Three of You, Under Five!

 

     This was my first day alone with the three of them. Husband went back to work. No I did not grab his ankles and drag myself across the floor as he walked out the front door. I was about to, I shall not tell a lie.

     So there we were; my four year old, three year old and ten day old infant. I put them in front of me all in a row; one in a bouncy seat, the other two criss cross applesauce. Then one crawled away. I put him back. Pacing back and forth as if in front of the littlest jury ever, fingers drumming against my chin, I proclaimed “We are going to the park!”

     Well,  maybe. One of you can’t walk, the other two will walk right into the street if given the opportunity and nobody has shoes on. I could see the park from my backyard for goodness’sake! How hard could this be? To go or NOT to go; That really was the question. You will know the answer to this when you get to the end.

     An hour and a half later we made it around the corner to Yahara Park, the park right behind my house. The park I can see from the windows while standing in my house. I kid you not. An hour and a half later. Infant was happily asleep in Bjorn (this is why folks it took me an hour and a half! It is MUCH easier to snap the back of that thing with another person in the house who is NOT eating her own toe!) and the rest of us were sun-screened up and ready to play!

     Four year old was happily sliding down the slide, three year old making endless circles in the soft gravel with his tiny little hands and baby was asleep in the SECURELY  fastened Bijorn, thank you very much. We did it; beautiful day; fresh air; outside; they will nap after their healthy lunch and the day will simply be…..

     All I saw next was red. Red dripping down my son’s chin by the gallons; red hands, red arms, red on his pants and shoes. His big blue moon eyes were as wide as footballs. The domino effect began; my daughter saw the blood and began to scream. The scream scared her brother who may have thought he was just finger painting all of a sudden, and then he began to wail once he knew it was not paint and it was for sure coming from his own face! Baby woke up and decided that if everyone else was going to be yelling he would start as well.

     I grabbed a bloody hand and his sister’s hand and we all ran back home. As if a computer chip went to work in my brain I knew blood had to be assessed immediately. I kicked my flip flop off into the wall and pushed the power button on with my big toe. Dora The Explorer had to take it from there; four year old, CHECK! Infant had to stay in Bijorn because there was no possible way I would be able to get it unfastened, probably ever, so..baby, CHECK!  I quickly surmised that the blood was coming from a small cut on my son’s chin (Did that happen in that split second I was clapping for my daughter who wanted me to watch her go down the slide for the ONE HUNDREDTH time??) so a wash cloth and band-aid seemed to do the trick. Three year old, CHECK!

     We all snuggled up on the couch after that.  Dora was happily organizing our brains with logical steps on how to solve her problems with ease and a positive, happy spirit. My hackles came down, all children were quickly asleep and my eye lids began to flutter.

     And then the cat decided she did not like the vase on the dining room table upright OR filled with flowers so that had to go.

Listen here mamas…Postpartum doulas are not just for you and your baby..They are for the whole family. Even the naughty cat.