Lesson 14: Everything Is A Lot More Work

One night last week, Sam took a late nap and I didn't get the lasagna in the oven until after 6.  When Jeff came home and Sam was awake, I noticed we still had a good hour before the sun went down and my kitchen timer went off, so we hurriedly bundled our boy and dashed across the alley to the park.  On a whim, I texted our neighbor (and Sam's buddy), and they joined us.  Later, we ate lasagna at 7:30 and then took a spur-of-the-moment trip through the Starbucks drive-thru for a Pumpkin Spice latte just because... It was a WONDERFUL night.

There was a time not very long ago, when a night like that would have seemed ordinary.  We would work or play until close to seven, eat a late dinner, and often go out afterwards.  That was my life B.B. (before baby).  These days, it goes a little more like this:

6:30PM - dinner

7:00PM - clean up dinner while Jeff takes Sam upstairs for bath

7:30PM - wrestle Sam into his pajamas, brush his teeth, read books, say a prayer, put to him to bed

8:00PM - fold laundry, grade papers, feed Addy (poor girl), respond to emails, lesson plan, etc., etc. and literally collapse into bed, exhausted, some time between 9:30 and 1:30 depending on the night.

Can you relate?

Lesson #14: Everything Is A Lot More Work

Sometimes I catch myself dreaming about the Saturdays when I could sit at my laptop cranking out blog posts and Facebook stalking and re-heating my coffee ALL day if I wanted.  Or the days when I could shop with only a small purse or get ready to go out by simply showering and primping myself.  Or the nights when Jeff and I would decide at 7PM to go out to eat and catch a movie with friends, then come home tired and go right to bed... and stay there until well after 8AM the next morning.  Sometimes, I admit, those feel a little like "the good ole days."

Life with a baby is BUSY.  Everything - and really, I mean everything - is more work than life before.

To be honest, this has been one of my most difficult transitions to motherhood - just the constant feeling that something needs to be done and you are the one to do it --

A trip to the grocery store requires strict planning because I only have thirty minutes before someone starts climbing out of the cart.

An afternoon at the mall requires a stroller, diaper bag, change of clothes, snack, sippy cup, toys, jacket, and a strict 3PM deadline for nap time.

Dinner out? No problem, as long as we have a lifetime supply of food, a bib, our own high chair if we are going to someone's house, a sticky mat for the table... Or, better yet, a babysitter. :)

And, don't even get me started on a quick weekend getaway or - heaven forbid - a beach vacation.

Nothing is ever simple...

This post is part of a series for 31 Days of Change hosted by The Nester. To see my other "lessons," click here.