holding hands, january 08I had to chuckle to myself yesterday. I was folding laundry and suddenly remembered one particularly stressful day when Isabella was about 2 weeks old. As I might have already mentioned...my doctor informed me that she suspected the baby to be about 8.5pounds at my last appointment (which made perfect sense since Tommy and I were both8.3pounds) Well, the doctor was a bit off and we were a bit unprepared (clothing wise) to bring home a 6.9pound (5.15pound by the time we left the hospital) baby. My mom was out on Thanksgiving Day searching for preemie clothes so that she would have at least a few items that didn't swallow her. She couldn't find much of anything.
After a pediatrician appointment several days later (poor baby's belly button would not heal up) I was extremely frustrated about the belly button and the clothes situation and told Tommy to take me to Babies R Us. He and Ella waited in the car (but of course! The doctors practically made us swear on our lives that we would not take her out of the confines of our home for 8 looooooong weeks!!) while I went in to "grab a few preemie things!" Afterall, SURELY Babies R Us would have a selection of preemie things, right? Long story short, they had some very large 8-10 poundish preemie things and that, for some reason, was the last straw for me. I wigged out (think Steve Martin and the hot dog bun episode from Father of the Bride) and probably spoke a little less than kind to the nearest poor teenage girl in the purple Babies R Us vest. I think I might have asked her if she thought "8-10 pounds" and "PREEMIE" on the very same tag was somewhat of an oxymoron??? I think I might have gently ripped a onesie out of the package and nicely explained to her that my beep baby was about half the size of this so called PREEMIE onesie and that technically speaking, she wasn't even a beep preemie! Then I asked her (as if she knew--she might have been 17 at the most!) what a mother is to do if she actually has a true beep preemie?? She informed me that she was sorry she couldn't help me and walked away. I'm pretty sure I called after her, "Oh you can help me alright...do you sell SLEEP here??" Then I proceeded to get in the longest line (naturally) and wait impatiently to purchase the package of onsies that I accidently, gently ripped open. When I walked out into the parking lot, I saw Tommy circling the lot like a crazy person because, at the time, Isabella would become quite angry if he had the audacity to STOP the vehicle!! Once in the car, I started sobbing...all of my sleep deprivation caught up with me coupled with the fact that I felt sure that a slow healing belly button must surely mean there was some serious disorder going on that no one would tell me about! All the way home I blabbed and cried and made no sense at all. Tommy was his usual self...calm and reassuring, albeit sleep deprived himself. When we got home, still infuriated about the fact that preemie clothes do not actually exist, I whipped out the scissors and cut off the arms of each onesie I had just purchased to a length more suitable to a preemie. I distinctly remember Tommy lying on our bed watching me "modify" the onesies. He was a bit worried I am sure....but instead of letting on, he simply smiled and said "feel better?" Why yes, yes I did! I washed the onsies and dryed them on extreme heat to shrink them and voila! They fit perfectly. Gerber should contact me in the event that they decide they would like to correctly size their gear.
Later that night, I heard Tommy talking to Ella while changing her. He was saying, "Mommy flipped out and made you wear a cut-off today, didn't she?"
I will save them forever. They will always serve to remind me of our first weeks as parents. So blessed, but so frayed at the edges. Falling asleep standing up, existing sheerly on love alone. We're past that now and just as I have been told....the sleepless nights and frustration are becoming a distant memory.
But I have a tiny onesie with jagged edge sleeves to remind me...you know, should I ever forget.
