Happy Mother's Day (Bah Humbug!)

Charlotte really knows how to ruin major holidays. At Christmas, in the midst of all kinds of traveling stress, she got deathly ill with RSV. And now--on Mother's Day--my would-be "day off" which I had been living for the past few weeks--she ran a 102 fever and demanded that I hold her pretty much all day (Daddy just won't do).

And she was still sick today, one of the three measley days that I go to work/have childcare each week. I have missed so much work the past few months due to her illness that it is a wonder people remember I still work here (I always feel like I've won the lottery when I actually do get to come to work and then see that they haven't packed up my desk). I got to stay home instead today and futilely attempt to prevent her from wailing and moaning the entire day, even though her fever was largely gone. I have no idea what is wrong with the child. Then I got to come into work after she went to bed (that's where I am now) in a desperate effort to make headway on a project that ordinarily/in my full time/pre motherhood days would have been done in December. Work is now my vacation in this topsy-turvy world that Charlotte has created for me.

I love Charlotte. I do. I think she is the most adorable, precious little girl on the planet. But motherhood pretty much sucks. I am exhausted, I am rarely showered, my clothes always have crap on them, and, as mentioned, I eat most of my meals off the floor. I am pretty much a German Shepherd. And not a pampered one either, like one that does stuff.

Fatherhood, on the other hand, I could really get into. I know there are a lot of dads who are slogging it out in the trenches, and hats off to you fellahs. But from my vantage point, it's a pretty good deal. You get to have an adorable little child, but you basically resume your normal life. Every now and then you watch the little girl for an hour or two when her mother tells you she's about to have a nervous breakdown. In fact the main drawback of fatherhood from what I can tell is that you are now married to a mother. That's fairly significant now that I think about it. OK never mind, fatherhood sucks too.

But I'd still take it over motherhood. If anyone knows where I can apply for a father position, let me know.

Comments

  1. It does get better Holly, I swear..until of course, you decide to have more.. but it has given me a whole new appreciation for my own mom though which is good.

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  2. another fantastic post! it's amazing how you are still able to be entertaining despite all the stress swirling around you. i have none of that drama and still fail miserably when trying to make a witty comment. and worse, not being a parent, i have no advice for you. thanks for sharing!

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  3. Found you by way of Beth...

    Motherhood. When going to your own doctor appointment feels like a day off...go ahead, send me over for xrays, that's a whole other hour that I get to be out of the house--without children! Then when Daddy texts you to describe the explosive blowout diaper he just changed you're challenged to be sympathetic without being sarcastic or snarky.

    People say it gets better. I say not so. It just changes and gets different.

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