Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Daily Stresses of Motherhood

Have you ever been so stressed that you can barely take it anymore? We got back from vacation, a fun but exhausting one at that, and we are currently trying to get back into a normal daily routine at home. I am so behind right now, and Scamp has been exceptionally needy and fussy these past few days. I am literally exhausted emotionally and physically. The house is a wreck, and I can't seem to get anything done. Clothes are strewn all over the house, and the aroma of cat pee, yes that's what I said, is permeating from several rooms.

Not only has Scamp been irritable, Scratchy, our cat, has been having a major breakdown and is urinating everywhere he's not supposed to. We came back from vacation with poo littered all over one of our shag carpets. I am this close to giving him away even though it would break my heart. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow (if he doesn't escape like he did before). I don't know what I'm going to do if the vet can't give me any sound advice to stop his bad behavior.

My brain is wracked with negativity because I am so frustrated with all of these issues. This morning, I thought today would be a new day, and I would at least pick up the mess surrounding our downstairs rooms. But, once I started clean-up, I kept running into more and more obstacles, ie. cat pee and new Scamp messes. I would clean one area just to find more newly strewn toys to pick up.

She's in her bed right now calling, "Maaama, Maaama." It's her nap time, and I haven't even eaten lunch yet. I think I will be about one-fourth less cranky once I have a good meal in my belly. And she's sound asleep:)

Hopefully, with some rest, and a few minor areas clean I will be able to de-stress. Then, it's off to Mommy and Me swim lessons. It's fun but with it being a 40-minute drive, I hope we survive the trip down and back. And I hope I come out of this day feeling like I'm still a good Mommy.

7 comments:

Karen Hossink said...

YES!!!
O, my friend, I feel your pain!
Though I don't have a cat and cannot totally relate to what you're dealing with in that regard. Honestly, that mess would probably push me over the edge.
When you have a minute, come over to www.IrritableMother.com and sign up for the Irritable Mother's Survival Kit on the homepage. I think you'll like the tools in it.
Love,
Karen
P.S. Even if the house smells of cat pee, and you're pulling at your hair every time Scamp yells "Maaaama!," and even if you don't feel like a good Mommy, please know that you are.

Anonymous said...

I'm like that on a daily basis and I don't even have kids yet!

Anonymous said...

Awww....I know EXACTLY what you are feeling. I am in that place TOO MANY times. Hang in there.

As for the cat....they are hard to deal with. I am a cat lover and take it from me, once they start with the pee and poo everywhere....it's hard to correct. Sorry! :-)

And you are a great mommy! Just take a minute and go to a "happy place" in your head. :)

Laurel said...

totally hear you - we just got back from vacation recently too and are dealing with the meltdown that comes from that. but we don't have an irritable cat, so i can't REALLY say i know what you're going through.

::hug::

Sonya said...

I agree with Judi on correcting the cat. However, I hope you have better success than we've had in the past. It's very irritating to have to clean up after them. Sometimes it makes me want to get rid of all the cats. It's easy for me to toss them outside though. Not sure if you can do that but if so, toss the kitty out for awhile :-o)

I've been feeling very overwhelmed lately too. Mothering is a hard job and we have very little time to "recharge" our batteries. I hope you had a good lunch, rested a bit, got some areas clean, and came out feeling on top of things. You are a good mommy. God blessed you with Scamp because he trusted you to care for her.

Anonymous said...

Yes! I know just how ya feel. A good night's rest usually does the trick for me. Or I just let everything *go* until my mood is better and then I try again.

A Captured Reflection said...

Oh yes I know this one. Get's so tiring. I need to feel I have achieved something and Miss 4 loves to leave a trail behind her wherever she goes. Thankfully Master 6 is tidy, but very loud at times. Love them heaps, but yes it can be very frustrating.