It Takes A Village

Four adults take turns in raising my 1 year old son. I tried to do it on my own after he was born. Breastfed him, bathed him, cleaned his crap while hubbie was at work. I didn't go crazy. My husband did, though. I bit his head off every time he came home from work. Hey, it's no joke staying at home the whole day just watching the baby and Lifestyle Network! I admire women who find genuine joy in just being housewives, who can just ogle at their babies the whole day and experience nirvana. Unfortunately, I ain't that kind of girl. Two months after giving birth, I hired maid #1 to cook, clean, wash dishes and to help me with the baby. A pair of extra hands didn't seem enough though. Two months after, I hired maid #2 to help maid #1 with her job. With my husband, that makes 4 people taking care of Phoenix 24/7. But at the end of each day, why am I still tired? Why are the four of us exhausted?

Maybe because of the Daily Grind? The Daily Grind: the 2 maids cater to his needs (aside from catering to our needs): morning walk, down and up three flights of stairs. Baby Einstein video. Breakfast. After-breakfast crap. Running around the condo unit, around the furniture, under the furniture, sometimes attempting to go through the furniture. Bath time. Nap time. Diaper change every 2 hours. Lunch. Replay of all activities after lunch. Mommy comes home from 8-hour job to find yayas exhausted. Mommy caters to his needs, primarily his need to be carried and hugged (he's almost 30 lbs, that brat!) Daddy comes home after his 10-hour job and finds mommy and yayas exhausted. Daddy caters to his needs, too, primarily his need to be in perpetual motion even at 8 p.m. When the baby falls asleep at around 9, my husband and I try to have time together, you know, just to chat, relax, have a little somethin'-somethin'-wink-wink. The operative word is TRY. Many times, we just succumb to our primal need to sleep on clean sheets.

Sometimes I am tempted to have the yayas take care of him more so I can have my "artist day" or more time with my husband. But they also need a break from the brat. My husband and I do, too but hey, he's our kid, not theirs. I'm tempted to call in for reinforcement and ask my mom to stay with us. But she's in another village, helping to raise my precocious 4-year old niece.