Adventures with 4 kids

I just want to say … I am not cut out to have 4 kids, and I know that from first-hand experience.

Lily, Anderson, Jade, and Madelyn

My sister’s husband won a trip to Rome for being a top salesman at the company he works for.  In order to go, my sister needed to leave behind her 3 kids. Lily is a very artistic 7-year-old. Madelyn is a very dramatic 4-year-old. And, Anderson is an adorable 9-month-old. So, my sister asked if I could come up and help my Mom and Dad with the kids while she toured Rome.  Of course, I went.

We decided that my Mom and Dad would take the 2 girls during the night and I would have Jade and Anderson (who is teething and recovering from an upper respiratory infection) at night. During the day, Lily and Madelyn had school, and we would all hang out together.

The days were fine.  We had a rough time with getting Anderson to nap, and Jade had a rough time too. We didn’t have an extra crib for Jade, so we tried having her sleep in Lily’s bed (the bottom bunk to the bunk bed).  That didn’t work out well.  It took me 3 days to break down and move her to the floor. After that she slept much better.

Anderson was doing great sleeping at night, until he was awoken by the dog or by Jade.  Then, once he was awake, the pain from the teething and the difficulties breathing through the stuffy nose made it difficult for him to get back to sleep.  Plus, not being around very often, I didn’t know how my sister is with medication, so I had no idea what she wanted me to do with teething pain.  My Mom, on the other hand, started giving him small doses of Tylenol and he was much better.

Oh, and did I mention, the day before I went up to Michigan, I got food poisoning.  So, I was sick, then had 3 sleepless nights.  But, after that, things were better.

3 girls never stop talking.  There was not a moment of quiet.

So, sick, tired, overwhelmed, and spending a week with my mother, I started to feel very emotional and down on myself.  Can I really handle having another child? Am I doing a good enough job for my family?  Do I take good enough care of my family? If we had another baby, would I be able to take good enough care of the family?  Would someone lose out? Do I have what it takes to take care of a family of 4? Am I strong enough?  And, the worst question I have is, would I be able to survive, if we lost Jeremy?

Ugh! But, I’m home now, and I am back with my husband. My daughter is back in her comfort place, and all is well.