He’s eleven days old. Go ahead and swoon if you want to. I’m over the moon in love.
Tiny fingers, fine hair, little bitty bottom. Two chins, one dimple.
Finnegan: Irish, meaning “fair.”
Dunamis: Greek, meaning “power.” But for the word nerds among us (to whom I give a secret pinky shake and my deepest devotion), it means so much more. Here and here.
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
– 2 Timothy 1:7
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
– Acts 1:8
For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.
– 1 Corinthians 4:20
Along the lines of still having much to learn even after many pregnancies, I’ve gathered a list of things I’ve finally discovered in this last postpartum experience – like how after having a baby, I can down an entire 14-ounce container of Haagen-Dazs sorbet in the time it takes to drive from the birth center to our front door, including a quick stop at Kaladi’s to get a mocha for Vince. I know that’s not helpful for anyone else (though it was bliss for me), but some of these other items might be.
– After accumulating stretch marks with every pregnancy, I finally discovered the magical combination of lavender/frankincense/coconut oil and didn’t gain any new ones this time around. It was an accident, though, because I was actually using the oils to treat the incisions from surgery mid-pregnancy…so instead of a few more stretch marks, you could probably draw a Civil War battle map out of the new scars. History geek husband says it resembles Grant’s wilderness campaign of 1864.
– I’ve never had stitches after delivery before, but considering all the postpartum pains that make you want to scream like a banshee, it turns out that with one little stitch, peeing no longer has to be one of them. Glory.
– And speaking of screaming like a banshee: Afterpains, the often excruciating cramps that accompany nursing in those first few days and tend to be more severe with each delivery, can be dramatically reduced by lying flat on your tummy for a few minutes at a time. Our midwife told me this, and most of the cramping was gone in the first 36 hours. She didn’t tell me that the same thing can be accomplished by two kittens racing across the bed while you’re napping and taking no more notice of your body than they would of any other speed bump, but that might’ve helped, too.
– There’s no shame in using whatever you need to make the first days and weeks of nursing a more pleasant experience. If your midwife recommends something that you’ve always resisted out of stubborn pig-headedness, then for the love of all that is holy, give in and use it. It also helps to pray, breathe, and use lavender oil or a calming magnesium supplement right before nursing to take the edge off any fear and trepidation of those first moments of baby latching on. In lieu of, you know, vodka.
– A belly band lends a little more dignity to nursing, covering the slightly-deflated-yet-still-puffy postpartum tummy. This protects you from exposure, cold, and probing questions from your older children about how many babies you still have in there.
– While rinsing your hair in the shower, an accidental application of breastmilk (don’t ask) will take your curls to a whole new level.
– Breastmilk can also cure goopy eyes, certain skin rashes, and any laziness you might have about changing bedsheets.
– Shopping for nursing bras is only slightly more aggravating than the misery induced by shopping for regular bras. It’s made even more difficult when the selection comes in two-packs attached to each other, and you have to try one on to know if you need a small or a medium. The upside is that after you’ve survived this humiliating procedure in the privacy of the dressing room, you might run into a dear frazzled friend in the checkout line who asks you if they make straitjackets for children…and you’ll know exactly what to tell her:
Actually, yes. Just get the nursing bra two-pack — size small.
