Lost Marbles

I lost my marbles yesterday.

ZeYo was 9 days old.

He lost his bellybutton stump.

It was an amazing and wonderful week. But also an extremely challenging one. BioMom was just able to really help around after the C-section and although he is letting us sleep more than other newborns let their parents sleep, we were still exhausted.

This was all in addition to the first full weekend with the FYO home with us.

I have a new respect for families with more than one pre-school aged child at home. This weekend was the peak in the FYO's reaction to the new baby. And I was handling it okay. Really, I was. Until today.

Let me give you the leadup.

Friday was the first FFFN (Friday Family Fun Night) with ZeYo at home. The FYO was really excited about it. We were going to have dinner and then pop some popcorn and watch the Grinch. Our neighborhood is continuing to bring us over dinners every third night or so to help out and to meet the baby. This particular delivery was from our local pediatrician who is also currently trying to have a baby. She was the first "Wiseman" (the name I'll call for these lovely gift-bearers for us and the baby) to bring ZeYo a gift (a little onesy) and not FYO.

It was a fairly simple transaction; she brought over the food and a little gift and was oohing and ahhing at the baby when I was suddenly tugged to the back of the house by the FYO. In a back bedroom she gave me the following phonetically spelled (with your typical five-year-old backwards s's) treatise:

Yoru paing more atanchin to [ZeYo] then me now that is true!

I knelt down and talked to her about it and we proceeded with our night. Later, I brought up the note.

You know, I really want to spend some time talking about your note.

Why?

Well, I want you to feel comfortable.

I do!

That was just the beginning. In each incidence, I was unsure as to whether she was just pushing my buttons, playing the "atanchin" card, or if she was really upset.

Yesterday, we got a card from a relative that the FYO was reading aloud to us. It began "Congratulations [BioMom] and [Blogauthor!]". The FYO stopped reading immediately, turning to me in a very stern voice:

What have YOU done? Mom carried him and I'm the big sister!!! What are YOU doing?

Having done 99% of what it takes to take care for a household that includes one post-op adult, one zero year old and a kindergartener, I about rang her neck!

I'll stop there, but know that I took care of myself, went to the gym, and ZeYo let us sleep from 9:30 to 4:00!!! (a.m. that is).