24/7 365

I read an amazing blog post this morning from a stay at home dad. It was a great read and gave me a nice prompt for a post this morning. If you're interesting in reading it, I've posted it to my Facebook page at I am a stay at home mom. Every day is a completely different adventure, especially with an 8 month old. She's growing and changing so much these days i can't always find the perfect rhythm. I sometimes forget a solid food feeding then wonder why she's nursed three times in an hour. Our house is scattered with toys and little girl clothes. I try to make a point of picking up her toys after she goes down for her naps and at bedtime but this doesn't always happen. I noticed it this morning. Toys are still scattered across the floor and my mini muffin tins she claimed before our outing yesterday are still right where we left them. I'm pretty sure I made a mental note to put those in the sink to be washed. We were supposed to move into a new home May 1st. After some craziness from the landlord and some real thinking on the matter the move just wasn't for us. Even though it was a three bedroom house with a nice backyard the neighborhood just wasn't what we needed to be bringing a child into. It just wasn't safe and we're just not at that point where we can afford both space and a decent neighborhood. Since we were planning on moving most things are still in boxes and that is where they will be staying for awhile. Why would two people need ten plates? Or 25 glasses? We hardly have guests and even when we do those things hardly get used. So yesterday I spent most of my morning keeping Princess Peanut Butter out of the dog food, off the stairs, and away from the broom and mop bucket while sorting through and rearranging boxes. I know, put up a baby gate. But what some don't realize is it's more of a pain in the ass most times to have it up. It's in the way and if it is doing it's job, PB is crying. I can't handle crying. Especially needless crying. It's enough for me to have to listen to her cry at nap time. I get to be a stay at home mom because my husband works full time. The Texan is very "old school" in his beliefs of women are better with keeping the kids and home. Knowing this it's taken me half a pregnancy and PB to get to eight months for me not to be so hard on myself. He has never once commented on the disaster our home is at least three times a week. I on the other hand have tearfully met him at the door apologizing about the mess, my smell, and the lack of dinner. When he says that's OK I drill him with questions like "how can you say that?!" He doesn't have an answer and at the end of the day I laugh at my tears. He'll tell me randomly how amazing I am doing as a mother and a wife and after I roll my eyes I jokingly say "you're right, I've kept baby rat alive this long and there is food that can be made in the fridge. Being a stay at home anything is a work in progress. Everyday is something new and different. I'm learning if I don't roll with it I'll be run over.