Wow. I am normally a fairly calm person. I can usually let things roll off me and not be too worse for wear. Not this past week. I pretty much lost my mind. I couldn't stop crying, worrying about the future with this new baby. I stopped answering when my family called. I just didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to wallow in my fears.
Finally on Friday, my mom called and I fessed up to her how much I was freaking out! You gotta love my mom. She said "That's because this baby is making you crazy!" She does have a point. My hormones have been sooo out of whack. With P and O, I was fine, not many crazy outbursts or crying fits (except for the time my MIL and I were playing cards and I got super mad...haha oops), but this time, I am crying at commercials. I'm crying for other people. I'm crying for myself. Basically I'm just a mess.
Thankfully, my mom invited me to come for a few days before Christmas down to Memphis so that her and my dad could take care of me and the kids. It was an offer I couldn't refuse! So, Saturday morning I packed up the kids and we headed South. I'm so glad we did. I was in desperate need of a change of scenery! And having my parents here to help with the kids has been priceless. So, now I can go into Christmas feeling a bit calmer than I was a few days ago.
Why am I freaking out about this new baby? Well, it's probably not due to the baby himself. It's due to his wonderful brothers. They are wearing me down. Here's a few examples:
1. Preston has been coming into our room for the past few months and sleeping on the floor at random times in the middle of the night. You never know when he's going to show up. At least we have it down to the point where he will come in and just lay down instead of staring down Wes until he woke up! Haha. Loss of sleep is never cool.
2. Preston has regressed in his potty-training. I know. I can't believe it. He has started having accidents almost everyday!! I mean....really???? He is 4 years old! This one has thrown Wes and I for a loop. We have tried all sorts of things to put an end to this and nothing seems to be working. I feel like we are potty-training all over again. Again...so not cool.
3. General mischief. Here is a common example of how things can go from in control at our house to quickly out of control. I was talking to Sara on the phone so Preston used that opportunity to get out a marker (thankfully washable) and colored all over doors, cabinents, tables, generally anything he could reach. He even wrote his name on the coffee table. Uncle Chuck said that I can be proud that he can write his name. For some reason, that brought me little solace.
At this point, I hope you can see why I might be freakin' out just a wee bit. Because Preston is my behaved child!!! I haven't even told you about naughty Owen.
4. I already shared with you about Owen's toilet flushing excursions. There's nothing like having to check before you pee to make sure you're not peeing on one of your prized possessions!
5. Owen took a nightlight and somehow burned out the bulb and then made the holder somehow start smoking. Thankfully I caught him before he burned the house down.
6. Owen has started hitting and pushing people. Especially if he doesn't get his way. Add on top of that his lovely scream I've told you about and you just have a wonderful bundle of joy to be around. It was so funny because we had a playdate with another little boy Owen's age and the boy started calling Owen "Baby Monkey" because of his shrieking.
Alas, these are the reasons I'm beginning to think I'm not cut out to have another child to care for. I can't even take care of the ones I have!! As Wes lovingly told me.."Stace, it's a little too late to back out." Yeah, tell me about it.
So, if you think of me, say a prayer for my sanity. That I can keep it!
As a parting gift, I will show you a picture of the aftermath of Preston and Owen getting into chocolate cupcakes while I was writing this blog. I don't make this stuff up, peeps. I was able to get him contained while I picked up the cupcake off the floor and the couch. Sorry Mom!
This just says it all in a nutshell.
If you have any words of encouragement for me...please leave them in the comment section. I will be eternally grateful!!
7 comments:
wish I had some words of encouragement from a mom's point of view but I only have one kids right now so all I can say is I will say a prayer for you tonight and you already know this but God doesn't give us more than he thinks we can handle. You are a great mom Stacy no matter what those nasty hormones tell you!
Back before we got pregnant for this next one Preston was potty trained, and Owen was just a little quiet angel! As soon as we found out we were pregnant, Owen took a turn to be loud and bonkers, and Preston thinks the toilet seat is cold, so he thinks it's better to just do his business in his warm pants. :-P
Looking forward to having you back at home Stace! The house is way too clean without the boys here to destroy it. They may be crazy kids, but their our crazy kids, and we love them! :)
See you soon!
How come no one told us this kind of stuff would happen before we had kids?? You are a great friend and a great mom! If you ever need to vent, feel free to call! I did a whole lot of crying the first 6 months of Ian's life!
The good news is, it sounds like you have normal, healthy, little boys! And...EVERY mother has meltdowns! You are not alone! Yesterday I locked myself in the bathroom and called my mother-in-law and asked her to come over and help me (something I have NEVER done before, (ask for help that is). She stayed for 9 hours and then took the kids to her house for a sleep over! Sometimes we just need a break! I too freak out about the thought of having a newborn around...I know my house will always be a wreck and I can't imagine the things my kids will get into while I'm nursing etc or how I'm going to take care of them on no sleep! It's all good though! We will survive and if we fear we are messing our kids up we can start a savings account for their future therapy bills. :)
Hang in there!
Theresa Wrin
what's that saying??? "whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger..." ??? i feel your pain, stace... and i have 2 fairly well behaved girls!! but somedays motherhood is so, so, so overwhelming!! i'm grateful that you have a loving family to surround you and help you when needed! and i'm thankful that those little boys are cute ... b/c if your house is like my house, sometimes that cuteness is the only thing that keeps a roof over their adorable little heads. love ya, stace... and if you ever need to talk, you got my #!!! when it comes to pregnancy hormones, i feel like i've lived through most of them!!
The anticipation of what MIGHT happen is often worse than what actually happens. Yes, caring for 3 boys is very busy (and loud!), but it isn't as bad as I had imagined it while I was pregnant and worrying about the potential problems. In hindsight, I wish I would have applied this verse to my own life while I was pregnant with our 3rd boy: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Hang in there!
My nephew sounds a lot like Preston with the potty training. One day my sister finally just asked him why he wasn't going to the bathroom and he said it was because he didn't have on "fast pants" ie) sweat pants with no button or zipper. Not sure it helps, but he was also 4 at the time. Sometimes, it's figuring out if there is a reason for it...which there isn't always, but my sister couldn't figure it out on her own and when she simply asked, he told her!
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