I have some observations about life with a newborn. Actually, let me amend that. I can't really
speak about life with a newborn, only about life with a newborn and two other rather big and imposing children. I had this idea when I was preggo that somehow I'd have a lot of time once she was born since I was taking off from work for a few weeks and since my big kids would be in school. I was sort of like, "Babies sleep all the time. Right? I mean, what is there to even DO?"
As usual, my optimism misled me. That's why I find solace in neuroses, because THEY never let me down. Yes, it is true newborn babies sleep a lot. During the day. At which time, you are so stinking exhausted from being up all night with the baby and then doing extreme parenting of the other two children, who are in various phases of a slow-burning nervous breakdown, that you will try to sleep too. I say "try" because sleeping on command while in charge of a tiny, fragile bundle of life that doesn't sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time, is not as easy as it sounds. Then there's the small matter of FEEDING the baby which is basically a full time job. I'd somehow forgotten you have to nurse the baby every hour or two and the nursing itself takes 30 - 45 minutes which means you only have a scant 30 minutes or so between feedings, Add in diaper changing and eating food yourself and you're booked. All day. Add in putting the house back together from where your manic children tore it apart in the morning rush off to school and you're over-booked. Add in scheduling play dates and extra curriculuars and summer camp and picking up the big kids and helping with homework and feeding them and god help us - putting them to bed and you are in super negative numbers of time available.
There is no time to do anything.
Which is how I don't understand the parents of a baby plus big kids who miraculously manage to send out baby announcements as soon as they baby's back from the hospital and who post on Facebook and carry on with life as if it ain't no thang. I find it incredible that I take a shower (almost) every day and haven't forgotten (yet) to pack the kids' lunch.
Of course this week is -- dun dun dun DUN - Spring Break which means I not only have the newbie but the big kids with me too. Which means the delicate balance has been, for lack of a better word, totally fucked. Which means, how the hell am I finding the time to write this blog?
And, as if on cue, the baby starts crying and I hear Seconda screaming and bawling and so I will bid you adieu, until I find another wrinkle in time.
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