Mommy's Job

Daniel managed somehow to go to bed at 4:30 am and get up at 7:30 am, so guess who else had to be awake? Not a happy night for me, since I went to bed having contractions and then couldn't sleep them off like I usually do.

So I went to Sacrament Meeting and then came home and went back to bed while everyone else was still at church (it's the only way I could guarantee I would get to go back to sleep). When the kids came home, I half-way woke up and lay there listening as Tim got dinner ready, got everyone's clothes changed, rescued Dan while he was running with scissors that someone else left accessible, mediated arguments, tried to corral everyone to the table and get them to eat, calmed Dan when he realized that I wasn't with them and tried to run out the door to go back to church to get me, etc.

My only thought was, "No wonder I'm always so tired!"

I hadn't realized being the mommy is so much work until I listened to someone else do it and thought, after the fact (I was still mostly sleeping), that person needs help, and not just because I've done it before. Because two hands, two ears, and two eyes aren't enough to really keep track of and pay attention to and nourish and raise three children. And soon there will be four.

I have two big concerns about the coming addition to our family: What on earth will I do if he's colicky (since Dan needs lots of holding still); and Is it possible to divide my care and attention that many ways at once? Can I carry on four conversations at once? And how did Mom do 7?