Ever have Crappy Parent Days?

[Marisa6826]

I am certain that I have won the Crappy Parent of the Day award.

Poor Sophie has had some milk, "juice" (really water with a shot of apple juice), Cheerios and Teddy Grahams today. It's 2:40pm and we're both still in our pajamas.

I feel so nauseous that I can't look at food to give her anything more to eat. Can't get off the chair to play with her, because I'm sure I will either lose my balance, throw up or have another contraction.

We just called Daddy on speakerphone. It was the most excited she's been all day. Screaming, hollering, calling "Hi Daddy!!", laughing. Made Daddy and Sophie feel great, made Mommy feel like a sh** for letting Sophie down. :(

My poor child. She's definitely getting the short end of the stick today.

Trying to get the guts up to look at a piece of cheese to give to her...

*sigh*

-m

[ismommy]

Oh Marisa - I am ashamed to admit how many days Bella has eaten horribly for the same reason. Or how many days I have tried to convince her that we want to play babies and bella and mama nap. Never works but I get to lie down for a few minutes. Sophie has a great mom who is taking care of two children now and when Sophie has her beautiful little sister she wont remeber the days of juice,milk and cheerios. Then again if she's like Bella she prefers that as her diet:)
Helene
mommy to Isabella
baby x EDD 1/11/05

[COElizabeth]

I hear you. I had lots of days when I struggled to think of something to feed James that I could bear to look at. What you described would be a pretty good morning and early afternoon for James, eating-wise, though! As for the pajamas, don't give them a second thought. Soon enough, if she is like my niece, she will be changing her own outfits several times a day for fun, and that will more than make up for spending a day or two in pjs!

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02
EDD #2, 10-30-04

[McQ]

What are you talking about. I think being in your PJs all day sounds like a great day :)

Hang in there. It will get easier!

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[rrosen]

Marisa,
HUGS, don't be so hard on yourself Mama. Just tell Sophie it is a slumber party. Pop in a movie and lie down.
I have not had days like this yet as a parent but, I had some as a teacher. (Not that I stayed in my PJ') I was teaching in a self-contained classroom so, I often had to prepare my student's meals. The sight of food made me sick so this was a challenge. So, what I would do is hold a piece of lemon under my nose while I prepared the food. It looked nuts but, it kept me from getting sick.

Crazy I know but, desperate times call for desperate measures!

Feel better.

[Sarah1]

Oh, it's good for Sophie...these first kids are so spoiled with all of our attention anyhow :P

[candybomiller]

Honey, Matt and I have days like this all the time, and I'm definitely not pregnant! :) You're doing great.

[pritchettzoo]

Those are all nutritious foods--you're not feeding her beer and peanuts leftover from your rave last night (do they serve beer and peanuts at raves?). She will never remember what you fed her on July 12, 2004. I wish I were closer--I'd come by and throw her a chicken nugget or two... ;)

I hope you get to feeling better.

Anna

[Marisa6826]

Actually, she had McNuggets last night for dinner ;).

I'm going to rot in Parent Nutrition Hell.

-m

[cinrein]

Oh Marisa! I hardly think you're a crappy parent. A crappy parent wouldn't even think twice about what their kid ate!

Please give yourself a break. You can't be cooking nice meals and playing with Sophie every day, it just doesn't happen that way. I bet Sophie is happy she's with you today, even if she's not jumping up and down about it.

Often when DH or I inadvertendly do something kind of horrible to Anna, we look at each other and say, "Thank God she won't remember this." :)

Cindy and Anna February 2003

[deborah_r]

Oh, you poor thing! I hope you're feeling better soon. I can't imagine trying to take care of a toddler and being pregnant, but I know it may be in my future sometime, and I dread it! I can barely move today because AF arrived this morning! So my son has had Yo-Baby, toast and some take-out Thai food. Not much better! And I probably just made you sick with that food list, sorry!

Hang in there, you are doing great! Maybe try reading to her or singing some songs - at least that doesn't require much movement!

[jbowman]

Take it easy, Marisa! We all have those days!

I hope that you feel better!

[jd11365]

ROTFLMAO...Parent Nutrition Hell...ha!

Your post shows she's had items from the dairy, fruit, and grains groups...and McNuggets if she has 'em again are meat. So as I see it you're workin' on a great food pyramid here! :) Some fries and ketchup in her Happy Meal and she will have a starch and a veggie! (Ok, that might be stretching it, but hey, who cares?)

Really Marisa, give yourself a break... As I recall, you are...um PREGNANT...on BEDREST...with a TODDLER! Really girl...Sophie doesn't even know where her nose is (our favorite saying in our house)...let alone the difference between a McDonalds McNugget and a steamed piece of chicken from Whole Foods... I'm sure she much prefers the McNugget...and they are all white meat now anyway.

