For all you mothers out there who are still wrangling toddlers, pushing strollers, carrying bags of diapers and changes of clothes everywhere you go. For all of you who still have to get up in the middle of the night to feed and soothe and convince, again and again that there are NO MONSTERS under the bed. For those of you who are not sure what day this is, or how you will make it another day with a colicky baby and a snotty nosed, always coughing toddler and a preschooler who melts down when you cannot find THE red crayon, for all of you, I just want to say this:
Hang in there. It will get better.
Go easy on yourself.
There is nothing you can do to keep from being tired and worried and worried that you are tired and worried that you are not worried enough.
You are going to want the perfect Halloween pictures and the perfect Thanksgiving pictures and the perfect Christmas picture. And you may get them. Or you may not. Or you may threaten and bribe and scream through gritted teeth until you get just one, just one where everyone is looking at the camera. And then you will look at those pictures after you download them to your computer and you will know, in your heart that those smiles are fake. But know that all of your friends Happy Christmas card pictures are probably fake too. And that’s ok. Truly.
OH!!! I LOVED this, and so needed to hear this tonight. Thanks for sharing. I am so encouraged. 🙂
What good and true words, Jerusalem. My only child will be 6 in December and we've already hit the much easier stage…thank goodness! How I wish I'd heard this sort of encouragement was he was smaller.
Take care,
Erin
I love this! I'm kinda redoing the birth-6 thing all over again with my oldest in middle school and my youngest just turning a year. It is funny to look back at what we once thought essential to raising a toddler! Heck, I can count on one hand the number of times I've used the stroller for this one. But we're getting a new take on babyhood around here, experiencing it through the eyes of his three older brothers. And I'm reminding myself daily that it goes by so fast. At least, that's what the old ladies at the super market promised me.
Not to throw water on your parade because I love your blog and family. Wonderfully fun pictures of your boys. Soooo cute. But those nights full of sleep are just memories when they become teenagers and are staying out late, not coming home on time and you are lying in bed staring at the ceiling and wondering if they are OK. Why are they late? But at least now you all have cell phones and I think that will help. So enjoy your sleep now when they are home, safe in bed.
I guess that is true! Well, I will enjoy the sleep now : ) Thanks for stopping by!!
and then they will drive off to college….