To know how I'm doing these days with Margaret three weeks old, may I redirect you to this blogger who wrote a wonderful piece on the misleadingly perfectionist images of our domestic lives? See "The Best Ways Not to Help a New Mom."
I could tell you that yesterday I cut out pattern and fabric for an Easter dress I hope to sew for Margaret that will coordinate with a dress I made earlier for Mary. Ooo, so industrious, right? But I could also tell you that my carpets are not vacuumed nor linoleum swept, my stacks of folded laundry got knocked over by somebody and remain all over the bedroom floor, I'm making breakfasts and lunches but no dinners yet, and that instead of my washing dishes after each meal my husband is washing them for me at night after I've let them stack up dirty in the sink all day.
Today I took a sewing class on how to use a serger machine. I didn't exactly want to take such a course with Margaret being only three weeks old when I'm still getting through one day at a time, but it was next being offered in two more months. I decided to take a gamble, hoping she'd actually do better now when she's still sleeping most of the time than she would when she is three months old and more alert. It was quite a feat to get us all where we needed to go this morning. I got up at 6:30 and employed Chris' help in order to make breakfasts, pack lunches, get us dressed, nurse the baby three times, and not even bother making beds or wash dishes so that we could get out the door at 8:45. I dropped off the kids at a friend's house at 9:15 (and nursed the baby again there) and got to my class at 10:00 (and nursed the baby when we got there). As I had hoped, Margaret slept in my Maya Wrap for the first two and a half hours of the three-hour class! Then I nursed her several more times before leaving, drove 45 minutes back to pick up the kids, and got us all home in one piece. And Margaret slept for both long drives, with no screaming!!!
If that sounds industrious, again, let me point to the facts that my kitchen counters and dining room table are covered in detritus, my kids' rooms are littered with toys, and a very nice friend is delivering us a hot dinner tonight.
I maintain the belief that mothers whose homes are in perfect order have lost sight of what's important, and those who claim to "have it all together" are liars. ;)
ReplyDeleteLoved the blog post you linked to. Yes, my house is messy most of the time, my kids have dirty faces throughout the day, sometimes they watch more TV and eat more fast food than they probably "should," sometimes I completely lose it and find myself screaming at the top of my lungs in frustration, and every so often I lock myself in the bathroom to "hide".
With the exception of the nursing part (for now) and the class today, we have basically had the same day with the same description of the house! LOL
ReplyDeleteThe difference is that I am (sadly) used to my house in constant chaos and disarray. I'm working on it, though. ;)
So glad it went well for the class! How was it, do you feel confident now?
ReplyDeleteKatherine! That is what my house is like every day and I have no newborn! There are almost always dishes, the table is often crumby, and bed is unmade. *shrug* As long as the kids are happy and healthy, the husband is happy with things being lived in, etc etc then WHO CARES! I am trying to just learn to let life unfold.
ReplyDeleteSarah Faith: I wouldn't say "confident," but I know how to run the serger in the most basic of ways. We spent three hours learning all the parts, how to thread the machine, and how to do a straight stitch. Then we adjusted various settings to get samples of what WRONG looks like so we can recognize problems in the future. Then we learned how to clean the machine. The second class is on more interesting techniques. I'm hoping to do some sewing on it today!
ReplyDeleteIn this picture, she's really starting to look more like John!
ReplyDeleteSomething that I remind myself, is that nobody can do it all, all the time, all by themselves. For many, many years families lived in multi-generational homes, and they did so for a very good reason. :)
Great Post!
ReplyDeleteI seriously cannot get over how much Margaret looks like Chris' mother. Maybe it's just me...am I the only one who says that? I'd be curious to see Dotty's baby picture next to Margaret's!
Rebecca: My mother-in-law just commented the other day about how Margaret looks like her as a baby. Next time we're in Atlanta, we're going to compare photos to see!
ReplyDeleteGreat! Be sure to post Dotty's baby pic next to Margaret's baby pic on your blog! Hey, do I get a prize if I "win?" ;-) To me the resemblance is really amazing. It's the first thing I thought when I saw Margaret's first baby pic, and then I continue to see it again and again in all subsequent pics you post...to me it's common for babies to look like one person one day, and then resemble another person another day...but with Margaret I just see Chris' mom again and again! :-) I think it would be super cool to have a grandchild who looked just like me! We have a relative who had three sons who all looked just like her husband (no daughters)...then her sons all married really great women and all had daughters who all look just like HER! God is funny that way :-)
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