I got sick yesterday and realized that I never really get a break from being a mom. There are no sick days anymore. Sure, I can call into work and claim sick, I can tell the organization I volunteer for that I’m sick, and my husband can take care of us when he gets home at the end of the work day, but the rest of the day, I still have a job to do; I still have a little babe to take care of.
Luckily the kiddo is old enough to play on her on – I don’t have to hold her and carry her around everywhere I go anymore. I was thinking back to the first few months of her life and how while she was awake, she never really left my side. If she noticed I was missing from the room, she would immediately cry until I came back and picked her up.
Now I set her down on the floor or in her exersaucer and she really couldn’t care whether I’m in the room or not. I mean, it’s safer if I am but when I have to run to the laundry room or the bathroom, she doesn’t even know I’m missing until she sees me walk back into the room and then I always get a smile. But this doesn’t necessarily mean I get too many breaks. She still needs me to get her food for her, I still have to change a diaper, and I still have the job of consoling her when she bonks her head on her toy box or she’s so tired that the fact that she rolled over brings her to tears.
I wouldn’t change being a mom for anything though. I keep thinking how in love she’s going to be with her little kids when she grows up and what a great opportunity this whole motherhood thing is for me and will be for her.
