Lessons I have learned so far while flying solo with 4 kids ages 5 and under...
1. You will never know exhaustion so deep, so all-consuming and yet have sleep allude you, so cruelly, for days on end.
2. Your 1 cup-of-coffee-a-day habit you picked up after #3 was born will turn into a 2-cups-before-9am habit and you will consider brewing another pot around lunch just to get you through the afternoon. This caffeine overload will NOT have any effect on your ability to fall asleep at night due to Lesson #1.
3. If you tell a Mother of 4 she should "sleep while the baby sleeps" she will quietly imagine punching you in the face and pray that someday soon you will be able to spend even an hour in her shoes.
4. There is no safe or efficient way to load and/or unload the herd from the car without an additional adult present. Do you take the baby out first and place the carseat next to the car? Take the older 3 out and somehow maintain a grasp on your 20month old while she squeals "Run!!!!!" all while trying to finagle an infant carseat?
5. People will stare at you as you hold aforementioned carseat, grasp and semi-trot after said 20month old, beg your oldest to hold the other hand of the 20month old and advise your second child not to trip again while holding onto the carseat pulling you close to the ground and near disaster.
6. Remembering to wear nursing pads while out in public is vital in maintaining a "put together" appearance. Circles of milk seeping out onto your shirt cannot be well-disguised, no matter how cool your new Sarah White necklace looks.
7. Do not let your 20month old play with your nursing pads while you feed the baby- they will dissapear and you will forget to put them back in your bra.
8. You will be amazed at what you can do with one hand while holding a nursing babe in the other, ie: lifting the 20month into the high chair, placing the tray on the chair, making a peanut butter sandwich, grabbing a slice of cheese from the fridge and pouring milk into a sippy cup (this involves twisting a lid) all while skyping with your Mother.
9. Maintaining social contact is key to your survival. You will need friends to visit you, hold the baby, tell you you will make it through the day and to help fill your freezer with meals. You will not make it another week without them loving you and praying for you. You will need to thank God for them daily and the blessings they are.
10. Allowing your older children to play Angry Birds on multiple wireless devices may be the only way you can gain 30min of quiet or the chance to sit while feeding the baby.
11. God's grace is the only way to maintain patience when you are stretched too thin, needing to fulfill the needs of 4 sweet children who may or may not be throwing a fit all at the same time.
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4 comments:
Thinking of you as we embark on number one! Some friends of mine had four boys 5 and under (twins in the middle). They literally cleared everything out of the main floor but the couch and toys for about two years! I'll be praying!
Here are my responses to your lessons:
1. Why aren't you sleeping while the baby is sleeping? That is what all of the experts (who don't have kids or something say).
2. Chocolate helps too!
3. Refer to #1...I will duck now while you punch me. I still don't get why you are so tired.
4. Double stroller when you know you are going somewhere where they don't have carts...park by the cart rack...load the two little ones in the cart and then have your older kids help push the other cart for shopping things... it is quiet a spectacle, but it works!
5. I have no clue what you are talking about...you mean your 20 month old doesn't listen to you??
:)
6. Layers, layers, and more layers.
7. She is just getting practice to be a good mommy!:)
8. You are truly a supermom! This is my only time I actually sit down.
9. You know my number!!!:) Next week...plan on it!:)
10. The TV is sometimes my friend and I almost 7 months into this journey!!
11. Totally agree!
I am right there with you girl!! I hope you find the humor in some of my responses!
I've been thinking of you lately. I completely understand. Hang in there. I rarely go anywhere because of the whole loading and unloading thing. I usually get the stroller out and set up right next to the car and unload kids right into the stroller. The other thing I do is I put the baby in a sling and then I can hold the toddlers hand.
You are doing awesome.
ah, love #3 "...punching you in the face..." ;) having 4 all 18 months apart i can totally relate! i used to hate it when people would say to me, "you look like you have your hands full!" i don't want to tell you that it gets better because that's not really helpful, but in some ways it does. they all become a little more independent, there's a lot less crying now, & eventually they will play together for hours on end leaving you wondering what to do with the "free time" it allows. having four so close together is totally crazy but I wouldn't change it for the world! just think how full our house will be on thanksgiving 20 years from now. ;)
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