A Freaking Day Early--Yay Me!

May

 

Parenting is hard. So. Very. Hard. I can't even fathom doing it as a teen, because I'm barely able to do it in my twenties. Oh fine...my thirties. I imagine the frame of reference for hardness is intensified a bazillion-fold if you are a teen mom or dad.
 
(Mom, Dad, judgy people...look away now): To be honest, it was by the grace of God I escaped my teen years childless. There was (at least one) "holy sweet sausage on a stick I think I might be pregnant" scare during my increasingly distant youth.
 
I'm relatively sure that if I had been a teen mother I would have had the support of family, and hopefully some friends. But if I didn't and was faced with a teen pregnancy and motherhood, I would have undoubtedly needed the support services provided by such organizations as The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers.
 
This month I have chosen another baby/child/parenting organization to highlight because, well...baby/child/parenting is my place right now. April was a crazy month for so many uncool reasons, and May is going to be just as hellishly hectic. So when this baby registry popped into my Facebook feed a day or so ago, I thought BLAMMO. Perfect. Making a difference from the comfort of an online baby registry. During the month of Mother's Day. Thank. You.
 
So please take a moment to read about them below (all information from their Facebook page...like 'em, you'll love 'em!) If you feel so inclined to make a tangible difference in the life of a teen parent (and child) in northern Maine this month, kindly consider clicking the link to their baby registry and sending some much needed, and very basic, supplies their way. I know they'll love you for it. Hell, I love you for it! (While the organization currently reaches out to approximately 2,000 families and children throughout the state annually, these supplies will be used by the Teen Parent School Program)
 
Here is the link to the registry! Thank you so much for your help!
 

The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers:

About

Founded in 1899, The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers features a full Hague-accredited adoption program, outpatient counseling, Teen Parent School Program, Early Care and Education Center, plus Camp Scholarship and Christmas Programs

 

Mission

"The Maine Children's Home builds and strengthens families and their children, instilling hope for the future and a better quality of life."

We are able to achieve this mission thanks to our experienced and caring staff as well as the support of our many donors and volunteers. All exemplify our belief that giving of oneself to help others is the greatest gift a person can give.

Company Overview

At the Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, we believe every child deserves the right to reach his or her full potential. Since the inception of our agency in 1899, we have made a difference in the lives of many children and families throughout the State of Maine.

The Maine Children’s Home is a very special place. Couples eager to add to their families come to us for our extensive international and domestic adoption experience. Parents entrust our early care and education facility with the nurturing of their children. Teen parents count on us to provide positive mentoring and the practical life skills they need to become good parents. Youth, families, and individuals come to the Maine Children’s Home for compassionate counseling services in a nurturing environment. 

This picture really has nothing to do with this month's organization.

Other than the mounds of April snow in Maine.

But I have discovered that if I don't include a picture in each post, Blogger picks completely random ones from prior posts, which irritates me.

 Because control. I like control.

 

Helping out in March

If you are anything like me, first of all…I’m sorry. It has taken me FOUR FIVE days just to write this post. Being me can be a challenge.

On the bright side, if you are anything like me, you are oftentimes inspired to contribute, to do good.

If you are anything like me, more often then not, you look to give a little more meaning to your life. Meaning beyond being a partner, or a parent, or an employee…or whatever. Because yes, being any one of those things, or all of those things, is amazing. But sometimes, sometimes maybe if you’re like me, you want to do, to be, just a little bit more. If you are like me, you are moved by organizations devoted to helping others, and find yourself wishing you could take part in making a difference.

Yet if you are anything like me, you are short on time. Busy with work, with kids, with Scandal, or Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Well not really Pinterest, ‘cause holy depressing. And maybe for you, like me, disposable income is excruciatingly tight. Thankfully being short on time, or even money, doesn’t mean I can’t think about how I contribute to making a difference in this community, this world. At the end of January I wrote a blog post that touched upon reaching out and helping others ( http://gonnabethissideofnormal.blogspot.com/2014/01/sleepless-week-fourfifty-two.html ) and after searching and brainstorming and second guessing and flat out letting myself be scared for trying something new with my tiny little blog, I think I’ve finally worked up the courage to try something out...

That being said, with my limited amount of free time and my limited budget, and my love for writing and sharing, I thought I’d highlight an organization each month that is dedicated to bettering this world; dedicated to helping the disadvantaged. Each month I'd like to share with you an organization that could use our help. Let me be clear, I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel here. I’m looking to jump on someone’s coattails for 30 days and do what I can to help them out!

I’ll try to choose a little something for everyone…organizations that focus on hunger, or maternal-fetal health, or homelessness, or veterans, or animals or adoption or the environment. Some will be local, and some, like this month’s, will be half way across the world. I’ll do my best to provide some quick information on each organization, as well as links to their websites, blogs, Facebook pages etc. But I ask you to do your own research as well. Share what you find with your kids. Share what you find with your friends and family. And if you are anything like me, you’ll take a few minutes, and a few dollars and help out a bit too.

