How Did We Make it Through?

I'm tired.  Last night, Kerrington cried in ways that she hasn't cried in a long time -- cries reminiscent of a newborn, cries that never seemed to fully stop but only temporarily to simmer, cries that interrupted our sleep enough that I felt more tired upon waking than upon going to bed.

She's cutting three molars.  The poor child.

Although I'm a person who never drinks coffee and generally has sworn off all caffeine, today I downed 20 fluid ounces of Wild Cherry Pepsi by nine in the morning.  I would have taken it through an IV if available.

It's made me wonder how I ever survived the newborn phase.  How did I ever survive the newborn phase three separate times?

Somehow, I did.  Somehow mothers of newborns learn how to function on erratic sleep while perpetually smelling a little like spit-up milk, writing thank you notes, and smiling for pictures.  They make it through hour by hour, and when they finally catch their breath -- perhaps months, perhaps years later -- they might look back and think, "How did I make it through that?"

This is oddly comforting.  One day -- years from now -- I likely will look back and wonder, "How did Joel and I juggle our work schedules for the eight years that we had preschoolers without ever using daycare?  How did I push my grading to the late hours of the night so I could be with the girls during the day?  How did we make it through?"

And then I'll remember, "One day at a time, with God's grace."

Which is good, and probably will be comforting, because by that point my dear sweet baby, toddler, and first-grader will have morphed into tweens and a teenager, and I may desperately be chugging Wild Cherry Pepsi while they're in the throes of all-things-awkward-and-angsty and wondering how we're all going to make it through.

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5 comments

  1. great post. very true. My girl cut 3 molars at once too, poor little angel. They don't do things by halves do they? I do think the molars are the worst, but we haven't gotten any further past that yet. I can't even think about her going to school yet!

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  2. Ps I hope little Kerrington is feeling better soon or at least the pain stops for a restful day for you all. :) (it does seem to be Ok during the day and play up at night doesn't it?)

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  3. Karlee, thank you so much for your well-wishes for Kerrington (and for us!) Last night was much easier than the night before, so we think that she's through the worst of it.

    Hope you're well!

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  4. Oh my!! My youngest son cut most of his teeth between Nov 1st and Dec 25th after his 1st birthday. I was pregnant and thought I would never survive. But so far I have, we all have. I do believe that we never fully sleep soundly again our mother ear is always listening. Saw above comment that your daughter seemed better so glad to hear it!! P.S. I never drank coffee until after the birth if my 4th child, my sister in law said when she saw me with a cup "finally I don't know how you have done it all these years without coffee" Lol!! Take care and I hope those molars are done causing your daughter grief.

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  5. Why, thank you, anonymous!

    I'm not a coffee drinker either, but I can relate to wanting to start!

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