I have had conversations with people who have asked me how I knew our family was complete. When did I no longer have that baby lust.Allow me to tell you about the baby days of my youngest.
He was born, looked around, decided being the sixth person in a family wasn't going to be an easy ride, and started crying.
Oh, we could calm him - as long as we held him and walked. And walked. No sitting down. No rocking. Even once he fell asleep and we walked some more - we still couldn't stop walking or put him down. It was as if every surface he touched was electrified. No matter what we did or what position we got in, we could not sit down with that child.
Nor could we get him to ride in a car without screaming. You know how you read about parents who put their children in the car seat and drive them around to get them to sleep? Those parents were our deepest enemies. We would try to hide his face so he couldn't see the van but once he glimpsed it, even at a few months old, the screaming would start.
Life was not easy. Sleep was elusive. My wonderful husband and I would take turns walking him at night so the other one would get some sleep. It was during one of those nights when my husband was walking him that I heard a large thud. My darling husband had fallen asleep while walking, walked him and the baby into a wall, and then fallen back into the floor of our bedroom.
And that is when the baby lust stopped.Yes, sometimes God does have to send a rather large sign in order for me to understand. Our family was complete with four kids.
And the youngest has grown into a fine young man who sleeps beautifully and rarely gives me a minute's trouble or concern. But, if he starts, I'll just threaten to run him into a wall again. It seemed to knock some sense into all of us the first time.
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Shudder. When my daughter was just out of hospital and wife was struggling with various health issues I was home with the baby. Door rang so I went to answer it while holding my little precious. I opened the door and as I stepped back my trouser pocket inexplicably got caught on the door handle and I stumbled, fell backwards and only just stopped us both from crashing onto the hard floor.
I still shudder in memory of that, try just to forget!
Our second child was like that. She hasn't stopped being a pill since! :)
LOL - oh my goodness, falling asleep while you walk? Haha, and I thought I was tired. Bronchitis and having to sort of sit up and sleep is nothing in comparison. I actually felt a bit better reading this.
Wow, sleep deprivation, i kinda forgot about that one. Remind me again why we're working so hard to add more to the brood? Oh yeah... the Love thing. That's pretty nice too!
Hee hee hee!
(my little man crashed my computer and I'm finally just getting around to updating my feeds... I've missed your humor!)
Well, that just disproves that old theory that each child gets easier!
That was the a great sign!
Yup, I'd say that was a good sign. I love being in a family of four children.
Did you watch The Office last night? It was so funny....(New baby)
Have a wonderful day!
Oh my, my grandson was the same way for my daughter. It was painful but this same daughter was like that too. I remember every night walking her and holding her for hours. She wasn't like that in the day but once 6 PM hit, she was "on" for 5 to 6 hours. I am glad he turned into a wonderful person.
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This story cracked me up! Probably painful to you having a screaming child 24/7, but I guess it is the same lesson as putting your hand on a hot stove. Once is enough.
My youngest was the walk, dont stop or i'll scream kind of baby too. But nothing compared to what you're saying! I feel so bad!! And I had no idea you could fall asleep walking, but the imagery it creates is hilarious (sorry)!
Isn't that the truth? I'm so dense, I need those smack-in-your-face signs.
Kudos to you and your husband, for the family you raised!
And I love that gorilla picture. So sweet.
Cute!
Friday follower! Thanks for visiting my blog!
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Oh such a wonderfully funny and heartwarming story!
Both my two were cryers - ALL THE TIME. I used to envy the mom's that could go to the restaurant or the hair salon with the baby in the baby seat and the baby would just sleep or look around. Not me.
Following you back from Friday Follow ;)
baby lust - such a great term for it!
Sounds like my son. I never actually ran into a wall but missing so much sleep made me realize I was done!
Hi debbie-
It's Julie from Farber Family Adventures (and friday follow). My follow button is next to the Twitter and Subscribe Feed buttons on the top left of my page :)
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My little princess (4 now) was a perfect sleeper and still is really. She started sleeping thru the nite at about 6 weeks. A perfect baby. I am paying for it all now. LOL Every day is a big challenge with her. I just rejoice in knowing that one day....she will have kids too. :)
And I bet when child #4 got old enough to drive, he couldn't wait to be handed a set of keys so that he could drive himself around for a couple of hours. LOL!
