If you want to see what an amazing super mom is like in real life, then I invite you to come to Salt Lake City, UT and visit. I will be more than happy to show you the “Super Mom”. I happen to know where one lives here...because we share the same bed…with two little babies. Yes, Jenny is about as amazing as they come. Let’s say that BEFORE the babies came Jenny was not one to want to clean and organize and plan, however, AFTER the babies came she is like a wind-up toy with a seemingly endless amount of energy, cleaning in her spare time (which there are no true “spare” moments), planning things to do with the babies and other moms, and organizing how she can streamline the babies’ days, etc. The list goes on and on. She is absolutely amazing.
If I remember correctly from my horrible days in English class there is a type of paper called “Compare and Contrast” in which the author chooses a topic and compares and contrasts the topic to something else. Well, let me compare and contrast Jenny to me as it pertains to parenting. I’ll start by saying that Sam & Amelia are the most adorable, precious, and funny babies I’ve been around. They’re irreplaceable and saying that I love them dearly is an enormous understatement. But let me tell you that I am nothing, a mere whiff of energy, compared Jenny with those babies. I cannot think about “doing” anything with them other than keeping them from crying, while Jenny on the other hand creates all kinds of little environments for them to develop and grow, which I can proudly and gladly tell you that they are, even ahead of schedule thanks to Jenny. My energy is drained thinking about trying to think about creating a stimulating environment. I’m usually trying to get them to sleep with me, quietly and peacefully; sleep is something I can do really well. Oh, I’ll take them on walks, but that doesn’t really count as anything since all you do is plop them down in a stroller and push it and go where you want.
Then, let’s say that the babies are napping and there is a window of opportunity to get something accomplished. I can assure you that what I want to get accomplished is a few zzzz’s and what Jenny thinks of is, “Oh great! I can get some laundry done, clean the kitchen, and organize our 400,000,000 pictures we’ve accumulated.” Not me.
Then there’s the nighttime. A whole other world. Maybe that’s what it should be called, “The Other World”. As I stated earlier, the babies sleep with us, which many people find, um, to not be a good idea or scary or just downright dangerous. We can tell this by the horrified expressions on their faces when we tell them where the babies sleep, and also we figure it out when they outright tell us. I’ll let Jenny tell you all about the idea of “co-sleeping”, as it’s called, and the research that’s been done on it; pretty fascinating really. Bottom line is that it’s perfectly normal and safe as long as the parents or people sleeping in the bed with the babies aren’t stoned, drunk, smoking anything, and are not mentally handicapped or impaired for whatever reason. Anyway, back to the nighttime. I love sleeping with the babies, even though I was a bit scared of the idea at first as well. They’re so fun so snuggle with, especially as they get a little bigger. However, there is not a night without one of them grunting continually, kicking me in the back or stomach, or clawing me with their fingernails that grow at a rate of 1 inch per hour. Add to it that they still need to eat during the night and they let us know that by crying, loudly. Here’s where the Super Mom comes in. She takes them, one at a time, and nurses them, then sits up, burps them (which is no small, and certainly not a clean, task with poor Amelia), and tucks them back in bed. Meanwhile, I’m not doing that. Can’t say I’m really sleeping soundly, but I am definitely not nursing, burping, or tucking in bed. Super Mom does all that. Then she gets up with them and goes about her planning, organizing, cleaning, etc. bright and early in the morning before she really wants to get out of bed but does because her little guys are ready to be on the go. I honestly don’t know how she does it. Sam & Amelia, be glad you have your Super Mom.
I’ve done a lot of hard and challenging things throughout my life, none come close to comparing to the challenge, in every way imaginable, of parenting. Many of you know our stories of some of the infamous hikes we’ve been on where lives have nearly been lost. I have been the instigator in each of those disastrous hikes or adventures because I thought they were easy and straightforward, others did not share that same thinking and they have been terrified, bloodied, sobbing, and have had thoughts of revenge including death when and if they made it through this adventure. Well, I certainly do not have ill-thoughts towards anyone, but I can now relate to the helplessness that those poor souls must have felt while being dragged through oceans, across knife-point ridges, and on treks best left unremembered, for I stare in awe at the Super Mom and wonder in amazement at how on Earth she does it, because I’m just hanging on for dear life it seems. Still though, wouldn’t trade it for the world and I always can’t wait to get back to my 3 beautiful faces at home. joel
