Second Baby Homecoming

***Anecdotes and advice from a Supermom of 12 children

In those days, insurance granted us weary moms three full days in the maternity hospital. Before I knew it, my stay in the maternity ward was over and Hubby had arrived to help me cart away the flowers, my maternity bag, and of course, the baby. The nurses were busy with new arrivals, so once having determined this was my second child, they let me dress my baby in her tiny, new, going-home outfit. The staff exclaimed over my experienced and competent way of handling my infant and I felt duly proud of my accumulated prowess with newborns.

A kind of goodbye

With one last wave goodbye, I entered the elevator, pressing 'L' for lobby. My husband told me to wait inside the building; he would bring the car around and then come to retrieve the baby and me. The lobby was drafty what with people entering and leaving the building all the time. I pulled the baby's little bonnet closer around her ears and stroked her velvet cheek. I realized that this was a kind of goodbye to her time alone with me. We would never have such proprietary rights to each other ever again. My time with her would be much different from time spent with my first child, who had never had to compete for her sole rights to me as her mother.

A few cheerios crunched underfoot

As my husband helped us into the car, I noticed that even the car had been marked as belonging to a different baby. There were toys scattered around, plus a spare diaper belonging to a much bigger child. A few cheerios crunched underfoot as I settled in against the sticky upholstery. The nesting instinct had me cleaning the house from top to bottom as my delivery date drew near, but the car suffered from neglect, since my girth prevented me from doing more than a cursory job of cleaning its interior.

I cheered myself with thoughts that my figure would soon be back to normal and I could catch up with housework; get back into my old routine. I took a deep breath.  It was time for the second homecoming. I nodded to my husband that the baby and I were ready to roll.