Self Portrait

Week 1: Self Portrait

I chose this picture as my self portrait because I've never felt more beautiful than I do in this picture. This was about 1am, 8 hours after I had given birth to our second child.  I had been awake for 18 hours and I was going strong!  
My experience with Ruby's birth (that's our daughter, the girl in the picture) was so much different and so much more enjoyable than with my son (traumatic birth!).  I was able to experience so much more with her!  So I was just losing my mind with love and hormones at this point in the evening.  And everything was becoming clear to me.
I had just delivered (via ceserean) my second child.  I was a mother of two kids, they were both gorgeous.  Ruby was alive (see next blog post for more details), and I was ok! 

I felt so beautiful and so feminine in this picture.  I had done the thing I had been working towards for 9 months and the relief, pride, accomplishment, and love was absolutely intoxicating.  Women are absolute warriors for enduring labor and delivery, HOWEVER YOU DO IT, and I felt strong and sure of myself in that moment.  I was, and am, so truly fantastic for making and bringing into the world two humans.  
I have no doubt about that, nor do I care if it offends anyone.  I'm strong and beautiful BECAUSE of this feat that I have accomplished.  BECAUSE of this thing that I have done.  BECAUSE of these people I have brought into the world.

And it is here, in this picture, after my second baby, with my mushy body, and my marked up skin that I feel most beautiful.

As should every women who has ever had to do such a thing.