Holding

Tempest is nearing two weeks old, and I’m back to work. I’ll be honest: The last two weeks have been a ridiculously dull adventure. No, seriously. I already mentioned that I passed out an hour or so after giving birth to the munchkin, but that wasn't the last of it. After I got home, lightheadedness and fuzzy hearing became a sort of regular thing. Walking to the bathroom wiped me out and sometimes made me have to sit down. Washing dishes required numerous breaks. Even showering took it out of me.

On the 4^th, I decided to get out of the house and hit the grocery store for some necessities since Hubs was at work and obviously couldn't do it for me. Pooka and I shuffled slowly through the small store and she did most of the work, tossing our few purchases into the cart for me while I leaned heavily on it. I couldn't figure out why people were looking at me funny, or why Pooka was being so solicitous. Once we got most of the way through the checkout line, I figured out why. I had been feeling pretty weak and wobbly, but I figured it had to do with having been in bed or sitting on the couch for more than a week. Nope. I nearly passed out in the checkout line. I figured out what was going on in time for me to hand Pooka my debit card and go settle on a bench at the front of the store with my head between my knees.

My little girl, I am proud to say, handled the remainder of the transaction, loaded the car and helped me to it without batting an eyelash or even taking the time to look concerned. She’s good in a crisis, is Pooka. She grabbed me a soda (I hadn't eaten that day yet, either. Just hadn't been hungry) to boost my blood sugars and made sure I was alert, responsive and in proper shape to drive the half mile home before we went anywhere.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it turns out that I was low on iron. Hubs picked up some iron tablets for me that evening and I have gotten progressively stronger since. No more fainting episodes; no more lightheadedness.

In other news: Husband and I have talked and while our original plan was to start trying for our own offspring in December/January, certain circumstances have led us to decide to do one more surrogacy before we procreate. I’m sure I’ll get plenty of flak from hopeful grandparents for it, but it’s just not a great idea right now. First and foremost, I've applied for a new job. It would be better, if I get it, not to have to take three months off for maternity leave within the first year.