Quick catch-up: On Mother's Day weekend we brought home a puppy (aka a 3rd baby)! She's sweet and awesome and beautiful but, well, a puppy. She cried at bedtime for what felt like hours the first few days. Then the vet (and everyone else frankly) said we HAD to crate train (which I wasn't planning to do). But with that comes a schedule, but also, what do we do about our life? Then she started nipping Mo and Mo got scared of her. And me not liking to be out of control, had to immediately get her signed up for puppy classes. Oh, and by the way, last week was the Broadcast Upfronts so Bill was gone every.single.night. And had a golf trip on the Cape planned that weekend (which, I'm in no way complaining- I've been in his shoes and know how much you need a vacation after that crazy week). But in terms of Alicia being overly ambitious and biting off more than I can chew... yeah, I totally did that this time.
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| My dad keeps telling me "these are the good days". They really are. If this 4+ months of SAHMness has taught me anything it's to chill, roll with the punches and enjoy every second of my girls. Also enjoy that our babysitter is an amazing photographer too! (photo credit: Kendra Conroy) |
Anyways... at the end of that very long week, once the kids were in the bed and the pup was tuckered out and I could finally enjoy a glass of wine, or my dinner, or even just a moment where no one needed anything, I started tallying up my Mom successes. Some are awful and made me so sad. That I didn't scream at Mo that day. That I didn't scream at Mo in the past hour. But some weren't bad, in fact, were actual Mom successes. That I'd made it to yoga with Isla. That I'd made a healthy meal that Mo actually ate some of. That I was smart enough to say "screw making dinner" and got some Chinese takeout and didn't look back. That I didn't push Mo to go to gymnastics so we could both have a break from the "schedule". That I got to take just her to a birthday party last week so we could have Mommy/Mo quality time (Bill was working from home). That just the 2 of us did a crazy rush-hour traffic trip to Boston last Friday and neither of us lost our mind! That I had done the dishes. That I had done the laundry. That I had actually put the laundry away instead of letting it sit for days. That Mo had painted out on the deck while I fed Isla and Shay ran around. That Isla and I had gone said screw the crate training schedule and had gone out to a park to track down a burrito food truck. That we had all spent quality time together, enjoying life.
It's change. And change is hard. Just a few months ago I felt like I was going through the same tallying of successes right after Isla was born. And eventually it just became life and we all found our routine and were happy. And I can already tell you there's already light at the end of this "thrown for a loop" tunnel. We're all learning but we're also doing the right things. Shay is in puppy class- and I'm signing her up for an even more rigorous class once she's 12 weeks. We're having the invisible fence set up so I can just let Shay run out when she's barking to go outside and Isla is screaming to be fed and Mo needs something.right.this.minute. The way Isla breaks out into smiles and giggles when Shay licks her, and how Shay "needs" to see Isla every morning (she really does! She'll be a barky mess until I bring Isla down so she can smell and lick her). How we've already got more pet sitters lined up than we do babysitters. And how in just a few weeks I'll finally get my wish for peace and quiet as I go back to work, and that fact makes me hold tight to these crazy days. Because I have my girls, all 3 of my girls, right here with me. And sometimes it's insane. Sometimes I'm tearing my hair out and losing my mind. But more times it's fun. It's learning. It's hug and kisses and puppy licks and baby smiles. It's watching everyone get along and be a family.
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| Life success and MAJOR Mom success... we got to a Pixies concert! |
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| Enjoying the beautiful days |
Next up, I really want to write about getting ready to go back to work, as well as getting 6 months of maternity leave, plus an ease-back month. It's going to be an emotional roller coaster of a post but I'm already somewhat looking forward to going back and have some ideas I'd like to implement within my company to help parents transitioning back into the workforce and working parents cope with the daily stresses. Basically I just can't believe most people (and me!) only had 12 weeks home with their babies. Having 26 weeks this time, 12 weeks is just not normal and for so many Moms it's even less and that 100% needs to change. Our children are our future and they and their caregivers deserve more time, it's absolutely necessary for our society!
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