I know for sure you are a FANTASTIC mother and tomorrow is another day. Now order some pizza delivery...dairy, grain, veggie...and get some rest!

{{{HUGS}}}

Jamie
Mommy to Kayla
May '03

[daisymommy]

Oh Marisa, I wish I was there to help! I'd let you go take a nice long nap! Just this weekend I was sick with a stomach bug and thought for sure I was preggo. I even took a test (negative)--but that's how sick I felt. And I wondered how on earth amazing Mamas like YOU are doing it! How will I cope when my time comes to be in your shoes? I have NO IDEA! Give yourself a round of applause that you are creating a new life and caring for a precious toddler, all at once :)

Remember, most of the time we parents are trying sooo hard to get our kids to eat healthy foods, and what do they want? juice, graham crackers, maybe cheese...;)

The only suggestions that popped into my head are:
*Get DH to rent several toddler videos for you that Sophie can watch during the day while you rest. It won't lower her IQ or permanently scar her for life to watch some TV while mommy takes a break.

*Have DH assemble some very easy things for Sophie to eat, and keep them handy. Then you can just pull them out for meals, and you hopefully won't have to smell too much ;)
-Mini muffins from the grocery bakery or Hostess minibags have about 5-6 in them.
-Cereal bites (like cereal bars but bite size; Entemans are great).
-Cut up sandwiches in a baggy.
-Cut up fruit, cheese
-Maybe assemble several sipy cups with milk and juice waiting to go in the fridge?

In other words, have DH get everything all ready for you the evening before hand so all you have to do is pull it out for her, but no prep work involved. Good Luck, and I hope so much that you feel better soon!

[Laurelsmom2002]

Do you live in my house?? Seriously, thats all dd ate yesterday too, even though other choices were offered, but were answered w/ no. Don't beat yourself up, even if you made it at this age its not a given that they would eat it.
I got to second the lemon, I would put one drop on my tongue and the nausea would be gone long enough to get something done. Ginger tea helped too
Good luck

[starrynight]

Hang in there M, I had horrendus m/s with Daria and it was a some kind of miracle if ds got 3 meals a day because I couldn't look at food, cook it or smell it without getting dizzy and puking. Sophie did eat something, sure it wasn't broccoli but she did get something in her tummy. We all have crappy days, and a lot of the time at my house we all hang in jammies (hey whatever cuts down on my mountains of laundry is good for me!). I'm glad Sophie had fun calling her daddy, my kids fight for the phone if dh calls home from work. I think they feel special that he called :D.

And I have had days that I have been so tired that all the kids ate were cheerios or peanut butter sandwiches. They survived ;).

[Marisa6826]

Thanks Guys

You are all awesome. I was able to get it together and give her some cheese yesterday afternoon. However, she had frenchtoast sticks for dinner (much to the horror of her Father). It was a high carb day for Sophie ;).

Today is only marginally better...my Mother threatened to come up and I was able to fight her off with a stick over the phone.

I guess I do have some strength left ;) :P

-m

[trumansmom]

Yikes! We remember your Mother stories! Lie to that lady! Tell her things are great! DO NOT LET HER COME UP!!!

When I was pregnant with DD my biggest problem was I couldn't stay awake. I can't believe I'm actually telling anyone this, but one day I woke up on the couch. I knew I had been asleep for about 20 minutes because the Baby Einstein tape was finishing, and I couldn't find Truman. I assumed he went upstairs, so I yelled up there, and finally lugged my gigantic sick body upstairs. No Truman. I then freaked out and ran downstairs, ran down into the basement, and still no Truman. Finally, I went into the garage and saw that the door to the back yard was open. DS was IN THE SNOW in his pajamas and perfectly happy.

The next day we installed a deadbolt lock up really high on the door, and I started getting a teenager to come over and help.

So, at least you're not endangering her life, and at least it's summer!

Take care of yourself. I know pregnancy seems eternal, but just keep remembering the awesome payoff. Sophie is going to be an amazing big sister, malnourished or not! :)

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and Eleanor 4/14/04

[Marisa6826]

OK. You have me laughing now.

A couple weeks ago, we had a night were Sophie wouldn't go to bed, so I had her in the den with me. Law and Order was on and I promptly fell asleep.

Sophie figured out how to do the two stairs from the den up into the livingroom, and subsequently to the kitchen where Jonathan was on the computer.

He said that she scared the hell out of him when he suddenly heard, "Hi Daddy!". Apparently, he didn't hear her coming ;).

Bad Mommy!!!

-m