This day challenged the very essence of the term survival mode.
It did not go well.
It did not go well.
At all.
The first few weeks of bringing home a newborn is what we call survival mode at our house. The goal of the day when in survival mode, is to put whatever energy we have into keeping each member of the family alive and healthy. Nothing more.
Up to today, there were challenges and feeding woes but today was the day that life just kinda fell apart for a few hours.
In between feeding Ava milk I'd pumped in the middle of the night and calling the lactation consultant and then working up the courage to pump, solely on one side, it took around 40 minutes for me to pump about 1 oz. I normally pump 1 oz in 1 minute. It hurt. In that 40 minutes of intense toe curling, sobbing pain, my older girls were on their own. And thus the story of Strawberry Jam:
Strawberry Jam 8:30 a.m.
Mess #1: In the midst of my pumping nightmare that morning, the girls were playing in Allie's room. This is routine. They do this most days while waiting for me to make breakfast. There I sat on the edge of my bed, with flu-like symptoms and in tears, working up the courage to pump my sore boobs when Audrey, comes to my room, with pink stuff all over her hands and arms and says, "Mom! We made strawberry jam." I just looked at her through my pain and hesitantly asked, "What?" She repeated what i thought she said, and then invited me to come and see. I'm thinking, "Seriously? You are drawing my attention to this on purpose?" I put down the pumping parts and trudge down the hallway. I find pink lotion all over their step stools, the carpet, themselves and countless stuffed animals and dolls. I can see pink toothpaste, body lotion, a toothbrush, Allie's fluoride free toothpaste and the cover to their vent scattered on the floor like a crime scene. They had combined Audrey's watermelon toothpaste and their white body lotion to make "strawberry jam"
Audrey cleaned up the mess as best she could. I didn't even care that there was toothpaste on the carpet and I figured, it's already matted in there, it can wait 6 more hours until Jeremy gets home. When I texted him a brief description of the situation, he replied, " This is our life now, not much we can do but try to keep everyone alive from day to day."
The plan to make "strawberry jam" was actually elaborate, Audrey explained later to Jeremy. They had a certain way of mixing it together and then putting it under Allie's bed to bake... and then they would package it and ship it to the stores. They claim, no one ate it. Thank heavens.
Mess #2: Allie and he Honey Nut Cheerios. She'd found the new Sam's size bag in the pantry and opened it. Nearby I saw an empty snack trap. So maybe she tried to fill it and just missed? I can still see her sprawled out in nothing but a diaper, almost making Cheerio angels, while picking up handfuls and shoving all that would fit, and then some, in her mouth. (sigh)
By Noon, I'd called the lactation consultant twice, my OB once, my primary doctor and I had dialed another OB's office when my Mother on her own will left work after three hours to come help. Her decision to travel 45 minutes to our house came after our original phone conversation was cut short because I gasped and hurriedly said, "I'll have to call you back." I missed three phone calls from her within four minutes. She was afraid that something happened to Ava. Ava was fine.
Mess # 3 Approx 11:30 a.m. : From across the house, while on the phone with my mother, I saw Allie reach into her diaper and pull out a handful of poop. I could just see her squishing it in her little hands and either eating it or rubbing it on the couch before I could reach her. I felt like I was moving in slow motion as I jumped up and ran across the room, dodging legos and barbies and countless books and grabbed her arm just as she was putting down her poop.
Mess #4: Ava, not to be outdone, decided to produce an exorbitant amount of poop in the afternoon, resulting in her first ever "blow out." By this time, my mother was here and this mess was somewhat laughable.
Life got better after my mom arrived. We were able to control the messes and I was able to concentrate on just taking care of me and Ava for a few hours.
So today, yeah, was not a great day. But, we will find our groove and begin to function normally soon. I hope.
Sarah
