Sunday, November 27, 2011

Breaking point


We are having quite a time over here in the Sunny Household right now.

Quite. A. Time.

First, let's start with the literal break.  Nix's sweet little leg.  He had just started up the stairs, on the first step above the landing.  He realized he had forgotten to flip the hall light on and off 20 times before heading up, so he turned to come back down to complete the important the task.  But he slipped off the stair and fell five inches onto the landing.

Managing, in the process, to fracture both the tibia and fibula in his right leg.

After spending a delightful evening at urgent care getting x-rays and a splint, then calling around for a couple of hours the next morning to find an orthopedist who could cast the leg of a 19-month-old, then taking him to Seattle Children's to finally get said cast.... now we will enjoy the four weeks of a completely immobile and uncomfortable, if still adorably sweet, Nix.  He is a trooper, but sleeping is a challenge (for all of us, in consequence), as well as trying to keep him occupied during the day without plugging him into the television for 12 straight hours.  And it is truly heartbreaking when his earnest, pleading face looks up at you and he grabs at his cast, "asking" you to please take it off.   Because he's too young to understand why it's there and when it'll be gone.

I don't mean to complain.

But waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

I do feel like I have reached a rite of passage as a Mother of Boys, though.  Our first broken bone in the family.  I didn't pass out, so that's saying something.

Now the emotional break.  Namely: mine.

In addition to dealing with Nix's leg, which I realize is a relatively minor inconvenience, there are a few other things conspiring to deepen the divide between me and my sanity.

1) I am in the grips of swirling, irrational pregnancy hormones.
2) Bean is in the grips of the More-Terrible-Than-The-Twos Threes.
3) I have active twin 1.5 year olds.
4) HOLIDAYS!

On the bright side, I no longer live with the constant feeling that I could barf at any moment.  My stomach is still uneasy, and food is overall unappetizing.  Even my beloved chocolate sits uneaten on the shelf.  (If only I could bottle that feeling for post-pregnancy, right?)  But it's an improvement.  What remains is the lethargy, a short fuse, and wild swings of emotions.  I cried three times during a recent episode of Glee, and Bean's impressive temper tantrums are matched only by my own.  Let's just say I have less a "pregnancy glow" and more a "pregnancy growl."

Add to my inability to be calm and stable, the onset of the "Harrowing Threes" or whatever you want to call it.  I have read on countless blogs, other mamas lamenting how three is a much more difficult age than two.

Y-E-S.

I guess I had to pay my dues.  Bean was a ridiculously easy toddler.  And he still is a great kid, most of the time.  At preschool and his gym class, he intently listens to the teachers and follows all directions enthusiastically.  He is respectful of the other kids and loves to do artwork.  He is creative and thoughtful and his mind is absorbing new ideas like a sponge.  He loves to cuddle.

But then... things turn bad.  They turn bad quickly, and they turn bad severely.

I'll spare the details, other than to say it involves convulsing, crying, screaming, and possibly throwing a toy, if one is within reach.

And Bean gets pretty worked up too.

I realize what I lack, other than the fair amount of patience that I had when I wasn't gestating, is a plan.  A script.  Since the same scenarios play over and over, I need to know in advance how to handle it.  That should keep me calm, at the very least.  I'm working on that plan right now, wish me luck.  In the meantime, thank goodness my parents are nearby.

Meanwhile, the twins.  They are so hilarious, adorable, energetic, curious, and enterprising.  Which absolutely wears me out.  I ran into a mom with twin boys a few years older than the twins.  She told me that this age was the hardest for her.  Another twin mama with 6-year-olds told me the first year of mobility was the most difficult for her.

I am hoping that's true.

They are fabulous boys, really.  I adore them to pieces and find so much to love about this age.  And I have not forgotten how incredibly blessed I was to deliver them full-term without any health problems, I regularly thank God for that.  But they are exhausting right now.  They find so much more trouble to get into than Bean ever did at this age, and they want to be involved in everything we do.  The only thing harder, I imagine, would be having three of them.

