July/August 2022
Hello everyone! I’m back from my maternity leave and ready to write! Obviously the past two months have been insanely busy. Preparing for (and ultimately having) a baby is a huge deal. I was right in thinking I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the blog during the first few weeks of Olivia’s life. I barely know what day it is! Even my birthday was lowkey a surprise to me…it came before I knew it.
Let’s get into what’s happened these past two months!
July
July, at this point, is kind of a blur now. Working out my last two weeks before maternity leave was bittersweet. I miss my coworkers, but of course now I don’t want to go back! Being Olivia’s mom is enough for me! We had the baby shower at the beginning of July as well, and it went swimmingly. I loved seeing my family and friends, and I loved being able to celebrate Baby G with everyone.
We didn’t end up finishing Olivia’s room before I went into labor, but it was done when we got home. Our roommates, the Bentons, put together the crib for us! It was an insanely gracious gesture that Matt and I will always remember. Everything else that didn’t get done (mainly just the rest of the floor and decoration) can wait until we are back into a routine.
Speaking of labor, it’s the worst! I knew what I was signing up for, but I didn’t realize how fast it would all go. All in all, I was in labor for about 24 hours, but only in active labor (aka “The Baby Is Coming, Get Me to the Hospital Right Now” labor) for like, maybe 5 or 6 hours? Honestly it all blends together time-wise. Around 10:20pm, Olivia Jo was born! My blood pressure was insanely high, so they had to assist ya girl with some forceps to get the baby out. It was a very long day, but one I’ll always remember fondly!
There was definitely a “Before Olivia” and “After Olivia” change in mood this July. I expected that to be the case, but I didn’t expect to still be able to do things I like to do while taking care of the baby. For example, I can still play The Sims or watch OneyPlays if she’s taking a nap! I’ve found other things to love too, like taking her outside and walking around the backyard, or trying to get her to enjoy Tummy Time (which is a whole ordeal). Being a mom is exactly what I’ve wanted to do all my life, and it’s exciting to know that that dream is a reality!
August
August has been more of the same when it comes to Mom Time. I’ve been introducing her to everyone in my life slowly but surely! I’ve also been trying to remember to take care of myself and spend time with friends and family as Mary, not Momma Mary. I went to Cincinnati to help my best friend, Erin, try on wedding dresses, and celebrated my twin niece and nephew’s birthday at Chuck E. Cheese (disgusting surfaces, stanky bathrooms, 10/10 pizza for some reason).
Like I said earlier, my birthday kind of snuck up on me. It was three weeks after giving birth, so I didn’t expect to do anything crazy. I had breakfast brunch with my family and a nice Villa Nova dinner with Matt (thanks to Cheyenne, my roomie, best friend, and now babysitter). The rest of the day was spent taking care of the baby and laying around…which is honestly what I wanted to do with my birthday. I also had wine for the first time in a long time…that was the best gift, in my opinion.
I go back to work soon, and I am SO not looking forward to it. I love my job, don’t get me wrong, but I would much rather spend the day at home with Olivia! I’ve always wanted to be a mom who stays home with her babies, but life never works quite the way you want it to. Matt and I make enough to keep the three of us fed and a roof over our heads, but just one income alone would change our lives for the worst…so I gotta go back to work!
I’m lucky in that my work doesn’t feel like work most days. I went back to the restaurant for the first time since I gave birth for lunch, and just being there felt good. So I know I’ll be happy when I’m back on the floor serving people, but I just know my preference will be to be at home taking care of the baby.
Olivia Update
I couldn’t write this update and NOT include a whole section dedicated to Olivia! Like I said above, there has been a “Before Olivia” and an “After Olivia” that Matt and I have been getting adjusted to. It’s been so awesome to watch this little baby grow. She’s five weeks and I can see she’s already learning so much!
Matt has been the dad I thought he’d be, which is to say he’s doing a great job! Every day, we’ve been taking turns being the primary parent while the other catches up on whatever needs done (or just to have some quality “Be A Human Being” time). Watching him become a dad has been so great. It’s fun to watch him and Olivia figure out each other. Matt says she doesn’t like him as much as she likes me, but I think she likes him just fine!
Right now as I write this, she’s waking up in her swing. She’s been pretty good about letting Matt and I sleep (I do wake up to take care of her, but when we’re asleep, she’s usually asleep too), and I know that that probably won’t last forever! I also know eventually I’ll be able to sleep all night again…not for a while, but eventually! All the sleep I’ve lost is definitely worth it.
Music Obsessions
I’m gonna be honest: I’ve not been listening to music as much as I normally do. I’ve been taking care of Olivia! I’ve mostly been keeping up with artists who I knew were coming out with new music, like The Midnight, SOHN, and Ellie Goulding. Beyonce’s new album, “RENAISSANCE”, has obviously been on repeat from its release on July 29th. Freddie Dredd came out with “Freddie’s Inferno” on August 11th. I had no idea he was releasing anything new, and I’m obsessed with it just as much as I am with Bey’s new stuff.
Of course, I couldn’t make those two albums the playlist for the past two months, so I’ve thrown in some other music that I’ve been sprinkling into the rotation here and there! If you’d like to check the playlists out, here is July and here is August!
I’m fully expecting to become my mother as time goes on; she never knew any of the new music and pop culture stuff I did, but I have a feeling that Olivia will take over my attention and I’ll no longer be “hip” and “cool”, which is fine, honestly…as long as I can keep up with music!
My life from here on out is going to be very different. Now that we have Olivia, Matt and I’s schedule has completely been obliterated. I’m going to be going back to posting every Monday as best I can! I think committing to writing will keep me sane while I try to navigate my new routine.
Thanks for reading today! I’m hoping to come back next week with a short story, but honestly as long as I write something, I’ll be happy. Hopefully you’ll be happy with it too! If you want, feel free to follow me on Twitter for your daily dose of Mary. I’ll see you next Monday with something new!
