I don’t mean to dwell on this whole sleep depravation/woe is me theme, but, before I move on, I just want to say that I am FLABERGASTED…..yes, utterly flabbergasted when I stop to realize that everyone I see, every single soul on this earth, represents a mom who didn’t sleep for a few months. A mom who went through all that I’m going through right now. While it’s nothing compared to so many real hardships and sacrifices so many are required to make, it is universal. Yes there are those freakishly perfect babies who sleep 6 hours stretches starting week one (do they really exist?) but for the most part, everyone you see started off their life sucking (literally) the life and sleep out of their mom.
That’s a motherload of sacrifice.
I think it’s pretty amazing.
Ok, on to other things……
I totally feel that way too except I walk around and look at EVERY human and think, "you used to be a tiny newborn! and your mom loved you!" which sometimes is hard to believe, but I'm trying to be better.
ReplyDeletegreat posts. wish i could be there to hang out with you at 2 am! nice thing about newborns is that they do grow out of the burpy/days and nights confused/fitful sleeping thing, but it happens about the same time as they start smiling, and I think we should get the smiling thing earlier to help us make it through the last few weeks of bad sleeplessness.
love ya!
aja
You're amazing Saydi. You're a splendid writer and mother. You're doing great. Just keep swimming . . . :)
ReplyDeleteYou have my full permission and support to feel lament about babies LITERALLY sucking the life out of you as long as you want.
ReplyDeleteBoth of my boys did...
I hear your. Hang in there.
Miss you,
S
Ha! I completely agree! I remember right after I had my son, I just looked at every Mother I passed, everywhere I went, and was flabbergasted that they had all done what I had just done and pushed a baby out of themselves!
ReplyDeleteI also just wrote about the extent Mothers have to sacrifice is sometimes just a little much!
Anyway, it was just so good to meet you at the retreat. You are such a genuine, interesting woman and I'm so glad for blogs, so I can learn more about you and perhaps keep in touch. I wanted to tell you that I would love to send you a baby wrap if you think you would use it. I can't imagine life with 4 kids, but with 2 it was a life saver. Baby is just so much more comfy in the wraps than the Baby Bjorns (and you are too). Or if you are coming to Ogden before you leave I could just leave it at Saren's!
Baobabyboutique.blogspot.com is my site. I love to just give them away though, so no charge for an Eyre! (:
I don't know you, but I am going through what you are. My second son is now 6 1/2 wks old and I add the 1/2 because every day counts to me right now. My parents shared an article from your parents quoting a blog post of yours that they knew would hit home and it sure did.
ReplyDeleteThank you for helping me by confessing and sharing what you feel. So many are too ashamed or whatever to share the woes of the post partum period but I find it very important in coping especially to others going through the same thing. Thank you!!! Your words are simple and beautiful and I know I will return to your blog often. Hang in there you are doing wonderful.
Since I'm so far removed from it now that I don't remember the exhaustion quite so vividly, I loved your quote about everyone starting out sucking the life out of their mothers... too funny :)
ReplyDeleteLove your mind! Love you heart! Somehow in the end that sucking out ends up filling you up!
ReplyDeleteIt is perfectly normal to feel completely bowled over by lack of sleep. I always do. I don't really regain any sort of normality in my life (mentally & emotionally) until my babies sleep for 5-6 hour stretches. With all four this has taken at least a year, sometimes longer. Hard stuff! But you're right to surrender to it & enjoy the goodness of it. Because otherwise it can be like butting your head against the wall. These sweet babies need so much from us, and it's hard to be that giver as well as take care of the older ones.
ReplyDeleteMy mother said that I was that baby. I was home from the hospital less than a week when I started sleeping through the night. My sister was another story but it still only look her a month! I am hoping that's genetic...although I doubt it.
ReplyDelete