Is there something wrong with me?

[kathywiehl]

I'm crying nearly every day
I'm exhausted just from taking as shower, getting myself dressed and dressing the two little kids
My house is a sty and I'm thinking of hiring someone to help me clean
I want to go back to bed and it's only 9am (I've been up since 6am)
If sleeping isn't an option, I'd happily waste away in front of the tv or computer...anything to not have to get up and move my huge body around this house.

Please tell me someone else feels this way. I don't feel normal and I really feel very incompetent right now.

[the elyse]

what.... are you pregnant or something?? of course you're not the only one!!! you're supposed to be tired at this point. i'm carrying around and extra forty pounds, and if i want to lay around and watch tv all day, then i will. i've been up for an hour and the bed is looking really nice already.

[MamaBBrown2003]

You sound like a woman in the last month of pregnancy. I was getting all teary while my children were watching the movie Cars the other day. I wasn't even watching it with them, I was in the next room, taking a nap (at 11am). I desperately want to be nesting, but my energy spurt is only from about midnight to 1am. Not exactly a convenient time, so my house is more of a disaster than anything else.

FWIW, I only got this moody with my girls. With DS, I felt great up to the end. With as moody as I've been this time, I'm guessing I'm cooking another little girl.

[ksera05]

I totally understand. I'm there too.

[Jujubie]

My house is a total mess and I don't have any children to take care of, this is our first! I can't even keep up with the mess that DH and I make!

[kathywiehl]

Thanks for reassuring me everyone. I feel better now. I called my friend who has 5 kids to cry to her and ask how the heck she did it. Heck my oldest is 13, so I only have 2 little ones to look after so I figured if she could do it with many younger kids then surely there must be something wrong with me.

She reassured me that she cried every day too and that she has no idea how she survived, lol! That made me feel better.

Then I got in the shower and when I came out my friend and another friend surprised me with a visit! They helped me fold some laundry, sort some toys, do the dishes. They also brought homemade bread, chicken soup, and sushi for lunch and for dinner they brought me chili. I also no have several movies for my kids to watch tomorrow when I need to rest.

I shouldn't complain ever. I'm really really blessed.

[SamuraiMom]

Oh Kathy, I just sat here in my store, reading the funniest article on MDC,

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pr...a-midwife.html

I laughed SO hard it mad me cry, so then I am sitting here bawling my head off hopeing no one will come in and wondering where this is all coming from and then I laugh again cause my dog is looking at me like I'm nuts and I am thinking of all the other mama's in our DDC who have been crying their heads off too. I'm glad I'm not alone.

[SamuraiMom]

Originally Posted by kathywiehl

Thanks for reassuring me everyone. I feel better now. I called my friend who has 5 kids to cry to her and ask how the heck she did it. Heck my oldest is 13, so I only have 2 little ones to look after so I figured if she could do it with many younger kids then surely there must be something wrong with me.

She reassured me that she cried every day too and that she has no idea how she survived, lol! That made me feel better.

Then I got in the shower and when I came out my friend and another friend surprised me with a visit! They helped me fold some laundry, sort some toys, do the dishes. They also brought homemade bread, chicken soup, and sushi for lunch and for dinner they brought me chili. I also no have several movies for my kids to watch tomorrow when I need to rest.

I shouldn't complain ever. I'm really really blessed.

That is so nice, what wonderful friends you have!

[lilyblossom]

Great friends make such a difference in our lives, don't they?! I'm teary eyed just reading about what they did for you. I don't have kids and I'm desperate for a nap after sleeping last night from 8pm-6am (and I was still dreaming when the alarm went off). You are SOOO not alone. Keep up the good work mama, it's hard work but well worth it in the end (so I'm told).

[kathywiehl]

Originally Posted by SamuraiMom

Oh Kathy, I just sat here in my store, reading the funniest article on MDC,

http://www.mothering.com/articles/pr...a-midwife.html

I laughed SO hard it mad me cry, so then I am sitting here bawling my head off hopeing no one will come in and wondering where this is all coming from and then I laugh again cause my dog is looking at me like I'm nuts and I am thinking of all the other mama's in our DDC who have been crying their heads off too. I'm glad I'm not alone.

That was funny!!!! Thanks for sharing

[kathywiehl]

Originally Posted by lilyblossom

Great friends make such a difference in our lives, don't they?! I'm teary eyed just reading about what they did for you. I don't have kids and I'm desperate for a nap after sleeping last night from 8pm-6am (and I was still dreaming when the alarm went off). You are SOOO not alone. Keep up the good work mama, it's hard work but well worth it in the end (so I'm told).

Oh yes, they do make such a difference. I only hope I can return the favor someday very soon.

You are right. It is hard work and it is worth it in the end. Sometimes in the moment it's easy to lose sight of that but it is very true. All of this is for a reason. We aren't ill. We are pregnant. With healthy live babies who will grow and enrich our lives in ways we can't even begin to imagine right now. Let's be thankful, mamas!

[operamommy]

What lovely friends! I'm so glad they were there for you when you needed them most.

I *do* think the way you're feeling is completely normal. I had a severe case of the "blahs" till 3 days ago, and the extreme fatigue is something I've experienced with all 4 pregnancies. Ds2 and I get up about 8am, and by 10am I'm ready for a nap.

[camille76]

You need to put your kids to work!

I recently started giving mine chores and it works out GREAT!!
And not only does it help me, it teaches them life skills and to work as a team / family to take care of the house. Mommy is not a maid.

In the morning after breakfast, I have one of them rinse off the breakfast dishes & put them in the dishwasher while the other one cleans off the table and anything that might have fallen underneath the table. (I always have the one doing the dishes to do it independently to avoid any water playing/messes!!) Then the toddler (age 2.5) helps the other child who is cleaning off the table. Then, every other day, the child who is assigned table cleaning duty will also bring the dirty clothes to the laundry room & the toddler helps.

Then for lunch, I try to use paper plates or paper towels so there are no dishes to clean.

Before my husband comes home in the evening, I assign them each a room to tidy up (three main rooms of the house), and I of course help with whichever room the toddler gets). I tell them that we are cleaning up the house to surprise Daddy who has been working hard at work all day! They are excited about that and tidy up with minimal complaints. (It's mostly their own messes anyway!)

Then, after dinner, we do the same dishes/clean the table routine as with breakfast. After dinner the dishwasher is usually full, so I run it and then put the clean dishes away in the morning to be ready for the next day's dirty dishes.

Just that alone helped a HUGE amount!! I made a chart and stuck a copy on the refrigerator.

Hopefully this will help you or someone out. I don't know how I survived before doing this!!

[kathywiehl]

Oh, my kids work! So does my husband! I'm very specific when assigning chores so that no one can say they don't know how to help me. We don't have a specific routine, but I do round everyone up a few times a day and tell them to clean for 15 minutes. I set the timer and we get to work, racing to see how much we can do in the 15 minutes. By the end I am usually ready to pass out, lol!

[smokeylo]

If there's something wrong with you then there's something wrong with me I'm a wreck, too! I couldn't sleep last night and burst into tears after DH snored and then again after the cats starting messing with stuff in our bedroom. I want my Mom!

[fearfightswinter]

I can relate, completely. I'm so exhausted, I can't stop crying over every little thing, my nerves are totally fried. At least we're nearing the end