Like Sands Through the Hourglass...

This is the craze of our lives.

My mother-in-law told me I should write a blog. She thought other mothers might enjoy reading it. My first and only thought was, other mothers have time to read? I barely have time to read the expiration date on the milk before giving my 3 year old a glass.

My life is full of daytime drama, but I don’t have time to watch the sand filter through the hourglass. You’d more likely find me wiping sand out of a butt crack.

I am definitely not a pro at this mom thing, but I am pro-mom. I’ve read all over the internet of anti-mom moms. Moms who think they are better because they stay at home, home school their kids, and grow their own food. Moms who think they are better because they juggle four kids, a 60 hour work week, and send their kids to private school. Moms who think they are better because they had a natural childbirth, breastfeed their baby, and only use organic baby wipes on their little sensitive butts.

I myself am a stay at home mom of a 3 year old and an 11 month old (both boys), who at the moment, are screaming at each other. I breastfed my oldest for a year and am looking forward to weaning my 11 month old over the next few weeks so I can have my boobs back and throw away my nursing bras. Not to mention the fact that he now has six teeth and my nipples seem to think my Baby Jaws should be eating steak already. My husband is also ready for the little leech to stop clinging to me so we can get away from the kids for more than three hours at a time. My only fear is that the first time we “get away”, I’ll get knocked up again. Believe me, it would be my luck.

The birth of my first was induced and we knew the exact day he was coming. I had an epidural and learned giving birth was a lot easier than I ever imagined. While I was pregnant with my second, I started reading natural childbirth books thinking to myself, the first pregnancy and birth were easy, how hard could this natural thing be? I can surely breathe through the pain. That's what my ancestors the cave women did, according to these books. A few hours after my water broke, we arrived at the hospital and I was induced again. All I could think was, “Screw this natural childbirth. I’m getting an epidural.” And that birth was exactly like the first one; fast, easy and thanks to the anesthesiologist, a lot less painful.

I have friends who have had natural childbirths, birthed at home, emergency c-sections, planned c-sections, and then of course, myself and my epidural buddies. I have friends who have breastfed their babies for only a few days, those who have bottle fed from the beginning, and those like me, who have actually made it an entire year. I have friends who have more kids than me and have a career. I don’t know how they do it. I have friends who don’t know how I stay home with my kids day after day. And there are some days I don’t know how I do it either. The reality of it all is, we do it.

We do it because we’re moms. Our husbands could never pull off such a feat. I love my husband more than he will ever know, but he could never do what I do. Sure he can pull some mommy-like tendencies out of his butt for a few hours here or there. He can entertain and take really good care of the kids, but he could never do this day after day for a lifetime. There in lies the craze of my life, but I wouldn't trade my crazy life or my family that makes me that way for anything in the world.