I understand the "family not complete" feeling. I also understand the walking into the wall and smacking your head feeling. I'm usually awake when I do it, though.
I stopped at one! I think you realise when it's the right time!
CJ xx
So funny. Some signs just can't be ignored, huh. When my son was an infant I would fall asleep in the weirdest places. I almost fell asleep during a follow up US. Dark room, sorta-bed... it was wonderful :)
hilarious Debby, good post, yes kids bring out the best in us :)
Oh man. I think we've all had those slam into the wall moments. I called my pediatrician girlfriend to make sure I hadn't messed him up for life. Ah ha ha
Great post! My second child (and last) was like that. I remember many sleepless nights and 4 hour car trips listening to a screaming baby. I got pulled over one time for speeding and he let me go because he couldn't handle listening to the screaming. I always wondered what made her cry in the car...
I worry about the lack of sleep when I have a baby. BIG TIME.
Hmmm, interesting, so I had this experience with my first, and my second and I hope last, you mean that was a sign?...you are right!
As a youngest child, I can say I'm glad that my mother felt the same thing as you---the family wasn't quite complete without me (of course!!). And I like being the youngest as well so I'm glad she and my dad were finished after me:)
That's really an awesome story. Kind of scary also.
I am so thankful my kids loved their swings! Whenever I had to get something done and they wanted to be rocked they were perfectly happy in their swings!
Glad to know your youngest grew into a good sleeper as an adult. I had 3 children and they slept fine and I was grateful for it every night!
I love how so many people identify with your story. I knew I was done after 3. I had good sleepers as babies, but # 3 kept me awake a lot when she was a teenager.
Oh my! Now that is a wake up call! How scary that probably was...though amusing now! Glad you all survived!
Hugs
SueAnn
Talk about sleep-walking!!! That is too funny!
Oh my. Although close myself, I've never heard of someone actually falling asleep while walking. Much of what you describe happened with our 2nd baby girl. That's how we knew.
Sleep deprivation is not something one can prepare for when a new baby of such high demands enters the fold. So glad to see that they can turn out quite normal... and less demanding. ;)
Ahhh, what a sweet wonderful post. Well all except for your hubby hitting the wall. But alls well that ends well, it seems for you all.
xo
Yeah. I got that sign after the second child! You just know. Period.
Sorry but that was hilarious.
Walked into the wall?
Awesome.
I think I finally got over my baby lust when I had teenagers. Too bad for me I had five kids before any of them became teenagers.
Should have had them first.
Just kidding.
I love my kids and they've kept me on my toes for years.
I didn't know it was possible to fall asleep while walking but I do remember those dead tired nights. I don't miss them.
what a great threat!
How different it would have been if he was the first born.
Yep, that is why i am done!!
Hey! I'm a new follower from Friday Follow! :)
my older one was like that, but still I plodded on and had the younger one, who turned out to be angelic in comparison! Still, I think I'm done. I just don't have your guts!!
dang, you could have told me this 7 years ago...we did not drop our son and he never stopped crying!!!he would cry so hard he would pass out...until he was about 4. then i had my next baby, a girl and she never cried. she would look at me 5 hours after being fed with this little whimpery face, telling me she was hungry. never cried, until one day she fell of our bed onto the carpet, she cried just that once and i actually breathed a sigh of relief.
I could have used this advice after the first one. He was the one who cried......forever! Night time was pretty easy, but during the day it was torture and it was just me with him ALL. DAY. LONG.
The second and third? Complete angels, day and night.
Oh my... Sounds just like my second child. NEVER stopped crying!!!! But I still had that "someone is missing" feeling. Thank goodness baby #3 is so pleasant. Rotten... but pleasant.
omg - my son was born a bad sleeper and 18 years later, still is.
I walked into his room at 4:30 this morning and said - you really should at least give it a shot you know?
I get asked all the time...so when are you having another baby. I know my limits. Plus I can get baby fixes from others, right?