After a pediatrician appointment several days later (poor baby's belly button would not heal up) I was extremely frustrated about the belly button and the clothes situation and told Tommy to take me to Babies R Us. He and Ella waited in the car (but of course! The doctors practically made us swear on our lives that we would not take her out of the confines of our home for 8 looooooong weeks!!) while I went in to "grab a few preemie things!" Afterall, SURELY Babies R Us would have a selection of preemie things, right? Long story short, they had some very large 8-10 poundish preemie things and that, for some reason, was the last straw for me. I wigged out (think Steve Martin and the hot dog bun episode from Father of the Bride) and probably spoke a little less than kind to the nearest poor teenage girl in the purple Babies R Us vest. I think I might have asked her if she thought "8-10 pounds" and "PREEMIE" on the very same tag was somewhat of an oxymoron??? I think I might have gently ripped a onesie out of the package and nicely explained to her that my beep baby was about half the size of this so called PREEMIE onesie and that technically speaking, she wasn't even a beep preemie! Then I asked her (as if she knew--she might have been 17 at the most!) what a mother is to do if she actually has a true beep preemie?? She informed me that she was sorry she couldn't help me and walked away. I'm pretty sure I called after her, "Oh you can help me alright...do you sell SLEEP here??" Then I proceeded to get in the longest line (naturally) and wait impatiently to purchase the package of onsies that I accidently, gently ripped open. When I walked out into the parking lot, I saw Tommy circling the lot like a crazy person because, at the time, Isabella would become quite angry if he had the audacity to STOP the vehicle!! Once in the car, I started sobbing...all of my sleep deprivation caught up with me coupled with the fact that I felt sure that a slow healing belly button must surely mean there was some serious disorder going on that no one would tell me about! All the way home I blabbed and cried and made no sense at all. Tommy was his usual self...calm and reassuring, albeit sleep deprived himself. When we got home, still infuriated about the fact that preemie clothes do not actually exist, I whipped out the scissors and cut off the arms of each onesie I had just purchased to a length more suitable to a preemie. I distinctly remember Tommy lying on our bed watching me "modify" the onesies. He was a bit worried I am sure....but instead of letting on, he simply smiled and said "feel better?" Why yes, yes I did! I washed the onsies and dryed them on extreme heat to shrink them and voila! They fit perfectly. Gerber should contact me in the event that they decide they would like to correctly size their gear.
Later that night, I heard Tommy talking to Ella while changing her. He was saying, "Mommy flipped out and made you wear a cut-off today, didn't she?"
I will save them forever. They will always serve to remind me of our first weeks as parents. So blessed, but so frayed at the edges. Falling asleep standing up, existing sheerly on love alone. We're past that now and just as I have been told....the sleepless nights and frustration are becoming a distant memory.
But I have a tiny onesie with jagged edge sleeves to remind me...you know, should I ever forget.
11 comments:
Oh sara...I can't tell you how bad I wish I could have been a fly on the wall at that Babies R'Us!! I wonder if that girl went home and said "Mom, I'm never having a baby!" lol I needed a good laugh this morning :) See you tomorrow night or wait is it tonight?! Did you finish??? erin
Ha! Just read your comment on my blog...I can't get into my email for some reason, stupid msn. But yes i'll be there, and I think I remember the directions I should be good :)
Isn't it funny the things that happen the first weeks of motherhood? I did some crazy things and I distinctly remember thinking it was rational and why was my husband looking at me so crazy. Looking back I see that just maybe the lack of sleep affected me more than I realized in the sleepless moment!
OMG!! I swear this is my last comment today :) LOL! Did you see Design Mom today? You should DEFINATELY do that with all the blogs/pictures you post about Isabella! What a great idea. I love it!
That is a really funny story! :) I love reading your blog.
HYSTERICAL! I laughed and then I had to read this out loud to Joel and we both laughed. Ah the joys of parenthood! Thank goodness for calm, rational fathers!!!
i laughed and cried
that is hilarious!!! thanks again for sharing such a great story!!!!!
my favorite part was tommy's play by play to ella on the changing table about mommy flipping out and making her wear cut off shirts!!! halarious. and so so true. our poor husbands will always have to explain our craziness to our poor babies, won't they!!
Lovely photo and darling story!
Hehehe! That's awesome! LOVE that story, and was seriously sitting here cracking up, as I could picture it in my head!
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