Today I feel nothing less that awestruck when I think of my own mother.
Five children.
Nine years apart. (I think...)
After my experience today with my two children, I'm not exactly sure if I should be amazed by her, or if I should question her sanity. One thing is for sure though: She deserves a tribute for putting herself aside, and raising me and my siblings so close together- and doing such a fantastic job at it (I mean, look at us!). I think of all the sacrifices she made for us. Then I think of all of her hard work- going back to school with 5 children and graduating with honors. Thats more than I can say about my college and I didn't have kids to take care of while I did it. She (and my dad) were at every event, every basketball and volleyball game- no matter where it was. We all played sports, we took piano lessons and of course, had recitals. I cringe to think of what our busy schedule looked like. She never batted an eye, or voiced a complaint. She always encouraged us to do whatever we wanted to do, and stood up for us when others tried to put us down. Ain't that right, Red Hot Mama?? That being said... let me explain what inspired this sudden realization that my mom is, in fact, Supermom.
Before I start, let me share a picture taken by the talented Emily Brenner.
This is how I would like you to think of me as a mother. I assure you, the story I am about to tell, with prove otherwise. It ain't all sleeping babies, snuggles, and smiles.
Ellie is two weeks old today. I have been spoiled rotten, and today was also Charles' first day back at work. Up until now, I have had him by my side, helping out with whatever I needed. Yesterday he asked me if I was nervous about being on my own. I assured him that I didn't think it was going to be that bad. This morning... reality hit.
I had Ellie's two week check up this morning. Thank goodness it was early enough in the morning that Charles could help me get the girls up and out the door on time, or I am pretty certain, we might have never made it there. I am also quite certain, that might have been a good thing.
I was equipped with not one, but two suckers to bribe Abigail with, so that she would be a good helper. It started off great. She held my hand as we walked in from the parking lot, she played with toys in the waiting room, and cleaned them up when we were called back. She sat in the chair and chatted it up with the Doc while they checked on Ellie. Then she got in my diaper bag and found her pink sucker. You must know that anything pink is leaps and bounds above any other color.
She opened the sucker on her own, while I wasn't paying attention. I didn't realize it until I heard it hit the ground. Now... to be completely honest, If our pediatrician hadn't been standing right there watching, I probably would have just brushed it off and said have at it. No, not today... I picked it up, told her it was yucky, and threw it away- offering her the other, ORANGE sucker.
BIG MISTAKE.
She had a total melt down. So bad in fact, that the doctor took her out and let her get a new, pink sucker from their candy stash. I didn't realize that she had gotten the same color sucker. I saw the wrapper, and it looked like it would be a red or yellow sucker. So after a few minutes, Abi exclaimed, "I GOT MY PINK SUCKER!" I turned around and immediately thought, oh crap, she got it out of the trash. Pediatrician, still watching. I quickly took it from her hand, and as I released it from my grip, into the trash, I saw the other pink sucker... still in the trash.
All hell broke loose.
Imagine how I felt. How do you explain to a two year old... I made a big mistake- I'm sorry!! At this point in the melt down, we were waiting for the nurse to come in and do the newborn screening on Ellie. They would prick her foot, and get blood for their tests. Simple enough, right?
Well, she pricked her foot, but had a hard time getting blood to come out. She had me hold her upright to get the blood flowing. All the while... Abigail is screaming and crying in hysteria and pulling on my shirt screaming, "Mommy, HOLD YOU!!" Oh, and did I mention, my newborn is screaming as they are squeezing the crap out of her foot to get it to bleed. This went on for about ten minutes before then finally got all the blood they needed. The nurse then left us to fend for ourselves.
Abigail still wanted me to hold her, Ellie still crying. I sat in the chair bouncing Ellie in one arm, picked up Abi with the other and brought her into my lap. But that didn't cut it. Abigail didn't like that I was having to try to soothe both children at once, so she took a swat at crying baby Ellie. I put Abigail down and stood up to try to calm Ellie down after the assault. Eventually I got her settled down and in her carseat, where she crashed, exhausted.
Abigail? Oh, she was still screaming her head off. Only now, she had opened the door to our room and was hanging her head out the door to the nurses station and was offering her screams of desperation to the office staff. I gathered our stuff and my sleeping child... and the screaming child, and we headed out the door. Thanks to the lady who pointed out so necessarily, "You have your hands full, don't you, Mom?"
Finally, Abigail chilled out. We made it to the car in one piece, and quickly made a stop at Sonic for a shot of caffeine at 10 in the morning.
Let me leave you with this...
I love my two girls to death. I wouldn't have it any other way.
But we will never, EVER leave the house again.