Oh my gosh! Was anyone hurt in the fall? You know I thought I was done, then I started thinking I wasn't. Husband had already been snipped. Snip, snap, snip, snap...I just couldn't do that to him.
What a great post and what a great answer. I hope they were ok
I knew after two I was done.
OMG; since it's years later and everyone's obviously okay, that is pretty darned funny.
My first son was a lot like that. A miracle I have 3 kids...
LOL, I can totally relate! When my oldest was literally a newborn, he fell off my chest (well, I probably moved) while we were sleeping and fell on the bedroom floor!
I should have known to stop having kids, but we had 4 more after..lol.
Your poor husband! Yes, I suppose that would stop the baby lust cold.
My first kid was the screamer. How I ever had a second was beyond me. Although she turned out to be wonderfully different. :)
Colicky kids are just OH... Exasperating....
I remember my husband saying that two was enough. Four kids later, he says, "We're overrun by kids. Let's not push it."
Memories, light the corners of my mind...not. It is so hard in the beginning, my 1st was so easy and good and I never knew it until I got tricked into having my devilish 2nd. Great post, so honest and real.
LOL I'm sorry but this made me giggle. People used to ask me how I got back into my pre-baby shape so fast after my 1st. It was b/c she would not LET me sit down. I logged hours just walking on the treadmill with a baby carrier on my back:)
Still went for muber 2. Thank goodness she was a sleeper.
Rofl. Yes, sometimes I have to walk into figurative walls myself...but I don't know that I've ever literally had to run into one to do it.
Oh sleep....how we love and need and miss you!
signed,
mothers.
Nell
I can almost feel your pain.
My son never wanted to nap. He always wanted his mama to hold him, and then my daughter turned out to be the same. As much as I thought about having a third...it just did not happen. Probably because the 2 of them with my "Master of Drama" husband and the 4 dogs are enough.
Funny story! Though clearly not so funny at the time.
Ouch. I had longed for a third, but life happens and there is no way with our current family circumstances that we could handle another one....
OMG too much. I can't even picture someone falling asleep while walking and walking into a wall.
Great post. Just stopping by to say hi.
I loved this story! And my numero 2 was the same way. I marvel that we had two more after her.
I think that was definitely the sign to stop :)
Our fourth was a complete surprise, and turned out to be the easiest babe of them all (but to put that in context, we did earlier have a couple of babies from hell, not that I could blame them, they had lots of medical problems).
I am soooooo cured of any broodiness now - I'm finding the teenage years are the best of all!
I've found a sure way to know your family is complete is to have a teenager...or two.....
Yup. That'll do it!
I knew I was done when having that second child (yup, it only took 2) threw me right over the edge. I learned at that moment, that 1 was my limit.
In all serious, I'm so glad now that I have two, but for a while it was not a lot of fun.
Oh wow... that sounds like a LOT of work. Bless you both! (I would say "Bless your heart" but I don't want you to think I'm insulting you.)
My nephew cried all the time when I was pregnant with my second baby; it really freaked me out. I was getting worried my baby may be like that. But all worked out fine.
I looked awesome after my pregnancy because of all that walking. ;) In a way, I wish they'd start back up and then maybe I could lose a few. ;)
LOL! I have never heard of falling asleep while walking, lol. I did once try to feed my baby a flashlight as opposed to a bottle - oh those tiring days of colic. But my grandson was exactly as you describe. I had never met a baby who cried in the car before him. Exhaustion does tend to make one decide that enough is enough.
As they say-- The Lord works in mysterious way.
Sounds like your family was complete at the right moment. But what I want to know is... Did the thud send a message to #4 child to sleep?
:-)
Have a great weekend.
jj
Wow Im glad to say Ive never went through that with my children. lol I think they all have some tick or another. (some worse than others) I love your blog!
Oh gosh, this is really funny! My son was a good sleeper. He still is!
I hope we don't need a sign like that to know when to quit. :-)
Whatever you say about the hardship you had with your youngest, every woman who have none, like me, would still be jealous of you. :)
My son was the same way ... he would only sleep if he was being held. Perhaps that is why my baby lust stopped at one child. (Or because I was really old when I had him.)
