It’s been a week. One of the longest, hardest weeks EVER. One of those weeks when you want to curl up in a ball and hibernate because that feels like the only way you will recover. As I’m writing this I can hear my husband (in an irritated voice) asking E what he’s doing. I can only imagine the mess E is making while he’s supposed to be eating. I’m in the bedroom with a fussy baby so I’m of no help. Life with a toddler and a baby is more than interesting.

Baby B will be 6 weeks old this week. We had a check up last week and the kid is growing faster than the weeds in my backyard. He is chunky. I’m glad he’s healthy but carrying him around is making for some serious arm muscles and back pain.

Unfortunately he also seems to suffer from colic and has bouts of screaming for hours on end. It’s exhausting. He’s also messy. Like poopsplosions at 2am, pee down the walls, multiple blankets, face cloths and bibs through the night, messy. Everything is wet, all the time.

But I love the kid. He’s calm when he’s awake (and not getting a bum change) and loves to look out the window. How much he sees I’ll never know but things catch his gaze and he stares for the longest time. He’s adjusted to the noise in the house too. For this I’m thankful because the dog barks at invisible people that walk by and E has started exploring the higher ranges of his vocal abilities.

Screaming. Yes E has started screaming, among other things. He has not had a good week. From tantrums to blatantly looking me in the face and doing the exact opposite of what I’m asking him to do…it’s been a challenge. And on top of it, I got sick. I haven’t been sick in 2 1/2 years but somewhere I picked up a head cold. And C was back to work so I had a few days where no one could spell me off or give me a chance to lay down. Between the baby not sleeping at night and E not letting me sit during the day, by the time C got home from work I was wrecked.

I had anticipated a cranky toddler and a fussy baby, because that’s what parenting with young kids is. I had not anticipated a monster toddler, screaming baby and sick mama. I was not prepared for that, although perhaps I didn’t want to be prepared because sometimes it’s easier to be thrown into the thick of things without warning.

Thankfully it’s lavender season so I strapped my boys into their car seats, loaded myself up on Advil and took my first solo trip with the two of them to the lavender farm. It was a good outing. The farm is a good place for kids because they can run around without getting into too much trouble. E found some apples under the apple trees and carried his trophies all over the place. I got to enjoy the peaceful tranquility of lavender in bloom and baby B slept in the carrier (we sweated together in the carrier I should say). And I thanked God for his beautiful creation.

I was beyond exhausted by the time we got home but I’m glad we did it. We all needed the change of scenery. It didn’t cure the toddler, or the baby, both resumed their previous efforts to raise parental blood pressures but I know this phase won’t last forever. This adjustment is hard, for everyone. Every member in the household has to learn the new normal, the new routine and continue on with life. These few weeks are difficult, and there will be more difficult weeks to come but I pray that I can accept them with patience and endurance.

So don’t forget the families with young children. Check in on those moms and dads. They likely will say they are tired but aren’t expressing how physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted they are. They won’t tell you how taxing it is to see the older child struggle with their new role. How it breaks their heart to not be able to give the same amount of attention to them as before. How their parenting roles have changed, going from “I’m managing” to “stop the ride, I want to get off.” Every parent has these stories to tell, it’s a rite of passage but that doesn’t make it any easier.

While this little family has had a hard week, I am still grateful for them. My husband who is so helpful, my toddler who wants to be a good big brother, my baby who is outgrowing his clothing while he sleeps and of course the dog and my pony, who are not forgotten but thankfully can poop without me holding their hands, so they don’t get much attention.

The difficult days make the good days so much sweeter and the sleepless nights make 3 hour stretches feel like a full 8 hours. So I end this blog post hoping for more energy this week, a toddler who forgets the word “no” and a baby who does his own laundry. Or to be more realistic, I’ll settle for a hot cup of coffee (which also might be a stretch). But I’ll keep on trucking, because I’m the only mom they’ve got and I’m not going to let a bum week get us down. My boys are stuck with me, for the long haul and I’ll love them through good and bad weeks!