Why didn't someone warn me

What a surprising few days it's been. I've had a very hard recovery which seems to surprise none of the medical staff. At one point one of the midwives actually said, and this is a quote, 'Does it feel like someone is sticking a red hot poker into your side?' My reply, while moaning in agony 'Yes!'. 'Oh yea, that's totally normal.'

I'm feeling much better now, though still unable to walk around without holding onto my stomach for fear of my intestines falling out. Apparently there was a lot of scar damage from my previous cesarean and quite a few of my orgnas had grown together so they had to separate them. Gruesome and extremely painful.

Thankfully, to make it all worthwhile we've had a gorgeous baby girl. Rosie is fine and dainty and has a quirky, funny little face. She's the kind of baby who looks wise beyond her years and has been a sweet, easy baby so far (still early days, I know). She's been such a surprise and delight. Very much her own little person already.

Toby seems to adore her. He's held her a lot and given her hundreds of kisses. I think he's looking forward to having a compatriot in the house.

J and I are still adjusting to it all. I've tried to be a laid back second-time Mom but J seems to be doing everything for the first time again and his anxiety is contagious. The trip home from the hospital is a case in point. We got both of the kids strapped into their carseats in the back then I got into the front. I spent almost a year riding in the backseat with Tobes to make sure he didn't spontaneously combust or something and was determined to do things differently this time around. We were just heading off when J said 'I can't see her from here.' I very coolly explained that if she was uncomfortable she would let us know soon enough. J's fear was that her head would fall forward as Toby's sometimes did in the same carseat. We used to fret that he would suffocate or hurt his neck at the very least. Not now though. Now we were cool second-time parents. Everything would be fine.

We got about a hundred yards down the road with J fretting the whole way and me trying to maintain a facade of cool. (Could she actually suffocate??) Then Tobes asked J if Rosie was OK. Toby replied 'Yea, she's being silly.' J and I relaxed. You can't describe a suffocating baby as being silly. Then Tobes elaborated 'She's going like this' he said while lolling his head around loosely on his chest.

Fifteen seconds later we were back on the road again and I was in the backseat with the kids. So much for being cool and relaxed parents.