SAHM Week Two – Realizations and Confessions (Pass the Chocolate Please!)

I can now officially say that I’m an experienced SAHM mom. Two weeks counts as experienced, right? I think so. So what brilliant things have I picked up this week?

1. I can’t do it all. I tried last week and was pretty successful at it. The house was clean. The laundry done. Dinner ready or cooking when Dad-oo came home. The kiddo was happy, bathed and smiling. Activities for the next day planned. I did it all, but I could barely function at the end of the day, I was so tired This week I gave up on keeping the house 100% clean and organized. I haven’t even touched the laundry yet. I’m almost afraid to look at the pile growing and taking over our basement. Dinner is still going strong, at least I can be proud of that. I guess I’m not June Cleaver after all.
2. There are days when I need to feel successful. At something other than being a mom. I didn’t realize that such a huge part of my identity came from my career. So much so that one day this week I had a mini meltdown. Thankfully the kiddo was napping and Dad-oo was at work so no one saw it. But all of a sudden I needed something else in my life that gave me purpose. I guess that’s where blogging comes in. Better yet, I just need to reassess what success means to me. Maybe it isn’t professional success that I need. Maybe it’s the smile in my kiddo’s eyes when he learns something new. Or when he’s up to no good.
3. It’s OK to let the kiddo entertain himself. I don’t have to put on a show for him 24 hours a day. As long as he is happy and out of danger he is OK. It teaches him to be independent, curious and to learn new things on his own. Useful things like how to pull pug tails. Or how to dump pug water on the floor. It gives me a few minutes to recharge, check up on Twitter and my favorite mommy blogs.
4. Arts and Crafts are fun. Once they are done. My kiddo is almost 19 months, he’s in that in between stage where he wants to be entertained but he’s still too young for many crafts. We attempted to make toilet paper roll bowling pins this week. And while we did succeed in making them, it was mostly I who did all of the work. The kiddo helped color for a few minutes before he got bored and ripped up the extra paper instead. Then it was my job to finish coloring, gluing (while wrestling the glue stick away from the kiddo) and trimming the “pins”. Once they were done, we had a blast rolling balls at them. For about 5 minutes. At least they are done, and now we can bring them out on the next snowy rainy day.
5. My kiddo is one smart little boy. I know that every mom thinks that, and of course we are all right. I’ve realized that I need to make sure that I’m challenging him each day with new activities, words, colors, etc. I have to always be on the lookout for ways to teach him something new. After all, I’m the main person in charge of his growth and education right now.
6. This kid melts my heart with just his simple laughter. Even on my most exhausted, overwhelmed evenings, his laughter makes me feel like a million bucks. All I have to do is wear him as “momma’s hat” and giggles burst out of him. It works almost every time, even when he’s hungry and crabby while waiting for dinner to be made.
7. I’m need to STOP eating his leftovers. After morning breakfast, I find myself picking at the kiddo’s leftovers. Or eating the last piece of PBJ before cleaning up after lunch. And that’s on top of my lunch. This is a habit that will surely catch up with me quickly, on top of all of the baking I’ve been doing.
8. Dad-oo is my saving grace. He actually made an effort this week to unload the dishwasher before he went to bed, so I wouldn’t have to do it in the morning. One small thing, but it means the world.
9. I can’t live without chocolate. I tried to give up chocolate, desserts and other sweet goodness this week in a effort to cut back on unhealthy foods and to set a good example for the kiddo. I lasted, oh lets see, one day. Yes, I caved on Tuesday.

I do have one question for all of you more experience SAHM’s out there. How long is a normal nap for a 19 month old? The kiddo seems to be napping longer each day. I’m worried that it will start to cut into his night sleeping. Should I wake him up after 2 hours, or just let him wake on his own (sometimes 3+ hours)?

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