ModernMom, I also logged many many miles on the treadmill with DD #2, by 3 months PP I was smaller than I was in high school. BUT here is the catch, after 4 long years the fever set back in and we tried for another, got a girl, again, and she slept, soundly. And I am still packing around the weight. DD #3 will be 12 this year (hehe)
Is it still called my baby fat?
*LAUGHING* lawdy be! I remember walking into walls I was so exhausted as a young mother....
Oh my - this one hits a little close to home.
I have a 11 week old and a almost 3 year old.
And I'm pretty sure I am done with 2.
I don't have children but it was very interesting to read your post.
My sisters are twins:)
Your blog is lovely!
Hi there. I just popped by for a late visit from FF. Thanks for dropping by for a visit.
I loved this post. My daughter was identical to this. We actually took her to a pediatrician at 2 for help. My mom used to say, you can handle anything if you get sleep. Oh, the countless sleepless nights we had with my daughter.
I am a follower now, nice to meet you.
My oldest was the same way with the screaming in the car!
That was such a cute story. When you KNOW, you KNOW.
may take walking into a wall --------but you KNOW
thanks for entering the GET CLEAN giveaway!!! Good luck!!! I am your newest follower.
Bonnie
http://creatingahouseofgrace.blogspot.com
Following back from Follow Friday!
UGH!! Good thing he wasn't your first child... There wouldn't have been any more, huh??
Following you back now! I can't wait to catch up on your blog...it's great so far!
Thanks for following, now I'm following you too!
Debbie, Do you know how flattered I am every time you stop by my blog! Your blog is so amazing and I have so much to learn from a clever lady such as yourself. I too wonder when I will stop having the baby lust. I just have one crazy toddler for now. I love wonderful people like you having large families. I hope to have the patience and mothering skills to do the same. Thanks for the laugh and wisdom.
Mine's almost 18 and NOW I'm finally having baby cravings! This post made me LOL...aaaah...the memories...
Natalia :)
Ohhh I feel for ya. We had the screamer in the car, too. Plus projectile vomiting each time you leaned her back at all, which includes the carseat mind you. Yep, I totally get how that's the signal that you're done ;)
Shoot, my long comment I just wrote got erased somehow.
Anyway, I really loved this post. I often wonder if and when I'll know I'm done having babies.
That is so funny about your husband sleep walking into the wall. Sounds like you guys had it rough. That is my worst fear, having a baby that won't sleep.
Anyway, I thought I was already following you, but I guess I wasn't. I am now though :)
Oh, horror! My first was just like that. Having a second was a leap of faith...and thankfully, she was an easy baby. But, oh, how I remember!
Oh. My. Goodness. I have TEARS from the laughter, mama. TEARS. He ran into a wall, and stayed asleep? Too funny!!
Took a dramatic event, huh!
Secretia
Oh my goodness....I think that would definitely be a deciding factor.
Forgive me but I laughed until I cried. It must be delirium.
But it is true. There comes a point when the baby lust stops. I'm not there as yet...
You know, I remember falling asleep standing up and falling to the floor too. I was studying at the time. Going to work in the days and school at night.
There you have it... A good and huge sign for you.. What a complete family now.. Happy together...
Our second-and current youngest-child was a lot like that. Except the walking didn't help the screaming. But I did eventually figure out that if I pointed her North and laid her down on her left side I could maybe get 2 hours of sleep if I was lucky. People think I'm joking when I say that. I'm not. She is now 3. When people ask when we're having another one I start to laugh in a way that sounds a lot like hysteria. I think it looks like hysteria as well because they start to slowly back away. ;o)
This was awesome.
I do find I can fall asleep anywhere anytime now though just from the lack of sleep with all the teen late or wee hour stuff.
and for the record.. we knew after 4 as well. But snip or not, someone else knew better. 5 became the new finished . A sign indeed.
LOL I had a similar experience with our youngest. Who will remain our youngest. Bless his rambunctious little heart.
Yup. I think the Gods were telling you that your uterus was now permanently vacated. ;)
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