Yup, this week I had another baby. Not out of my body. Not through adoption. Through a vacation!
My girlfriend and her hubs took a much deserved trip to Vegas to celebrate a family wedding. They have 5 kids and we took 2 of them for 4 days.
Wow. Little did I know how stretched I would be this week!
But she’s always been helpful!
Thank God for Calista who managed to get a bottle into the little guy (11-months old) today so I could get the dishes done.
And for Elam who is always a ham, but particularly when babies are around.
XS did great too, but just don’t have pictures.
As I am strolling through days filled with swim lessons, dentist appointments and the typical challenges with a baby, I am struck that although Jesus is enough for my spirit, my body and soul seem to need some basics to deal with the challenges of parenthood. Seriously, I did campus ministry with some great and some rotten students for over 10 years and nothing, I repeat NOTHING is more challenging than having little people to lead and discipline and love 24-7-365-365×18 (you do the math please. I haven’t slept much this week.)
1. I need exercise. I saw almost every hour on the clock Sunday night. I heard every scratchy move in that pack and play. I stressed if I made the slightest noise, afraid I’d wake the baby. But Monday morning, I was at the Y, running a few miles next to a good friend (who lives exhausted) and then killed an Anna McGhee class with more sweat than I should have been allowed to spill on the floor.
Today it was a balmy 30 degrees, the roads were covered in ICE and the wind was whipping across Woodland. I pounded 6 miles and smiled when a man strolling on the sidewalks told me around mile 5.3 that I should “be careful. It’s icy today.” I wanted to say “no kidding Sherlock?!”
2. I need music. After dinner tonight Brian took Elam to get new swim goggles and I did bath for 3 kids. The baby wasn’t having me so I cranked some 80’s music and head banged to the 1987 Heart song, “Alone.” I changed the lyrics to “How can I get you to sleep?!” It was epic.
There is something about singing (sometimes it can be worship music that speaks of Jesus, sometimes I can worship with a Simon and Garfunkel song…).
3. I need food. Lots of it. If any of my working out friends read this, don’t tell anyone. I ate 2 breakfasts today before 9:30. I ate lunch. Then I came home and snacked. Then I ate like an 18-year old boy. Unless I edited that last sentence, I would have just said I eat like an 180-year old. What would an 180-year old eat? … hmmm…
I need to eat fun food (Jimmy Fallon ice cream for breakfast dessert anyone?). I make these PB and carob chip energy bites that are seriously my staple. I eat edamame, brown rice and quinoa too. I snacked on pea pods while warming up dinner tonight. But I eat my fair share of bread, pasta, butter and chocolate.
4. I need friends. A good friend, but one I rarely see, has 4 kids and we met at the aquarium today. Do the math: 9 kids, 2 moms, 2 strollers. We seriously took OVER a bathroom. Then we made our way to the otter program and then I heard “Momma” in Elam’s voice. He was up the stairs. I smiled at him and then he informed me that I had forgotten him in the bathroom. Upstairs. Alone. He was pooping and I guess he thought we’d wait for him outside…
He gave me grace and patted my back tonight when I laughed so hard that I cried about this tonight. How did I lose my kid today? How did I head bang to Heart tonight? How did I eat so much today? How did I skate through my 6 miles today? How does my friend do this every day with 5 kids?!
I need my friends to call me for an aquarium date even if I lose a kid. Thanks Katie!
So much more I could write about but suffice to say It is time to hand this thing over to a kid who has gotten more sleep tonight. Which is why when I asked her to get XS his bottle tonight she went to get his bath ready instead.
Life as an Asker…