Balancing family, work … and plumbers !?!

Does anyone else find it disconcerting that the older one gets the faster time seems to fly by? Today I looked at my newborn and realized that he isn't a newborn anymore. His face has lost that scrunched up look, his cheeks have filled out, and he's about 4 cm longer already. With my first child this newborn stage seemed to last forever. It was a hazy, slow moving, magic time when I interacted only with my husband and the new little life we had made together. This time it seems more a fast moving blur than a slow moving one. To counteract it, every day I make a concerted effort to slow time down. I gaze at my baby and try to memorize the way he looks and feels and smells.

Part of the racing time phenomenon is probably due to my growing older. Part of it is likely because we have a fast moving older child to care for as well. Part of it is that I am trying to keep up with work more this time around. This is mostly by choice. I like to be “in the loop”, so I keep up with emails, and things keep popping up. But I battle with myself a bit every time I take something on (even little things) when I know I should be sleeping.

Finally, this time around, rather than being left alone, we have had some unforeseen annoyances (not crises, nothing huge, but annoyances). In addition to having a baby and a pre-schooler, we've had contractors fixing the plumbing in our unit. Obviously we did not plan this. The contractors are working on the whole building and could not change their schedule for the birth of our baby. Because of this we have had to evacuate our home due to noise, dust and fumes (including a few days when the baby was < 2 weeks old). To minimize the disturbance to our lives, on days without extreme conditions, we try to stay home. But yesterday was an example of how ridiculous things can become, even on the “easy” days. The baby had a rough night and I was up with him every hour. Then, bright and early, the contractors showed up. Our older child was home and full of energy, so things were chaotic. Then the contractors set off the fire alarms. With the bells ringing and three plumbers already running around, the superintendent arrived, and then the fire fighters, in full gear, came tromping in! So much for a peaceful mat leave!