On Mother’s Day, it’s only natural to think back to when you first became a mom. For me that day was April 14, 2012. Those first few weeks as a mom were like nothing I had ever experienced before. Both magical, and incredibly overwhelming. Like many first-time moms, I was back-and-forth between the pure wonder and joy of bringing this amazing baby into the world, and serious sleep deprived-induced hormonal breakdowns. My days were long and filled with the usual feedings, diaper changes, bonding with the baby, laundry, pumping. But I had one extra thing to deal with in the first week of my baby’s life that most of my fellow moms did not have to experience…poison ivy.

Yes, when Olyvia was a mere 7 days old, I contracted poison ivy. Now you may be wondering…how did a first-time mom to a 7 day old newborn possibly have time to be out doing yard work? And the answer is…I did not. But apparently my husband did. It seemed like an ideal time to tackle the weeds that were at the very back of our property, beginning to creep up on the shed. He’s always had a good sense of priorities. Now although Adam is allergic to practically everything else, he seems to be immune to poison ivy – simply a carrier of it. Me on the other hand – I am HIGHLY sensitive to it, and my reaction gets worse with each occurrence.

So here I was – brand new mom. Total hot mess. And dealing with the worst case of poison ivy I had ever seen. Fortunately within about a week the whole thing passed, and like most of those first three months, is all kind of a blur now. And as I sit here 5 years later, relaxing with a glass of wine on Mother’s Day, I can’t help but look back at this incredibly disgusting photo and be reminded of just how magical those first few weeks of motherhood were. #shmadum