized that my theoretical devotion to this small person had been tested and upheld. I can now honestly say that I would do anything for my child.

And with that, I wish all you incredible mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day.

Comments

  1. Congratulations you've crossed the mommy line, this is the stuff that scares non parents. This is one of those things that people who don't have kids just don't understand, yet.

    ReplyDelete

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