I’ve dubbed these last few months the “Summer of Murphy’s Law” because it seemed that anything that could go wrong did. I know in the grand scheme of life, I’m still very, very lucky, but in the part-time-professional-full-time-mom world, I feel totally overwhelmed.
If you’ll believe it, this is the abbreviated version of the last few weeks: my childcare situation completely fell apart, both of my parents landed in the hospital, I had to find last minute child care on several occasions, using people who had only just met my kids, my kids have each swapped nights throwing up (mostly in our bed!), we had an ER visit for the baby due to a rough fall from the couch on my watch (cue the mom guilt), and my husband and I have each had to take off work (that I don’t get paid for) to fill in childcare gaps. I had to hire a new nanny to watch my baby very quickly, and she seems lovely, but also called to let me know that the baby had howled for a good hour shortly after I left.
Please, God, I need this to work out.
How in the world do you ever get your footing and make it to work on time, let alone keep up with things like laundry and a semi clean house? Seven months in, and I still haven’t figured it out. Our families are helpful, but none are closer than thirty minutes away, and they work and lead active lives, and can’t come over for every mini crisis. Are we incompetent? Do we have unrealistic expectations? Is this EVER going to get easier? How am I feeling so overwhelmed with two when I know people with four or more kids that seem to have things totally under control? Will I ever remember to thaw meat in time for dinner, or switch laundry without fluffing it three times?
Please, please, please tell me “this too, shall pass.” That it gets easier, that I’ll one day have a handle on this, that I’ll get to sit and talk to my husband about more than putting out the latest fire.
I need to know this will pass.
Surprisingly (or not?) my children themselves aren’t the main source of this stress. Like any baby or (almost!) three year old, they have their moments, but I’m finding that I actually love being a mom of two. It’s just all that other “being a responsible adult stuff” that is so darn hard.
I generally hate posts that rant and rant but then tie things up neatly and say something like “but it’s all worth it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” but offer no helpful advice. But I’m learning that’s just the reality. There’s not much helpful advice on this stuff. It just sucks.
And you really would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
