There are things that I had before having another child that I now realize I totally took for granted. Nowadays I refer to them as "luxuries." One day I hope to be able to take them for granted again!
1. Showering - I like to tell myself that not showering as often as I'd like helps Jack stay familiar with my scent; kind of like animals that always return to the same place to eat, sleep and potty. I know that's not true. Let me have my delusion! Lately showering serves more than one purpose. Yeah, we all know it gets you clean, but it's also my "me" time, my time away from everyone and everything. (Mostly. Unless the husband or the #1 kiddo are knocking at the bathroom door demanding my attention, or I hear the baby screaming.) I don't get much of that time anymore. To quote Spock, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one." There's no resentment at all, just a wistful longing for that quiet time.
2. Make-up - This goes along with the showering thing. No time to shower, why bother with make-up. This goes against me though because now when I see people they comment on how tired I look. OK. I know I'm tired, but I don't want to look like the train wreck I feel like! You know? BTW: Does make-up expire? Because I would hate to think that by the time I get around to using it regularly again that I would have to throw it all away and start over.
3. Sleep - Let me start this by saying that whoever coined the phrase "Sleeping like a baby" never had a baby! If they had they would know that babies don't sleep! Not for any significant amount of time, anyway. I LOVE my sleep! I love it more than Dr. Pepper! (That's saying a lot!) I miss my sleep. The most sleep I get is on the weekends when my husband is home and doesn't have to get up early for work the next day. Then he can take the baby at night and I can get some much needed rest! There are times when my boy sleeps for a decent length of time and I appreciate those moments. The challenge is getting him to go to sleep. Just like his big sister, my boy doesn't want to fall asleep because he may miss something important.
5. Eating a hot meal - I truly believe that my son has a mutant ability. His mutation?? The ability to know when I am about to sit down to a hot meal. It's true! Without fail, whenever I sit down with food in front of me he starts crying. Suddenly he needs Mama! And no one else will do! It's either that he's hungry, or needs a diaper change, or decided that his toys aren't fun anymore and he needs another form of entertainment, me. This right here is why God makes babies cute! I have tried to take care of all of his needs before dinner is finished, but that doesn't always work out. On the bright side I am learning to eat with my left hand!
6. Getting out of the house quickly - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! This needs no real explanation. It is an impossibility! If it's just me leaving the house without the baby, maybe this can happen. But if I'm leaving with one or all members of my family... forget it! Is the diaper bag packed? Is the stroller in the car? Where are the keys? Where is the baby's binky? Dangit! I forgot to grab my wallet. Did you remember the diaper bag? Are you sure you have enough bottles? Help me get the baby in the car seat. Are you sure you have everything? Did you remember the baby? No wonder I never get make-up on. I have too much to prepare just to leave the house!
7. Anything extracurricular - I used to be crafty. Cross-stitch, knitting, blogging... I used to read all the time. Lately, not so much. For example... I have been knitting the same baby bib since the beginning of May. It's not even halfway done. I haven't even looked at my cross-stitch stuff. I don't believe I have finished a book in months. (That may go more to my attention span than not enough time, but still...) And blogging? Well, just look at my history and you will see that this is the first thing I have written in 4 months. I'm hoping that this blog entry will be the springboard I need to start writing again. Time will tell.
So what is the moral of this story? It's not "don't have a baby." I LOVE my boy! I wouldn't trade him for any of these "luxuries." I guess the moral would have to be don't take things for granted. You never know when you won't be able to take them for granted again.
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