Get Out

When you’re a stay at home parent, whether it is for a few weeks or months after your baby is born or for a longer period, it is important to get out of the house.

It is even more important when you have a high need baby but then it is also much harder to do and sometimes even impossible.

After Livi was born, my husband was able to take a leave for two weeks and work the third week from home. Then I was on my own.

Trying to get out of the house with my husband’s help was a huge undertaking. Doing it on my own, was almost impossible for the first three months.

Carsickness Strikes Unexpectedly

Last weekend, the weather was unbearably hot and so we decided to drive to the coast for the afternoon. We had a great time. Livi even slept in the car for a little while and was in a good mood when she woke up.

The way back was, as usual, not so pleasant. Livi hates getting back into her car seat and so she sung her usual song of intolerable parent cruelty. I usually sit in the front, but if she gets too loud, I do sit in the back with her trying to keep her occupied.

This time, however, things were a little different. We decided to take a different route, which winds through the mountains. I get car sick, but since I was sitting up front and since toddlers aren’t supposed to get carsick (according to hearsay soon to be disproved), we didn’t think twice about it.

The High Need Baby: Unsatisfied

When I imagined being a mom, I wasn’t quite certain what to expect. Sure, I had some images floating through my mind of chasing after little ones on a summer day, cuddling sleepy children in front of the fireplace, and holding my peaceful baby while watching her sleep.

Granted, I knew these Hollywood versions of parenthood wouldn’t be the norm. From watching friends, I knew there would be tears and dirty diapers and less sleep than I was used to. But there was one thing I was sure of: I would always be able to soothe my baby and meet all her needs. After all, that’s what mothers do, right?

We had a good enough start. Livi came out crying but as soon as they put her in my arms, she calmed down. The nurses even commented how beautiful it was to witness. And I’m not going to lie, it felt amazing to be able to calm this tiny new person just by being there. Had I known what lay ahead, I would have savored that moment even more.

On Being A Stay At Home Mom

I always wanted a career. I always wanted children. But I could never quite figure out how to do it all.

Part-time work, day care at the office, stay at home dad? Nothing seemed quite right. Being a stay at home mom honestly never even crossed my mind. My husband, on the other hand, was more than eager to be the stay at home parent, at least theoretically.

In the end, everything worked itself out. The economy tanked and when I got pregnant, my husband was the one with the bigger paycheck. Since I wanted to nurse, it made sense that I would be the one staying at home in the beginning. Eventually, we would look for a good day care.

My First Mother’s Day – Take Two

Yesterday, I celebrated Mother’s Day for the second time as a mom. It was, however, the first time I felt like celebrating.

Last year, Livi was barely two months old on Mother’s Day. We were in the thick of things and we struggled. Every. Single. Day. We hardly ever slept and Livi almost always cried. Loud, intense cries, all day long.

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms! I hope you enjoy the poem as much as I do.

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When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking

by Mary Rita Schilke Korzan

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You hung my first painting on the refrigerator
And I wanted to paint another.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You fed a stray cat
And I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You baked a birthday cake just for me
And I knew that little things were special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You said a prayer
And I believed there was a God that I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You kissed me good-night
And I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
I saw tears come from your eyes
And I learned that sometimes things hurt —
But that it’s alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You smiled
And it made me want to look that pretty too.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You cared
And I wanted to be everything I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking —
I looked …
And wanted to say thanks
For all those things you did
When you thought I wasn’t looking.

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Flickr Photo by din!