Add in holiday stress... getting the tree up (when? how?)... buying presents (when? how?)... mailing cards (when? how?)... well, despite the fact that I absolutely love Christmas, and I'm one of the few people who doesn't mind seeing the displays go up at Target in October, I'm feeling rather grumpy about the whole deal this year.

But enough of my complaining.  You can see why I haven't posted in a while, and you're welcome!  Let's move on to something more fun that discussing the chaos that is my life at the moment.  Catching up on pictures of everything from a visit to the Museum of Flight, a soggy trip to the pumpkin patch (when my camera battery died after 5 minutes), playing at preschool, Thanksgiving, and general tomfoolery.  Enjoy!

































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9 comments:

Kristina P. said...

At least you have those cute faces to make you feel better! So sorry about all the stress.

Aisha said...

Oh mannnnnn.... poor Nix [and poor YOU] I cannot imagine how you do it all. here with you in a show of virtual support-- thank God for family close by?

Lisa said...

oh no!!! the leg! We were JUST having a conversation this weekend about how we have managed to avoid any ER trips or broken bones yet with 2 very active and crazy little boys! Hope the little guy (and momma) manages to survive the next few weeks.

ok...christmas. Online shopping? I have done about 80% of the boys online (free shipping and all kinds of different discounts) and if you wanted to pay for it...several cards companies will address and send the cards for you! ;-)

And if all else fails, remember they are little and won't remember all the "stuff" anyway. If yours are like mine, some new matchbox cars, playdough and a christmas tree with lights....along with mom, dad, and grandparents around would be enough to make the season special!

Hang in there momma and try to enjoy the magic (when your dont feel like pregnancy sleeping!) :)

Stef said...

Oh my gosh, someday {when you have free time} you'll write a book and I'll be thrilled :)

So sorry to hear about Nix's break! :( How sad for him and you. Kara fractured a bone in her ankle back when she was almost 2 and it was a trying 2 weeks (did they tell you it may not take the full 4-6 to heal? Toddlers heal very quickly, thankfully).
I remember the hard nights of no sleep, so I'll say a prayer for you when I'm up going pee for the umpteen millionth time :)

Three has been harder on us than two with all three kids. I don't know why on earth they call it the "terrible twos". Makes no sense to me.

Hang in there! Maybe in January, when the dust settles, we can get together :)

St Elsewhere said...

Ouch Nix Ouch! I hope he will recover well.

I am sure your hands are full....and actually more than full. The crying and screaming....the joys of toddlerhood and two children learning to explore more and more...and the pregnancy hormones....oh, that must be a heady cocktail!

You are doing well. Glad the nausea has subsided a bit. Please take care!

Erin said...

Oh my gosh Nix and Gax look all grown up!! I feel for you. I thought I would lose my mind when I was pregnant with Riley and I only had 2 kids one of which was a teenager and totally independent. Can your parents take the kids for a weekend so you can get the decorations up? Take it easy!!!

Oh and poor little guy and his broken leg!! Viktor took a tumble down the stairs this morning and I was so afraid...nothing broken thank God.

Jen said...

Oh no! For all their falls, I'm amazed that we've had no broken bones at my house. Your poor little man. I can only imagine how difficult it is to keep him distracted right now.

I hear you on the three's. Jillian has an opinion on everything these days. Everything. It's going to get easier. That's what I keep telling myself at least.

Alisa said...

I wish I could offer hope that those 3 year old tantrums pass quickly, but since we passed 4 3 months ago I haven't seen any dramatic improvement! That was one heck of a hard year (as I was pregnant as well) and I am waiting for it to get easier.....Yup, just waiting....or getting ready to call Supernanny....
Good luck!

Ludicrous Mama said...

I call it "throw 'em out the window threes." Fits how I feel about it a little better, anyway! Does yours hit those 'half-years' a little early too? Mine usually last 7-8 months, instead of the 6 that Teacher Jane warned us about. Mine just hit 3.5 this week, but she's been a nightmare since Halloween. And I'm at the stage in my pregnancy where I just want to check out. So my poor husband has to take care of ME, PLUS deal with her whenever he's home.
And now soon we'll have a new one on top of it all. And their half-years will both be 6 months apart. So, like yours, very little time between monster phases!
Good luck!