A Morning in the Life of a Stay-at-Home Mother

At 7:30 a.m. I am awakened by not 1, but 2, babies crying. The younger one, Kate, seemed to want to eat all night instead of sleep. After many failed attempts to get Kate to sleep in the conventional parenting book ways, I finally nursed and rocked my fussy baby to sleep at 11:30 p.m. and thought, “It’s okay. I bet she will reward me by sleeping until 6:00 a.m.” At 1:30 a.m. I realized that Kate did not understand the conversation we had as I laid her in her crib and again nursed my baby to sleep (and again at 3:30 and 4:30 a.m.). These are not the kinds of things I share at my pediatrician visits. It seems as if my children know that they are to be good in the weeks leading up to an appointment so I can brag about my wonderful sleepers and eaters. Then immediately following an appointment I come up with all kinds of questions about my children’s behavior.

Anyway, I drag myself out of bed and am encountered by the first difficult decision of the day---which crying baby do I retrieve first? Do I open door A or B and what will I find behind it? I choose to open door A to find my toddler, Kiara, who is not quite 2, trying to hand me her baby. My first thought is, “Oh no thank you, I can’t handle another baby right now.” I smell the reason that Kiara was crying for me and quickly change it while she kicks and hits me. Good morning to you too, I think. I get her pj’s halfway back on before she takes off running. Then I go to door B to find my 4-month-old Kate all kicked out of her blankets and smelled another item to change. Kate wants to be held this morning, so the first mommy trick of the day will be to hold and nurse Kate as I spoon-feed Kiara her Cheerios and yogurt.

Breakfast is accomplished while I can barely keep my eyes open. The thing that wakes me up is when Kiara hits me in the eye with her toy. As I come to, I start to remember the things that I was to accomplish today and the first being to make it to play group at 10:00 a.m. I momentarily contemplate not going. My hair is too messy, I am too grumpy, the girls’ cute clothes are dirty and that means I might need to do laundry, my in-laws are coming tonight and that means I should pretend that I keep a clean house. Ultimately I decide that my girls need me to go to play group and interact with other adults. I need my girls to go to play group so they can interact with other toddlers and babies. Perhaps my children can form a support group of other toddlers where they can talk about what a stress case their mother is. I have found a support group of mothers where I can talk about what a stress case I have become.

The next item of business after breakfast is to try to make myself and the girls look presentable. I start to peel off Kate’s pj’s that she has worn since the night before last and she scratches her face with her claw-like nails. Kate starts to cry and I start to clip her little 1/8 inch nails. Kiara is trying to swing in Kate’s baby swing and is upset that it stops swinging the moment she sits in it.

I precede to get Kate in the bath and as I pull her out of the warm bath and enjoy her clean hair and skin she throws up what looks like curdled milk. It does not smell as sweet as the baby wash I lathered her with. We start over and I am wondering why I did not call in sick today.

After a few more battles and time-outs (for mommy and Kiara), we arrive safely to play group where other mothers have braved the storm and victoriously made it to play group on a Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m.

Jenny Lake in the Fall

The Tetons in the summer are spectacular, but the Tetons in the fall without the crowds---even more spectaluar. We like to make a tradition of being with my father for his birthday. It is a real treat for us to be with him any time, but it's especially nice to share his birthday with him. Dereck was unable to take work off, so my sister Alicia braved the drive---and the hotel room---with the girls and I. Thanks for the great weekend, Dad, Alicia, Grandpa, Lezli, and Zach!

Extinction Distinction

Where have all the dinosaurs gone? This is a question we pondered on Dereck's day off when we went to the Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum. I am just glad I found a good man to marry before they went extinct. Kate's nickname is bug. She just is "cute as a bug." And she's quiet like a bug. I love my little Kady Bug.

Quilt Show at Walker Lane Mansion

It's hard to understand the addiction unless you are a quilter, but there is a need within us to see fabric, to touch fabric, to buy fabric, and to view other people's creations with fabric. My mom and I and our quilt group friends enjoyed this quilt show on a rainy Saturday. It made me feel very amateurish in my abilities, but I can appreciate other's talents.

Elmo

One of the sweetest things happened the other night when Dereck got home from one of his longer business trips. I went and picked Dereck up from the airport while my mom was here at home with Kiara to put her to bed. When we came home Kiara was still up. We opened the door and she was squealing, "Daddy! Daddy!" and jumping up and down. She started to cry because she was so excited. She was much more excited to see Dereck than the Elmo he brought her from Ocean City, Maryland. And I will admit that I was tearful too. Oh, the joy of family togetherness!

Kiara loves her baths and recently discovered how to give herself a beard made of bubbles. She is starting to play with the other kids at play group (I wondered when the day would ever come). And I think that she is starting to realize that Kate just might work out to be a good playmate for her. She went and layed by Kate under her floor gym and gazed up at the smiling star.