I feel kinda bad for the people who live with me right now. I even feel a bit bad for the people who don’t, because they are suffering even while across the country.
I am seriously emotional these days. As in, fighting tears at the drop of a hat.
Now, it’s no secret I’m dramatic and highly emotional across the board, but things have, uh, escalated a bit lately. Things that I can usually let roll off my back… don’t. They stick like glue.
Blame it on being three weeks post-partem. Blame it on the holidays, my lack of love for change and desperate, sometimes unrealistic, NEED for holding fast to a million and one important traditions. Blame it on lack of sleep. Or just plain ol’ blame it on me. Any way you slice it, it’s NO FUN.
Yesterday, I was more than slightly emotional, leaving my poor husband in a state of sad bewilderment. I finally told him, with eyes quickly filling, that I was just SO tired. He hugged me and said he understood. At that moment I didn’t think he did, but upon quick reflection, remembered that um, we are BOTH “just so tired.”
Here’s why.
Enter Thanksgiving Day at our house.
A particular little boy with very blonde hair and a great big cheesy grin seems to think waking up anytime between 5:30 and 6:30 am is just dandy these days. This results in a need for earlier naptimes. Which, in turn, can lead to some mighty interesting late afternoons around here.
Apparently we didn’t get him down for naptime early enough on Thursday, in the midst of all our lack of cooking, you know.
It appears not even that chunk of fudge could keep his eyes open. So much for a sugar high.
Or so we thought.
See this? Notice the red cheeks and puffy eyes?
Here’s why his little cheeks are pink and those eyes are so puffy
.
That’s 2:07 AM, peeps.
And that’s after an hour and a half of wakefulness. And before the NEXT hour and a half even began. I’m not talking a little groggy, whiny request for a drink or a bad dream. I’m talking a child who was WIDE, WIDE AWAKE. Ready to play, read books, go outside and as always, talk up a storm
Notice how blurry the picture of the clock is? There’s an explanation for that, too, of course.
Just as I pushed down on the camera button (because what on earth is great and wonderful middle-of-the-night family time without pictures to document it, right?) I heard John trying to quickly and urgently stop Troy from doing something.
And so I turned to look before the picture I was taking had focused.
It turns out that “something” was him dumping ALLLLL the crumbs out of that nearly-empty bag of goldfish crackers. (Affectionately called “Nemo” around here and the food of choice at any time of day. Or night.) I guess he realized there were no more whole crackers and decided the white sheets of his parents’ bed was the perfect place to, you know, double check. Fun times.
Finally, sometime between 3 and 3:30 am, he became tired (truly tired) enough to go back to bed. He slept late that morning. Till, like, 7:00. We were impressed. Ahem.
Thankfully for my new-mom-again/nursing mama state, my mother-in-love has been here for the past two and a half weeks and sweetly gets Troy out of bed in the morning, changes his diaper and gets him breakfast so I’m able to sleep a bit longer. Which is wonderful, considering that Troy has decided to make these little midnight happy times a nightly ritual the past couple nights and still thinks it acceptable to get up at 5:30 or 6:00.
There have been a couple early mornings in which John will take him downstairs, snuggle up on the couch with this toddler of ours and turns on a movie. Good father/son moments, of course. Good chance to doze for a few more minutes, too.
These days are long and tiring. And emotional for several of us. Ahem.
But, I have a feeling that in ten or twenty years (or even in a few months, when it’s just me and my li’l boys here for over a year) we’ll see captured moments like this:
And we’ll know that we were living in the Good Ol’ Days.
That’s what these are. The Good Ol’ Days.
I don’t know about you, but to this mama, that makes it all worthwhile.
Bless your heart. Every mom knows what you are talking about and that it does pass.
It is so good that you have extra hands there, right now.
You still maintain a sense of humor…that is so cool!
Hang in there and don’t be afraid to ask for all the help and support you can get while it is available.
Your boys are so adorable!!!
Becky K.
Mom of three…16, 15 and 12.
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Aww! We are just starting on the adventure of TWO babies… #2 will be arriving in 7 months.
Yours are so precious! How fun to have middle of the night parties… it brought me much joy on black friday to wake my baby up at 5 am to hit the stores – it was like sweet revenge for all the times that he has done it to me! :)
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Bless your heart! I am praying for you and your sweet family!
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I cant belive how big merritt looks already. I will continue to pray for your sleep or lack of situation. I love you so much and cant wiat to come up and help out! Tell the boys I said hello and I love them so very very much!
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What beautiful children! You are right- these WILL be the good ole’ days.While I enjoy watching my children grow, take their own spiritual reins, and so forth, I also miss the “little” days (not enough to create them again, however ~smile~)
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Oh, how I sympathize! The first 6 wks post-partum I was a complete mess. Add to that the fact that I was a first time mom and had never so much as held a newborn, and I was a basketcase. One morning I went up to Ryan (my fiance) in tears and said, “You need to take him. He won’t stop crying. I need a break.” Ryan thought I was crazy (but, blessedly, took the babe).
I envy your ability to say (with no sarcasm!) that “these are the good old days.” I hope I have that ability someday!
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Ashleigh
Take some time for you. If you can take naps with Merrit ( when possible) 2 THAT close together can be MAJORLY overwhelming espscailly post partum!(after 5 children I will finally admit that!) slow down. see if Merrit will nap with you and Troy- That’s how I used to get Justyn to nap when I had Micah- and thankfully they would both fall asleep and then Mommy & Arianna would get some nuch needed alone time-
( wherever the little ones had falen asleep)
that load of laundry or the dishes will still be there when you awake- dont try to be supermom, just remind yourself to display Christ’s love- and Jesus himself would tell you to rest and be filled with peace
praying for you
<><
Jennifer
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Awww, I hope you start getting some more sleep!
As always, I love your attitude, and the last picture in particular is so adorable! :)
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Aw, you poor dear thing..! *hugs*
And as far as being highly emotional the past few days, I know exactly what you’re going through. :P (I was too..)
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Awwwwww, that last pic is priceless~~~~
~Kristi
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Ashleigh-
I remember all of this you are talking about. My first six to eight weeks post-partum I was just like what you are describing. Slow down, don’t try to be super lady, try to rest. If you can, try to get both boys to nap at the same time. I know that’s a tough one, but you can rest some if you do.
You are right, it’s the Good ‘ole days and you will look back some day and maybe even laugh or snicker at all of this.
I will be praying for you too, dear one.
Shari
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No wonder your emotional! I wanted to cry when I saw the clock, too! Nothing gets me faster than being tired day after day. I hate the postpartum weeks more than actual labor :)
On the other hand, your children are beautiful! I love that sweet last picture of them–I’m not sure how close yours are, but Gray and Addie are exactly 19 months, and some days the combination of a toddler and a preschooler makes me want to weep. I try to laugh instead, but sometimes I’m just not up to it. I hope your next few weeks are a little easier and involve a little more sleep! :)
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