Motherhood and Anarchy

This week I hit the depths of motherhood. But then found the highs in the most unlikely places.

Matthew has been working in Croatia for the past ten days. For someone who likes his sleep, he certainly picked the right week to be away.

Firstly Ben (22 months) had croup; nights of wheezing and coughing until he was sick, boiling the kettle to steam his room, wishing I could breath for him.

Then the clocks changed: fall back. Don’t tell me this means an extra hour in bed. Tom (four years) has a digital clock and is trained not to call for us until it says “7”. On Saturday night I put his clock back. On Sunday morning, at 6am exactly, a voice called out “Mummy, my clock is wrong, it’s time to get up.” He spent the rest of the day throwing up.

On Matthew’s ninth night away, Ben was sick again, more coughing and sick and changing sheets. Tom was yelling by 6.20am. I felt woozy. I’m fifteen weeks pregnant but caring for myself, and therefore Baby Three, was always last on the list. My bump hurt and I felt scared I was jeopardising its health. How was I going to get through the day?

Somehow we all got dressed and started to drive to nursery. The Sugababes “About You Now” came on the radio and two little voices sang out from the back. Yes, two. Tom singing the correct nuances of tune and lyrics and Ben grinning and picking up the ends of phrases “around…know..feel…bout you now.”

I laughed, we all laughed and sang until the song faded and I didn’t feel tired any more.