A Little Bit Nuts

We’ve been busy lately with cold after cold after cold. And throw in a bit of the flu and several infections and you have our quarantined household. We’re about to head out on holidays, so more later.

As a busy mom to 3 kids under 3 I’ve learned to make some concessions. I’ve changed my expectations. Changed my standards. Changed my sleeping habits. I can no longer expect that the dinner dishes get cleaned immediately after dinner. Sometimes you need to just “roll with it”. Sometimes everyone goes straight up to bed, sometimes we go on a little adventure instead. And the house gets cleaned later. My standards are no longer what they used to be – standards for cleanliness mainly. Sometimes family needs to come before cleaning. Sometimes everyone gets sick and the dust just builds. And sometimes we choose to have fabulous adventures instead of “Cleaning Mondays”.

Sometimes I just need some peace around here and I choose to ignore what the kids are doing. I choose to ignore when they are a little too quiet upstairs (and I later find the Sudocrem ALL over the place). I choose to ignore that they have taken out 14 boxes of puzzles and have dumped them all over the kitchen floor. Yesterday I was choosing to ignore Lily and Levi when I looked over at them and saw Lily standing on the sofa. Her knees were slightly bent, her hands were together, holding a pose of a diver. Then Levi comes behind her and pushes her off the sofa. They roar with laughter and the game continues. I was on the phone (I’m sure it was super important), but I took a minute to yell that I wasn’t taking anyone to the hospital if they fell off and broke an arm. I think they believed me. A few minutes later I noticed they had changed their game. And instead, Levi was laying flat on the ground and Lily was diving over him. Or on him. It all looked sketchy. But very funny. As usual, I took pics before I put the kibosh on the whole charade.

It’s been a very tough two weeks here. The kids started getting sick about two weeks ago, and it just keeps going around. Seriously, goes from one illness to the next. They had colds, and flus. And possibly the worst part was that Ryan got the man flu Last Monday I took Levi to the doctor, and it turns out he has 2 ear infections. I had the good doctor look at Isabelle while there, and it turns out she has an upper respiratory tract infection. She was the sickest of everyone, and it just broke my heart. While I was there and the doctor was writing up all the prescriptions I asked if he could write one that said it would be therapeutic for Isabelle to be held and cuddled on the sofa all night while watching The Bachelor. Ryan HATES the show, so I figured it was the only way I could get away with watching it. The good doctor wrote me a prescription for that. What a great guy!

So while I’m there I’m sitting on the table with Isabelle and I’m desperately trying to talk to the doctor. While Lily and Levi keep interrupting asking for Smarties. And they’re both trying to climb on my lap on the table as well. It’s hectic there. So I tell the doctor that I saw an ad in the hall about post-partum depression. He says I don’t have post-partum depression. To which I tell him I think I do, I think I need help and are they offering weekend retreats?! The good doctor laughs at me and asks if I’m looking for a weekend away from the kids? I say yes. He laughs at me some more. I felt good. But after some thinking, I’ve decided I don’t have post-partum depression. What I have is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. After 3 kids in 3 years, and 2 labours without my epidural (still haunted by that), makes sense to me.

And then I got a throat infection. And it looks like Lily’s asthma is flaring up again. We just can’t win.

Isabelle is just the sweetest baby who brightens our days. It’s beautiful how each child is so different to you, yet how you are just able to love each of them as if each was your favorite. Isabelle is our favorite. Lily and Levi are absolute enamored with her, and I often scold them for being a little too loving with her. Take, for example, yesterday’s incident with the monkey. Levi has this little monkey lovey that he cuddles with (made by Angel Dear). Ever since we took away his soother at around 22 months he has taken to chewing on the ends of this cuddly blankie monkey thing. It’s disgusting. So gross. It gets all sick and sopping wet and still he sucks on it/chews it all day long. Right now Lily and Levi are fighting this nasty cold, and so far Ryan and I have sore throats, but Isabelle is healthy. Then Levi tries to give Isabelle his monkey. In her mouth. I say no. No, no, no. But he insists that she needs to cuddle this yucky thing that has been in his germ infested mouth. I’m sitting a few inches from her and he is still able to sneak the wet, chewed end of that monkey into her unsick mouth. I felt horrible for her. And now tonight I can tell she is getting their cold in her little body. Poor baby.

She’s a good little girl who eats well, sleeps well (through the night since about 5 weeks!), and is just always so happy. She will cry when she’s tired or hungry. And if you watch her behavior she’ll tell you when she’s getting tired or hungry so she never actually needs to get to that crying part unless you’re not focusing on her. She’s a sweetheart. She loves being held and cuddling, and has smiles for everyone. Isabelle has recently started laughing and particularly thinks it’s funny when I sing to her. That makes me laugh. God knew we needed Isabelle in our lives. She is a gem.