Initiation

Yesterday I experienced what can only be my official initiation (more like hazing!) into Mommyhood!

Myron was gone most of the day for a well-deserved 18 holes of golf after doing baby duty in the morning so I could sleep in, so I spent most of the day alone with Betsy. From about 1:30 to 3 she and I napped. Then we got up and took Gideon for a walk. Here's where the initiation began:

1. Walking a 75 pound dog with one hand and trying to steer a stroller with the other is very, very hard. Also, make darn sure that you put the brake on the stoller before you go to the trash can to throw away dog poo. I turned around to see my daughter rolling gently down the hill--boy did I run! Agh!

2. We get home. Betsy goes in her swing while I get Gideon some food and water. Minutes later Gideon is hacking at the door and throwing up all the water he just drank. I let him out and proceed to clean up after him.

3. Dog barf successfully cleaned up. I go back into the office where Betsy is resting in her swing and notice that there is something yellow on her face, and all over her side and all over the swing. Poo has exploded out of her diaper while I was tending to the dog barf!

4. I take Betsy to the changing table, take off her poo covered clothes and change her and put her in the car seat so I can go get bath water ready for her.

5. The entire time I am preparing her bath she cries like there's no tomorrow. When I finally get her to put her in the bath her little face is covered in tears. It's the hardest she's cried in her whole little life and I feel so bad for her!

6. Betsy cries off and on through most of her bath which is not normal for her...she's really upset. My heart is breaking.

7. With baby finally clean and redressed I take her upstairs to nurse. While I'm nursing her the left lens of my glasses falls out.

8. I manage to get the lens back in and screwed back into place with my fingernail. Once Betsy is done eating I put her in her crib and race downstairs to remove the cover from her swing and get it into the wash before the dog decides to do something gross like lick the poo. One of the straps is covered in poo too...Myron has to soak it in bleach all evening to get it clean.

Thankfully I was able to laugh at all this craziness instead of cry. I cannot imagine how single mothers do it. Actually, I have some trouble imagining how mothers whose husbands work outside the home do it. Thank goodness for freelancing! Thank God for Myron! :)