This is our first cold and flu season since Little Miss has been in daycare. This means we've all been trading illness for the past few months. It hasn't been the most fun thing ever.
A couple of weeks ago Evelyn woke up in the middle of the night with a stomach bug. When I stomach bug, I mean she woke up covered from head to toe in nauseating diarrhea. It was horrible. The bed had to be completely stripped, the babe bathed, and there was poo on the paci (Oh please help us, Jesus!). And then again at 8 am. Wash - rinse - repeat.
As I was stripping sheets, throwing laundry in the wash and trying not to hurl, I just kept thinking to myself, "This is motherhood." When I think about that illustrious term - Motherhood - I like to picture myself, hair and makeup done perfectly, surrounded by beautiful, perfectly quaffed children making a quirky and fun Pinterest crafts. Maybe one day this will actually happen, but for now that's not our reality. Most days it's a pretty big accomplishment if we've all bathed fairly recently and our clothes somewhat match.
I have continued to think about what mother looks like in this house, and it ain't so glamorous most of the time. I've compiled a little list of the things that motherhood means to me on any given day.
Sometimes motherhood means...
- holding babble conversations with her little one at bedtime. The only decipherable words are "mommy," "daddy," and "BIG pumpkin!"but it's still one of the most intriguing conversations you've had all day.
- waking from a dead sleep in sheer panic because of that cry that means someone is either scared or hurting.
- cleaning poop out of the bathtub.
- watching your child do the most ordinary thing and becoming so overwhelmed with love that you turn into a blubbering mess, causing innocent passers-by to side step you in alarm.
- feeling like your heart is going to swell up and shatter into a million pieces from the overwhelming stress and unfathomable love for these little creatures.
I also asked some other mommy friends what motherhood means to them, and guess what?! Not a one mentioned anything about nice hair and fancy crafts. Maybe I'm not doing such a crappy job after all! Here's what those fine ladies had to say:
Sometimes mother means...
- "Motherhood means making sure your child's menu plan is well balanced and varied while yours consists mostly of Spaghetti-o's."
- "Sometimes motherhood means eating your kids half chewed food when there is no where to put it. Ha! Sounds yucky but I do it all the time:)"
- "Turning your living room into a playground."
- "Telling your toddler that he can't smother your newborn when said toddler wants to let said newborn snuggle his Teddy Bear (which is the same size as toddler)."
- "Not holding back from the kisses and cuddles while your son is sick with the flu so he won't be scared even knowing you'll likely catch it from him as a result."
- "Breastfeeding while pooping."
- "Voluntarily handing over the pots and pans to be used as a drum kit."
- "Cleaning poop* off of every visible surface."
- "Singing the wheels on the bus throughout the entire grocery store just to keep your little one occupied."
- "Sacrificing yourself and knowing the best pay will be delivered in kisses and cuddles from your little one."
- "Singing to your lo during the last 10 minutes of what seemed like a very long plane ride even though the people around can hear you and you can't sing."
- "Deciding which is more important, a shower or a nap. Nap always wins out in my world."
- "Totally swallowing pride and taking back the "I will never" statements we have before they are in our lives."
- "Catching vomit in my hand to save my couch! I never would have done that for anyone before becoming a mother!"
- "Sleeping sitting up while holding a sick toddler because that's the only way they can breathe."
- "Letting the housework go to play outside."
- "Deciding between relaxation or productivity during nap time."
- "Motherhood means hugging [my son] as hard as I can and repeatedly saying I love you, I love you, I love you, when you think you might strangle him. Out of love of course!"
- "[Wasting] a roll of toilet paper on a random day, just to turn my son into a mummy! Was well worth it."
"
- "Acceptance.
Accepting that your house will never be clean again.
Accepting that it will be years before you are able to sleep happily through the night and sleep in on weekends.
Accepting that you are unable to go out and truly unwind because even with a reliable babysitter, you still worry.
Accepting that you will not be able to even take a dump* in peace for at least 5 years."
- "Always struggling to feel at peace in the moment, where I am, as opposed to feeling conflicted about how I spend my time. ie. Feeling I should be with [my child] while at work or doing errands, and feeling I should be getting something done when I'm with [my child], etc."
