Today, chez Bad Mother, I wrote about my realization that the sorry, messy state of our household is very likely a permanent condition. Why it took me over a year to realize this, I do not know. For some reason, I thought that the mess and ick that attends ife with a baby was temporary, that the preoccupation with shit and spit and snot and crud somehow just fades away.
I know, I know. Laugh all that you want. I was confused.
But, in all fairness, nobody set me straight. I wrote, in the early months of my blog, a gazillion posts about the mess and the ick and how I was weathering it all and nobody – NOBODY – told me that it just goes on and on and on indefinitely. Nobody pointed out that the snot would just increase in volume, or that the vomit would just get more icky. And nobody noted that the poos would get bigger and stinkier, nor that toilet-training would be a messy enterprise unto itself.
These are, I know, things that I could figure out for myself. And perhaps it was for the best that, in the midst of my first experiences with baby mess, I remained unaware that IT WOULD NEVER END.
Perhaps. I’m undecided. So I’ll leave it up to you whether or not you go visit Cinnamon Gurl and Mimi and point out to them that having a baby vomit in your mouth or hurl great rivers of spit-up down your back are just the tip of the iceberg.
the poop? better (once they’ve been toilet trained)
the snot? better (once they learn how to take care of it themselves)
the vomit? worse. worse. worse.
I think no one tells you because “bad” is all a matter of perspective. I feel like my life was absolute hell with a newborn and I just feel it has been getting better and better,
easier and easier.
Oh one person did tell me that it was never going to get better and believe me I will never forgive her. I am the kind of person who likes to be told the bad news but never, never take hope from a new mon.
Add another kid to the mix and your mess is doubled! Don’t fool yourself, Catherine, as they get bigger, so does their mess. It might change in form (hopefully the shit is contained in the toilet) but try adding some stinky, sweaty hockey equipment to your clutter or regular playdates with mulitple hungry kids…that’s just the tip of the iceburg!
I think it just might be me but I think all the shit and vomit and snot, etc. is funny…. 😉
Hehe. I was thinking of Mimi’s VERY memorable photos when I read your post today.