Monday, December 19, 2016

Coming up for air

The last few weeks have been crazy.

Professionally, it's been one of the busiest and most challenging (but also invigorating and satisfying) months of my professional career.  I am so fortunate to work with a group of people who make those days where I both leave and return home in the dark and barely see my husband much more bearable.

Personally, we spent the past two weekends Christmassing with family.  First, my family, then hubs' family.  Usually it's my family that presents the most challenges/triggers, but this time it was ok. Fun, even.  Of course there were a few "ouch" moments, but I know that this will probably be the case forever, or at least for a long time, and I was able to take them in stride.  There were even a few special moments, one of which I have a post brewing about.

Although typically boring, time with hubs' family isn't usually hard.  This time, however, was a bit different.  I learned that his cousin (two years younger than hubs) and his wife were having a baby when they walked through the door carrying a new baby.  While a first cousin, I wouldn't exactly consider this side of the family close, and we typically only see them once or twice a year.  I'm sure that hubs didn't know because he knows me well enough to know to inform me in advance of any social gathering where there is a pregnancy or infant.  I took it in stride and learned that "I feel a cold coming on" is an effective cop-out for holding a baby.  It wasn't as hard as it would have been even a year ago, but it still left me gobsmacked for a bit.  It seemed like most of the day there were two themes of conversation: breastfeeding and our president elect.  I did not wish to engage in either of these conversations so I found the bathroom to be a welcome escape.

But traveling for the holiday season is over, and now I can take a deep breath and relax.

Recovery is going great.  The scar below my belly button is still a bit sensitive, but otherwise I feel healed.  I'm even back to wearing jeans!  Dare I say that I even feel better than I have in years.  I'm not nearly as tired, and I'm starting to realize how much pain that I was in every day now that it's gone.  Now that it's been a full month, I'm going to start incorporating some basic, low impact exercise back into my routine.  I'm anxious to get back to it, but am cognizant not to push it too hard.

I hope to write a bit more over the next couple of weeks!  In the unlikely event that I don't write again before Christmas/Hanukkah, I wish everyone who reads this a happy or at least not terrible holiday season.


15 comments:

  1. Sorry about the surprise baby turning up. Even when you know you can cope, there's still a slap-in-the-face feeling, I think. Your progress is obvious though - saying that you were able to take the "ouch moments" in your stride is really great. It makes going out into the world less painful and a lot easier, and I'm glad it went well for you.

    So great too that you are feeling better now, and that the pain has gone. That's worth celebrating!

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    1. Taking things in stride is actually a weird feeling for me. I don't know how to describe it. So different from just a year ago.

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  2. I am glad that both obligatory pre-Christmas gatherings are over, so now you can breath, relax and enjoy time with your hubs.

    I am very happy that recovery is going great and that you are back to jeans.

    Happy Christmas!!

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  3. Wow! Considering what happened, you did quite well! "I feel a cold coming on" - I will try to remember that one ;-)!

    I am happy that your scars are healing so quickly and wish you peaceful holidays!

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    1. It is a good excuse, even if it's a little white lie! Because nobody wants their baby to get sick. ;)

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  4. Oh god... I hope you had a good book to read in the bathroom. I'm also planning to use the "I feel something coming on, I think it's the winter vomiting bug" line, to avoid touching babies at Christmas. Genuinely, though, they are disease factories - I honestly don't want to pick anything up from a snotty toddler. Wishing you stress-free hols

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    1. Ohhhhh, good call with the vomiting bug! And amen to picking up something from the kids (which is often how it goes)!

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  5. Ohh so happy to hear that you're feeling better than ever! Yay for jeans and great workmates!
    Now let me practice saying "I feel a cold coming on", I sure need that in the next week :)

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  6. Having a job where you enjoy the work and the people is a bonus.
    Oh gosh, leave it to family to keep you on your toes... what a situation.
    Hehe, I’m quite fond of the bathroom too, on occasions.

    Yay for jeans, and darn, all those years putting up with the pain and discomfort, when really, it should have been looked into way back when... Glad you’ve turned the corner and are raring to go!

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    1. Gotta love family. They're always good for a surprise....

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  7. I'm glad the traveling is over and you can breathe and relax! How awful to be gobsmacked by the infant. Fine when you have advance notice, but ouch when it's a sneak attack. I am a big fan of the bathroom as a breathing space, too. Hooray for continued recovery! Happy holidays to you, too -- I hope there are no more surprises and everything is peaceful and full of joy.

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  8. I am reminded of my "worst Christmas party ever" shortly after the loss of my daughter... nothing worse than being blindsided by a baby.

    http://theroadlesstravelledlb.blogspot.ca/2007/12/worst-christmas-party-ever.html

    Here's to better things in 2017!

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    1. Wow. Just wow. Just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, it did. And I thought my colleague pregnancy output was bad, but yours totally takes the cake!

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