6 Week Stretch

Here I go again...using the birth vs adoption analogy.

I've experienced this myself, and heard it about others regarding breastfeeding.

I remember before I had kids. I was NOT going to breastfeed. For reasons that only took vanity into consideration. Let's just say I didn't have much and I didn't want to lose it! (smile)

But I had my first close friend that had a baby. And she breastfed. And I learned all about it and why it was a good thing. She nursed for 6 weeks. Then she hit quite a really rough spot and switched to the bottle. I thought...Six weeks, if I can make it six weeks that would be great. I'll strive for six weeks.

What I found out later...and what is true for many people...is that it's quite common to hit a rough spot at 6-7 weeks. Typically babies go through a growth spurt and your milk has to catch up. You feel like you don't have enough milk. You had previously felt that you finally got this nursing thing figured out. That breastfeeding was working for both you and the baby, and then WHAM! What happened?!? Now it's hard again?!? Really hard?!? I must be doing something wrong...or maybe I just don't produce enough milk?!? Maybe it's time to switch to the bottle.

Here comes the adoption analogy.

I don't know if there's a six week stretch...but I'm feeling that way.

Don't worry...no plans to stop loving. =)

I feel like...well...like I'm failing in some areas. Now, don't flood me with comments saying I'm not...really I know I'm not failing. But I FEEL like it.

It probably started last weekend. Why? We had the joy of having head lice at our house. Ugh ugh ugh! I know, it's almost like a stepping stone in the parenting journey. Most everybody gets it sometime in their life. It doesn't mean your not clean...it just happens.

But can you say YUCK YUCK YUCK?!? I mean this is worse than collecting poop samples!

It's easier to deal with the washing of the hair with the special shampoo and using those little combs then washing EVERYTHING!!

But we're through it and I feel like we got the little buggers.

But since that, I feel behind. Like I can't catch up. Not just with laundry, with everything. Like I'm not doing it right.

This morning Sierra had no short sleeve shirts and had to borrow one of Shianne's (at least she had underwear). Now, I'm generally behind on laundry, even before we had 7 kids, so this happens every once in a while. But this past week it's happening all the time. I was already behind on laundry before I had to wash all the bedding, rugs, coats, blankets, pillows, stuffed animals...etc.

And, Sierra couldn't find her homework. It may or may not have been her fault. See..the house looked like a tornado came through this morning. Maybe it was here. Maybe I threw it away with a pile of papers that wasn't needed anymore. Or maybe Sierra lost it. Lost homework has happened before...just I've been sidetracked and it's happened a lot lately that papers get lost or homework doesn't get finished. Only today was the last full day of school. And that meant she'd have to spend one of her last recesses inside doing it over. (Side note, after school she was in a good mood and said it didn't take her very long.)

Homeschooling. Not happening at the moment. Ok, being too hard on myself here. But not happening as I thought it would. Too many other life skills to learn. For example, today. Gabe and Svanna did get some computer time with the English software I bought (they love it, it's games and such). But otherwise...nada. Yesterday...not much either. Yesterday was just too blame crazy. Today--the kids were playing good together. I mean...together. Either Tye and Svanna or Tye and Gabe were playing pretend together. That's new. That's a life skill that I couldn't interrupt. Imagination games. Important, right? But yet I feel guilty that I should have snuck it in. Instead of sneaking in that little nap after Gabe's tantrum and holding session. I'll never truly be able to homeschool unless I have consistency. That brings up another area.

Routine. Kids, especially newly adopted kids, thrive on routine. Routine has always been hard for me. I know it's important and I want it. Kinda like I know I should eat 5 fruits and veggies a day. But I don't. Why don't I just buckle down? Am I missing an incredible opportunity here? I start a routine...then I drift off. It's hard for me.

Ok. There you have it. My analog of the six week stretch. Breastfeeding vs. adoption.

The good news? I breastfeed all three of my bio kids for 11-13 months. I made it through the 6 week stretch! I'll make it through this one, too.