Mommyhood

It's mornings like this that make me wonder how I am going to survive being a mommy of three. Today is a Wednesday, and Wednesdays now mean that I have to have myself and all three kids dressed, fed and in Athens by 9:00am for the boys' new science class at the Botanical Gardens. Believe it or not, I have been on time for the first two classes, even in the freezing temps. This morning, I took the boys to class, ran to Chick-fil-A to grab breakfast, and realized that I had to actually go in so that I could also feed Ivey. After breakfast, we had 45 minutes to fly through Publix and do our grocery shopping before going back to pick up Asa and Addison. Let's recap so far... Put Ivey in the car at the house, took Ivey out of the car at science class, put her back in to head to Chick-Fil-A, out again to go eat, back in to head to Publix, out when we got to Publix, back in after shopping, out when we got to science class and then finally, back in to head back home. This is with 27 degree temperature, wind, a very pregnant belly and an already very pulled ab muscle that I'm supposed to be "resting" instead of re-injuring.

I picked up the boys and ran for a quick jaunt through Wal-Mart. Then, of course, it was lunch time. Although I desperately wanted to hit a drive through, I gave in and let the kids get burritos at Barbaritos, their favorite restaurant. Since I wasn't' hungry I figured I should take advantage of being able to buy less food- now that the boys eat adult sized burritos, I just can't afford for us all to eat lunch there. We decided to just pick up lunch and take it home, since it was getting close to Ivey's bedtime. (Let me just mention that the Wal-Mart and Barbaritos stops added 4 ins and outs to the Ivey-carseat-count.) Because of the many errands already today, Ivey had had enough of the stroller. The only way through the line would be to carry her, perched upon my belly. (I was hoping that their restaurant highchairs would be the kind with wheels... then I could just plop her in and roll her through the line... but alas, it was not to be.)

While simultaneously telling one employee to put ground beef and black beans on Addison's burrito and another employee the intricate directions required to properly create Asa's burrito (lettuce, cheese, cucumber, green pepper, black olives, tomatoes... no, not the salsa, the plain tomatoes), Ivey performed the perfect combination of a bad cough, a little hand stuffed down her throat and a lunge forward which pushing her tummy against mommy's arm.

This combo caused her to make a cough-like noise and she turned to bury her head in my chest. No, it was not a cough. She had gagged herself, causing the expulsion of 8oz of milk and a full helping of oatmeal with applesauce right down the front of my V-neck sweater. Luckily, my pregnant state had created a) enough cleavage to truly channel the aforementioned concoction straight down my torso and b) the need for low-rise maternity pants that created a pooling effect.

I was stunned and frozen, mid-order. All I could do was tell the two employees that I would shortly return as I scuttled with my mini-entourage to the bathroom. I was frazzled and lost. What to do? Asa and Addison were wide eyed as I racked my brain for a solution. Luckily, Addison looked away before he also vomited... he and his weak stomach cannot handle such displays of bodily fluid. (Last week, Addison informed me that whenever he sees Ivey eat, he always thinks that either he is going to throw up or that she is, but I digress...) Armed only with a travel pack of wipes and corporate quality paper towels, I realized that the only real option was to completely button up my coat to conceal the disaster, continue ordering, and make the 25 minute drive home completely soaked in the semi-digested breakfast. This plan, although completely vile, worked fine. I rode home feeling like I had been to Six Flags and ridden Splash Water Falls dressed in winter attire... all of it clinging tightly to my skin.

Anyone with kids knows that days like this happen... and it's surviving days like this that make us even more Superwomen than we already are.