rivka | (no subject)

:-( I hope you didn't get sick to, and the rest of the family is starting to feel better.

For what it's worth, you're an inspiration of a "Good Mom" (and good person) to me.

*hugs*

Oh, sweetie. When the poet called April the cruellest month, he was wrong. That's February. "Cabin fever time," we used to call it when I lived in the great north. Everyone I know is suffering from it.

I don't mean to trivialize your feelings; you've got a lot on your plate. But also: February.

*hugs* Wish I could help.

Do you have a weekly Mom's Night Out scheduled? If you don't, you must do this. I have had designated Friday night out since my girls were babies, and it is critical to my sanity. Use your night out to go to a movie, a coffeeshop, a bookstore, out with a friend. My children loved it as their special time with Daddy.

I don't have an answer for you, but I hear you (and, like

chargirlgenius, find you inspiring). *hugs*

Hang in there.

I swear, cross my heart, triple-dog swear, there is life after infancy and toddlerhood. You've driven into a tunnel, and it's a tiny tunnel. There is bright light at the end.

This is a hard year, and don't let any insane person try to convince you otherwise.

*hugs* Hang in there.

(And I agree that if there's any even kind of conceivable way to arrange a regular break from everything, then that sounds like a very important thing.)

suck.

you want i should send you some ice cream? because if it would help, i would.

I'm so sorry. I do understand. Grey just got diagnosed with his first ear infection and has largely eschewed sleep, so I'm bleary in solidarity.

I'm so sorry. (Both generically and specifically, in case your listening to my oh-so-woeful woes has contributed.)

Sending hugs.

-J

*hug* Boyohboy do I sympathize!

I know exactly how you feel.

***HUGS***

AOL! AOL!

Hope it gets better soon.

I'm sorry. Hope it gets better, and I hope some of these swell friends here can help.

As an aside, Sarah still compares herself to "Baby Alex" with the same regularity. She'll be four on Wednesday, and she's older than Baby Alex. She'll be able to drive a car before Baby Alex.

Your daughter really made an impression on our daughter! Just mentioning.

I have found parenting to be one of the most emotionally exhausting things I've done in my life. And that would be true even if I didn't have paid work to do, and relationships to maintain, and all that other stuff.

And I know just how difficult it can be to follow the "give yourself a break, go out and have a mom's night out" advice that everyone tends to give. Sure, it's good advice, but there are so many factors that make it actually seem like more trouble than it's worth.

Many hugs.

I'm sorry you're feeling so burned out right now. I wish I could help.

As far as what to use a night out for, you've talked in the past about wanting to be in a book club so what about something like that once a month? The book club I was in in Edmonton was started as a way for two of my friends-with-kids to get out of the house and do something for themselves. (Now that it's just the two moms left in Edmonton, they still get together once a month for dinner and skip the whole book thing.) Maybe you have other friends-with-kids who would like the chance to have a night off or maybe a book club is already set up at your library or a nearby bookstore. It would probably require you to leave the house before Alex is fed and settled for the night, though. Is that a problem?

There are times when I just feel wiped out and about to go mad. It helps to hand the baby off to Michael, go to a bookstore/coffee shop, and just have an hour to be me. Not a mother, not a wife, not an employee--just me.

As soon as Michael is feeling better, I hope you'll be able to reschedule that date with

wcg. Maybe take up country dancing again?

At Evan's 9-month checkup, our doctor's handouts started off with, "Nine-month-olds are extremely energetic. Make sure you're getting enough rest." Those two sentences didn't seem particularly compatible at the time, but for about a month there, I fell asleep for the night when Evan did, and it did help my mood.

I have no useful advice, but I can make sympathetic murmurs, if that would help?

Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry you feel so bad.