That’s how I said good night to Bunny tonight.
I was up half the night with her last night. She was crying, she was running a fever. At 6am I finally got her to sleep. At 8am I handed her off to Shmerson and got 3 hours of sleep myself.
I’m in a bit of a tailspin.
We’re drowning in boxes. But really, that’s not the issue.
The issue is that I thought moving closer to work would have a bigger impact on Shmerson than it would on me.
Holy fuck was I wrong.
I realized it a couple of days ago. Basically, for the last 3.5 years I’d been living like a hermit. And moving – it was basically my re-entry into the land of the living.
When we moved away from Tel Aviv after my first miscarriage, I started working from home. As time went on, from one loss to another, I became more and more isolated.
We lived over an hour away from most of our friends, so I didn’t see them much. I would venture out a couple of times a week to teach, or for meetings, but that was basically it.
After losing Nadav keeping to myself became the easier option. I rarely ventured out. Lord knows I had a good excuse. Shmerson started working in Tel Aviv so he would come home late every night. Apart from my mom, I rarely saw anyone.
My isolation became complete once I got pregnant with Bunny and spent 6 months cultivating a dent in the couch.
And after she was born, it wasn’t much different. I would get up, and work, and pick her up from daycare, play with her for a couple of hours, and get her to sleep.
I would still spend about 80% of my waking hours alone. I didn’t have a car, I didn’t have any semblance of a social life. It was work, Bunny, work, Shmerson.
That’s it.
And last week we moved.
And now I’m in the office every day.
Rather than sitting in my PJs answering emails, I’m in the office. Surrounded by people.
ALL THE TIME
And at home we’re drowning in boxes. And I’m not even touching on the political situation, and my devolving sense of security because if I even acknowledged that I would lose my shit.
A couple of days ago I realized I was being short with Shmerson.
I realized that I had barely had 15 minutes to myself in over a week.
It’s not like work time was “me time” when I was at home. But there’s a difference when you’re constantly surrounded by people.
To illustrate the point: I had to do laundry over the weekend because I barely had 5 work-appropriate outfits to wear. That’s how rarely I ventured out.
I was a hermit living in a leper colony, and all of the sudden, I’m getting unleashed on society again.
All of this, and Bunny. The situation here has brought a lot of anxiety to the surface and I’ve hated leaving her every day.
It’s clear she loves her new day care. but she spent most of the week pretty much ignoring me. Not making a fuss when I came to pick her up, barely acknowledging me when she played at home.
I was starting to really be hurt by it. Even though I know these things happen. I was starting to think that I was doing something wrong.
Then Bunny didn’t sleep last night, and I still haven’t gotten 15 minutes to myself (until this moment).
Shmerson spent a large chunk of today unpacking and hauling boxes. So he left me to take a nap, and I gave Bunny her bath and put her to bed.
On bad days, it takes her about 40 minutes.
Today it took her almost two hours.
An hour in, I was already beginning to lose my patience. She kept half falling asleep, and then waking up again. Sometimes screaming, sometimes laughing, wanting to play.
And my patience was wearing thinner and thinner.
An hour an 20 minutes in I couldn’t take it any more. I woke up Shmerson and told him to take over.
As he took Bunny out of my arms and took over I kissed her good night and said “Good night Baby, I’m sorry for being a crappy mom.”
30 minutes later she was asleep.
And I’m here, typing this out. Feeling endlessly guilty. I should have found the patience. It’s not like I’m with her 24/7. In practice I only really spend 3 hours a day with her. I should have found the patience.
I feel like such a shitty mom. And so overwhelmed.
And rambling, and disorganized.
And that’s about it.
Sorry – I know this was all over the place.
