The days are long, but the years are short.
I love my boys, and there are plenty of examples over the past few months of when I have wanted to freeze time. Nothing compares to a hug and a kiss from a toddler. Or when he tells you he loves you. "Love love," Luke says. Gets me every time.
BUT...
Then there are moments when both of your children are simultaneously screaming bloody murder as if they are being physically harmed, both stink and need diaper changes, or both want to eat. Have you ever microwaved fish sticks and peas for a toddler while he's crying and breastfed a newborn at the same time?
Oh, the things I could do if I had 3 arms.
Most days I just try to get from wake up time to bed time.
Here's an example of how my days tend to go lately...
1:31am Newborn cries. He's hungry. I'll cut him some slack and feed him since he did do me the ginormous favor of sleeping for 5 straight hours. Plus I think it might be highly frowned upon to sleep train a 4 week old by letting him CIO.
2:24am Newborn goes back to sleep, but I lay wide awake for at least another hour.
5:03am Newborn cries again. Skip the diaper change and take him straight to our bed to feed him. (Judge away all you first time parents. Trust me, you'll do both of these things with your second.)
5:50am Find myself crying because I'm so tired. Husband rolls over, says, "What's wrong?" and before I can even respond he's snoring again.
5:51am Make mental note to punch husband dead in the face in a few hours.
7:12am Just as newborn and I are finally falling back asleep, toddler wakes up crying. Smart husband goes to get him and entertains him.
7:13am Think to myself, "Don't punch husband too hard."
8:25am Wake up in panic because I have 37 things to do in the next hour before we have to leave the house for newborn's 1 month check up.
8:32am Take shower.
8:35am Whilst dripping wet, yell at toddler for climbing in bathtub. Toddler bursts into tears and runs away which awakens newborn who is now also screaming.
8:39am Dry now, find toddler to make sure he's okay. Quickly realize he's been sitting in a diaper for damn near 13 hours. Change mind about punching husband. Now planning to kick him in the balls.
8:58am Babysitter arrives to play with toddler. Apparently tells husband about the newest 12 year old fashion trends.
9:05am Husband finds me to say I might be the better person to hang out with and talk to the babysitter.
9:06am Tell husband I am going to kick him in the balls later when he leasts expects it. The anticipation of death is worse than death itself.
9:07am Swear to God husband asks if I'm mad at him. Figure that one out all on your own, Sherlock?
10:02am Newborn shits EVERYWHERE...EV-ER-Y-WHERE...in the exam room at pediatrician's office. It's all over him, me, the table, the floor, the sink.
10:04am Doctor comes in and asks if I'm okay because I'm laughing hysterically, manically even. I look at her and say, "Thank God this is my second!"
10:28am Leave doctor and decide to go on a long drive. Newborn is sleeping in carseat and toddler is entertained by babysitter until noon.
12:01pm Fish stick incident previously mentioned.
Somewhere around 1pm realize I haven't eaten a thing all day.
Somewhere around 6pm quickly consume 2 glasses of wine.
Somewhere around 7pm feed newborn and think, "He might sleep for 8 hours if the wine hasn't metabolized yet."
Do you know they sell alcohol test strips for breast milk?
When I nursed Luke as a newborn I was shocked and appalled by the mere fact there was enough need for this product to even sell it. Now I completely get it. They should consider changing their marketing strategy to ensure they're reaching the correct target audience: mothers of 2 under 2!
~Cin