March Organization: Every Mother Counts

I discovered this month’s organization via a convoluted midnight scroll through Instagram. So next time you see the baby you can thank him for bringing forth Every Mother Counts. Please take a moment to visit their website at http://www.everymothercounts.org/. Please also follow Every Mother Counts on Instagram @everymomcounts, on Twitter @everymomcounts, or on Facebook Every Mother Counts.

I have given birth four times and had one miscarriage. I, like many of you, had fantastic prenatal and postpartum care. The thought of dying as a result of pregnancy or birth related complications never entered my mind. At least not in the way that women in some countries are faced with pregnancy or childbirth related deaths: For example: a Zambian woman’s lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy & childbirth is 1 in 37, while an American woman's lifetime risk is 1 in 2,400 (source: Every Mother Counts). Undeniably staggering statistics, and one of the many reasons the work Every Mother Counts does is so vital.

Every Mother Count's Mission: Every Mother Counts is a campaign to end preventable deaths caused by pregnancy and childbirth around the world. We inform, engage, and mobilize new audiences to take action to improve the health and well-being of girls and women worldwide.

Indeed "hundreds of thousands of girls & women around the world die every year from complications in pregnancy or childbirth, creating a rippling effect that devastates children, families, and communities. 90% of these deaths are preventable—with your help." (source: Every Mother Counts)

What I’m doing, and what you can do to:

For about $30.00 per kit (+ shipping to New York), you can put together an “Every Mother Kit” through the month of March (and February, but I am, of course, a little Johnny-Come-Lately-ish) Each kit will support moms in Uganda and Zambia. Each kit provides the most basic of supplies for these moms and babies. Find the list of supplies here:  http://everymothercounts.org/blog/201402/we-need-your-help-announcing-emc-s-every-mother-kit-drive

 



 Some of the very basic supplies each kit contains.

 

My kids drive me crazy, but they love to help out! Bring on the assembly line!!

Even the baby got in on the action!



Ready to package and ship!





Baby Time

Since Labor Day I've felt as though I am living under a rock.

(Madison Boulder, Madison, New Hampshire)

Each time I start to creep out, I don't make it very far before scurrying back under. Since early September we've gone back to school, managed the holidays, and endured what seems like countless school vacations, snow days (and more snow days), half days and sick days.

Blizzard of February 2013

None of which would normally feel insurmountable. The difference is that I'm slogging through it all while pregnant with our fourth child. And yes, I’m thrilled…but I’m also exhausted.

 

Couple the exhaustion with the normal “help me through the day” things I’ve been forced to willingly given up: a full night’s sleep, several cups of coffee a day, a cold beer or glass of wine before heading to the (afternoon) bus stop, I can barely make it until the first kid's head hits the pillow. 

 Consequently, with this pregnancy, there are other things that have taken a back seat to simply getting through the day. This pregnancy has not involved day dreaming about my baby, or making lists or repeatedly washing and folding baby clothes. This pregnancy has been solely about putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward. I also no longer give a crap or feel guilty about my lack of exercise. The word cleaning isn’t in my vocabulary. Okay, the word cleaning has never been in my vocabulary. I no longer worry about how much screen time the kids get in a day. Laundry is not even on my radar screen. Recently Gills took her favorite shirt out of the dirty laundry pile and wore it for the second day in a row. I didn’t even attempt to reason with her or talk her out of it. I kinda sprayed her with perfume and sent her on her way.

Having three kids during this pregnancy has drained the life out of me, but also managed to sustain my excitement about our new addition. Their eyes grow wide when they feel him move, or listen to me tell them about how he has the hiccups. They imagine what he’s doing “in there” and love to hear the stories I tell them from when they were “in there” too. They cannot wait for the birth of their baby brother, and while I love experiencing this pregnancy alongside them, they have sensed my many weaknesses along the way.

My three year old understands with complete certainty that I cannot and will not chase after her. If she starts running, I’m all like “you’re on your own kid.” I have agreed to things like getting a lizard, just because I was too breathless to explain how if said lizard appeared in our house, I would have to bludgeon it to death with a meat tenderizer while they were at school. I’ve made promises about Disney vacations and above ground pools, just to expedite their departure from my bedside so I could resume napping. They’re listening to upbeat but inappropriate songs in the van so I don’t fall asleep at the wheel. And more than once in the past few weeks, dessert not only before dinner, but FOR dinner has become the norm.

I am counting down the days until I no longer pee, walk out of the bathroom, and have to go back in to pee again. I dream about cold, crisp adult beverages. Baby gear is beginning to be unpacked. The kids are ready and slowly I am coming to the realization that there will soon be another little person in our family. Yes, I am excited. Yes, I am in love. Yes, I am exhausted.