I like to feel that my life is balanced. A good mix of craziness with calm to balance me out.
Before having Monkey my life was exciting when I wanted it to be, but very mellow the rest of the time. I dictated my own schedule, did what I wanted to do, & had all of the free time I could handle. All in all, my life was pretty balanced.
Now that I’m a mom, I’m constantly in a rush.
A rush when I eat (thanks all you added pounds). A rush when I shower. A rush for the bottle to hurry & warm up. A rush to exercise while Monkey is napping. I feel like I’m in a constant rush all.of.the.time.
I’m guessing it just goes along with the territory, but I find myself striving for some kind of balance. I’m not even sure if that is attainable when you have a 6 month old, but I try.
Monkey is entering the stage of needing to be with me at all times. If I put him down to go to the bathroom, I have to listen to him cry while I pee. It makes me sad to hear him cry, but when you have to pee you have to pee. Same with the shower.
Today I hopped in the shower & put Monkey in the bathroom with me in his exersaucer. He was find until I went into the shower. It’s not like there was a curtain separating us; he could totally see me, but he still shed some tears. So I did what any other mom would do, I rushed through the shower as fast as I could.
When did life get so crazy that I really can’t do anything at a slow pace anymore? Oh right, I had a baby. But seriously, it’s insane. Sure, I love my little guy, but I would like to shower in silence & at my own pace… Or is that just how life is right now?
So yes, I’m striving for balance while being a mom, but I’m not too sure that I’ll achieve it.
Maybe this is just a learning curve & the end to my doing things at my own pace? I guess only time will tell… & it will be at a slow pace for once.
You might also want to read:
- Exercise is my prescription for having a good day
- Missing out on a bachelorette party because of my baby? Me? Really?!
- Easy like Sunday morning
- If only I could go back in time, how I wish those moments after labor & delivery with Monkey were different
- 39 weeks pregnant: Aerosmith concert vs. labor and delivery
= a post from Mommy Jane 
= a post from Daddy Tarzan
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Yep its hard! Often I take Daisy into the bathroom with me while I pee. Not a single alone moment until hubby gets home!
Yes I am with my little one 24/7 as well, Now i shower really late at night when my partner is home and upstairs in our room while the little one sleeps, he wont here her if he is down stairs because he is always playing games even with the monitor on so i dont shower till i am really really tired and everyone else is in bed,
but i would not change a thing i am complety in love with being a mum not even the lack of sleep, constant spew on me and my hair left undone for days on end would make me wish for a different life.
It’s only temporary. Next it’ll be rushing through the shower because you can’t trust them not to write all over the walls with a sharpie while you’re in there. And then one day you’ll be showering in peace and quiet while they’re glued to a DS, wondering where did the time go and if only they were a baby again just for a day!
Totally normal to feel this way! It gets easier…don’t worry! (mum to 3 year old boy plus 1 on the way)
I know it’s not hlelpful, but it’s so nice to hear that I’m not the only one rushing all of the time. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong becauase I can never just slow down! This is why I love reading your blog….it makes me feel normal again
Hey girl! Long time!
I had to add my 2 cents because I’m in the same boat. I will say that it definitely gets better, in time. You know I have a 4 year old and a 6 month old. After Hailey became a little more independent, I felt like things were a little less crazy and rushed. That was probably around 18 months or so. There was still that sense of “rush-rush” though, just not as bad as when they’re this small. There was a time before Teagan arrived that I could finally say, “Hey, Hails, mama’s going to take a shower. Stay out of trouble, ok?” And she could understand that and I could get a real shower in or a bit longer on the treadmill.
Now, I am right back where I was when Hailey was small. Teagan is demanding…more demanding than Hailey was. My life is an absolute mess right now. NOTHING gets done around my house and I do nothing for myself. I cater to the demands of a baby and a 4 year old. The only thing that keeps me going is that I know things will get easier when the baby gets bigger. I’m sort of “ok” putting my life on hold right now (but sort of not at the same time).
Before you and I both know it, we will be looking back saying, “I don’t even remember what it was like when you were a baby”. Trust me. I do it with the 4 year old. I have no idea where the time went.
