Monday, April 4, 2011

Bad Mommy Moments

Let me begin this by saying no one is perfect. Not me. Not you. Not that beautiful, athletic, not a hair out of place, happy, cheery, always smiling, seems to be perfect mom. So I'm not really looking for a "don't feel bad" or "it's not your fault" kind of thing. What follows will be stories for posterity, an FYI, and possibly future guilt trips (for me, from my kiddos!).

Anyone that has had a newborn knows how rough it is. The almost constant sleepy daze is killer. Add in a toddler, and your chances of "sleeping when baby sleeps" is pretty much nil. So it is no wonder that many mamas suffer from "mommy brain". Not only do I suffer from mommy brain, but I also (apparently) have a lack of brain function in general (I.e. Thinking, problem solving, etc.).

Saturday, Sean got called in to work (yay for finally working and getting $-boo to him having to work on a weekend!). My dad ended up coming up (along with my uncle and aunt, but they were only here maybe 45 minutes). He left a little before 5pm to go get KFC for dinner and to pick up a few things at the store for me. While he was gone, I decided to go feed/water the animals. HJ was asleep in the bassinet, and Alice was occupied with some grapes and a movie. So I slipped out really quickly. I only had to give the rabbits water (Sean did everything else-but never gives the rabbits water!). I then head back inside. Except I can't get inside. And Alice is at the door waving at me. Crap! She locked the door. So I go to the car and grab a rewards card (cc thing) and head back to "break in". I managed to almost open the door, when she pushes a step stool over to the door, reaches up, and turns the deadbolt! Noooooooo! So I proceeded to try to get her to turn it the other way. Ha! She proceeded to stick her tongue out, laugh, and then start licking the trim on the door (pretty sure there is lead in that paint), so I start shouting at her to stop!

I walked around the house to see if any windows were unmatched. Nope. I'm not surprised. I'm pretty anal about all locks being locked. Then I hear HJ screaming and crying. So I try the front door. I went and got a hammer and pounded in the door until the slider lock came undone. Then I started trying to work the card in to the door to open it. After a few minutes, I decided to wait until my dad got back (he has a spare key to the house). But then I see HJ grab a burp cloth and pull it on his face. And then he stops crying. So I start panicking, thinking he is smothering himself. So I start using the card again. I almost had it, when the wind catches the storm door and slams into me. I literally smashed through the door (it is mostly glass). As I'm getting my wits about me and grab the burp cloth off of HJ, and make sure he is breathing, I realize I'm bleeding all over the floor. So I wash my hands and discover cuts all over. Most were superficial, but one was pretty bad. I grabbed a hand towel and wrapped my hand up. I grab the baby, and go to get Alice. And see my dad walking up. Seriously! If I had waited two or three more minutes, we could have used a key to get in. Instead of me acting like some stunt double. So he takes the baby and calms him down, while I put bandages on, and start cleaning up glass. I had to change the one bandage four times! And I think I probably should have gotten stitches, as it is pretty deep, and I'm sure I'll have a scar. It took about an hour to clean up all of the glass, mop, and put plywood over the outside (until we get new glass).

Lessons learned: keep a spare key outside, never underestimate your child (she had never locked the door before, and she goes and licks BOTH locks!), and do not leave anything around baby/bassinet that they could inadvertently get to.

Then yesterday, Alice and I were getting ready to go to the store. I brought HJ outside in his car seat, as Sean was working on the car. The monitor doesn't work at that part of the yard for whatever reason. I got the stroller out, and put the car seat in it, covered him with a blanket, and put a bottle I just pumped. I was putting Alice in the truck when Sean started yelling for me. I ran over and he was picking HJ up off the ground! WTH? Turns out the wind blew the stroller over (it is 26lbs plus the car seat and HJ, so we're talking at least 40 lbs!) and HJ tumbled our. He was fine, thank God! No bumps, bruises, or anything. He was crying, but that was because he was startled-can you blame him?

Lessons learned: always buckle baby in car seat (or whatever), don't put Your child in anything that could topple over.

So no one was hurt (well me, but whatever) during my bad mommy moments. I apparently need some more sleep, and some more brains. I would love to say there will never be anymore, but I'm sure there will be. I just hope and pray that no one gets hurt.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just finished reading this and immeditely said "Daryl, you need to make me a spare key that we can keep outside somewhere." My BIGGEST fear since moving in here is getting locked out, most specifically getting locked out while Hunter is still INSIDE. I'm glad all ended well (except for you getting hurt!).

And HOLY CRAP! I can't believe the stroller/car seat blew over! That is something I would have done, never in a million years thinking the wind could topple it over! So glad HJ is okay too!

Jenner said...

Yikes! If it helps, I had a bad mommy moment today too. I walked into the kitchen and the peapod was eating salt and parmesan cheese. Whooops! I'm telling you, as soon as she is quiet I know something is going on!!

Bobi AKA Stacey said...

Everyone has those moments. My cousin's son experience many his first year. First, they left the door open when they moved into their new house, and at 3 am his mom woke to find him covered in 111 mosquito bites. Then when he was 6 months old his dad had taken their older son on a nature walk, and came home and changed the little guys diaper and clothes. The next day I was watching the kids and the little guy kept screaming. Finally I noticed a rash and asked my step dad to examine it. It was poison ivy. ALL over the poor kid. The only way to make him stop crying was an oatmeal bath. Needless to say, he slept on my chest, with oatmeal all over him, and me pouring water over him for 3 hours.
These are things you never think of and I am sure every mother has several.
A friend of mine slipped peanut butter onto the roof of her 4 month olds mouth, not realizing how allergies work. Another friend left the toilet seat unlocked and found her 2 year old with his arm stuck.
Everyone has a story. I'm just sorry that yours involved blood.

Pretty Lil Parties said...

Everyone has moments like that. Glad you are okay and you got into the house...

Soon he will sleep more girl and then you will sleep more. I will have to be going through this myself in a few months.

The Tompkins Family said...

I am exhausted just reading that.

Lisa said...

PJ is obsessed with the locks. However, he always wants to go with me when I go outside, so I don't think (hope) he'd ever lock me out.

can't believe the car seat blew over. That's crazy. I am glad everyone (and you!) are okay!

Mrs. Z said...

Oh goodness, that locked out story was crazy! Glad all worked out. And I had to giggle a little about the lead paint. Isnt' it funny what we think of at these moments?

Danifred said...

Holy crap, what a run you've had! I'm waiting for the day that the girls lock the car while I'm going from one side to another strapping them in the carseats.

I'm glad everyone is okay. The Alice story will be one you tell for years!

Carrie27 said...

I would have been doing the same to get into the house. You poor thing!

I have always been scared of the kids getting locked in somewhere, so I'm crazy and take the keys with me. If I run outside to put something in the car or whatever it may be, I put the keys in my pocket. When I load the kids up, I keep the keys in my pocket and open the front window. I'm a spazz.