If you’ve been wondering about me, I’m OK, just slightly preoccupied these days. Maternity leave is supposed to be this blissful time when you bond with your newborn child. A time when you don’t have to work. The only thing you have to do is “sleep when the baby sleeps.” That never happens. If I haven’t talked to you or seen you in a few weeks, don’t take it personally. I’ve got a lot on my plate:
My daughter is now 5 weeks old. She’s got reflux which makes her cranky. We feed her, change her diaper, swaddle her — do all the Dr. Karp things. Sometimes, many times, nothing works. She just cries. Eventually, she settles down. Sometimes only for 20 minutes. Like, now. She’s in bed, but I am typing 90 words per minute to try to crank this post out before she starts crying again.
My son is 3 and asks questions all day long. What does that mean, Mommy? Why did they do that Mommy? Why? Why? Why? It’s exhausting. Cute, but exhausting.
I have a 16-year-old tabby cat that has had more than one stroke. She walks with a limp, but is my first baby. She is one of the sweetest cats I’ve ever known. The trouble these days is that she has decided to poop on my bed. More than once. Once when I was in bed!
We have a 14-year-old dog that my husband brought home one day after work, claiming it was going to die. He found it starving in the parking lot at his job. Penny is a sweet dog, but is terrified of storms. The wind even scares her. She can sense a storm coming that is hours away. It literally scares the crap out of her. I’m tired of picking it up.
Then, there’s our ornery 6-year-old cat, Scarlet. Named after a stoic cat who braved a fire to save her kittens, Scarlet is the biotch of the bunch. She doesn’t have any of the ailments the other two pets have, and has, surprisingly, become the least offensive of the bunch.
So, there you have it. My life in a nutshell. There’s more to it, but this gives you an idea why I haven’t called lately. Gotta go … I think the baby is crying, but to be honest I don’t know if the sound is in my head or real.
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ABOUT ALICIA: Alicia is the founder of Balancing Motherhood.com. Last year, she managed to stay sane while completing an MBA, working full-time, blogging, and still baking amazing birthday cakes — all while raising a young family at home.
SuZ @ NYTM Blog says
Ahhh, the days of a newborn. I remember those… and don’t envy you!
I found you through the Pulse of Central Fl… and I must say it’s nice to find another Central FL mommy blogger!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Jean Lewis says
I laughed and laughed. I know it is really not funny but, the fact that we can laugh about it keeps us sane.
Daisy says
Hugs to you! It’s not as easy as those childless folk seem to think. I sincerely hope you get some sleep – and that sweet kitty starts finding her litter box. Soon.
akeorlando says
Ummm, “…this blissful time when you bond with your newborn child. A time when you don’t have to work.” With two kids, two cats, a dog and a husband…I’m surprised you don’t go back to work just so you can get a break! 🙂