So, let’s breathe, both of us, because I think we both need to be taking deep breaths right now. It’s tough. I feel your pain. Believe me. Things will get easier in time. Just keep telling ourselves that. We’ll make it through. Snuggle them as much as possible now because it goes so unbelievably fast.
I remember being on maternity leave and it feeling like that. Now that I am back to work, I feel life is much more balanced. Hubby and I both work from home, so we are able to help each other. We take turns getting little one ready in the morning for daycare, while the other one gets to shower and take their time. We drop her off around 9a, and we both get to work. I either go to the gym on the morning when hubby gets her or go during lunch. She’s home around 430 and then we spend those amazing three hours together as a family. I love being able to work and spend time as a family. I don’t feel overwhelmed. I look forward to my weekends, since hubby and i take turns sleeping in a little bit while the other one has some one on one bonding time with little one.
SAHM’s work so hard and I don’t envy you. It’s the hardest job ever and I’m sure the most rewarding, but I wouldn’t change my life. I love my job and I love my family. I’m glad that I’m able to have the best of both worlds. I hope things get better for you soon and you are able to take the time you need to not feel so rushed.
Yep…in the same boat here. What ends up happening here most nights is that I take my shower while my husband gives Julian a bath…used to be he would take his time and let him play in there and I got to have a ‘normal’ shower. Nowadays our little dude gets crazy and splashes all over the place (or else gets hungry and fusses through the whole thing) so my husband has been giving him a much shorter bath and therefore I’ve got to rush and get ‘er done before the child implodes from lack of breast milk. He seems to think the minute his shower is done, he must eat NOW.
During the day the baby goes wherever I go. If I have to walk out to the mailbox, he goes too! Otherwise it’s total meltdown-ville when I get back inside. I can’t even get things done during naps as he only takes 30 minute naps and half the time he falls asleep nursing and will wake up if I move. Our sleep/nap schedule is a giant mess! I desperately need time to myself….so I totally feel the crunch you’re speaking of.
On a lighter note, I think it’s kind of funny that every time the hubby and I are having dinner with someone (friends, family, etc) we are always the first ones done eating. I think we’ve trained ourselves to inhale our food as fast as possible because we’ve been interrupted one too many times by a screaming, hungry baby!
I can relate! Although I have discovered that my little guy will play & kick in his bouncer in the bathroom, while I take a bath or a shower but it’s best when he can see me. He’s getting to be in the “mommy oriented stage” too where the separation anxiety makes him clingy sometimes. He’s good at keeping himself occupied in his walker or playmat for brief periods. And I try to involve him in chores like cooking, where he watches from his bumpo and laundry where I put him on the bed and throw a few warm clothes on him and play peekaboo with his blankies. The rushed meals are no fun. I recently bought a high chair so my husband and I can eat more easily, a few bowls and baby spoons and he’ll play long enough for us to eat without too much rush but I miss those times when I could really linger over a meal! So glad to read a new post, always love to hear about your adventures!
Oh, I promise it gets better. PROMISE. I remember the days of guilt-filled showers… hated that. You’ll get through it.
I don’t know what schedule Monkey is on, but it always helped me to try and get up even half an hour before my girl. Just having a few minutes to linger over breakfast (even toast is luxurious!) really helped my sanity level.
My life is the opposite. It’s so much slower since I had my baby and became a SAHM. My LO likes it that way, but sometimes I like to shake things up a bit and get out of the house. If we do go out too much though, I have to be sure to balance it with some slow days at home so he can catch up on naps and I can catch up on laundry, lol.
I used to take my guy in the bathroom with me in his bouncey seat until he got too big for it. Then I let him crawl around and I’d check on him throught the curtain. That lasted until he learned how to flush the toliet. Now I put him in his crib with some toys and he plays.
If you can get him used to playing in his crib/pak ‘n play for a few minutes at a time it will prove invaluable later. Say when you need to take a roast out of the oven or bast the turkey and can’t have little feet crawling/walking about.
I agree with the previous comment–set your alarm for 15 minutes before Monkey normally wakes up and shower then. It will probably make you feel lots better to have that done with!