Today was rough. Sofie hasn’t napped in three days. I know some people might think that maybe she doesn’t need to nap. She is three after all. Many three year old’s have given up there naps. As her mother, I truly do not believe this is the case. If we can’t figure this out, it may turn out to be the case, but in my gut I feel like she still needs naps. When she misses her naps she is tired, grumpy, hits and pulls hair more, has more melt downs and bigger food issues. She needs a nap. Quiet time isn’t cutting it.

I had a melt down today too. Up until these last two days, I’d been doing really well. I think I have still been on the adrenaline of bringing Sofie home. I remember that same adrenaline when I had Livi. I felt like I could do anything. I had Livi on Thursday and I think it was Tuesday that we went out for the day, my house was clean and I wanted to show off my baby! The feeling hasn’t been quite so drastic this second time around but it has lasted longer. I’m at week three today of having Sofie home and only now having my first melt down. I think with Livi it was within the first week.

There is such a thing as post-adoption depression, like postpartum depression. I don’t think I am there. I think I am just entering the ‘blues’ stage. Like baby blues. I remember crying almost every day for a few months with Livi. I don’t feel like that is going to happen with Sofie. I had a lot of other stuff going on when Livi was born. I am just adjusting, just like everyone else in my family.

Jon was trying to be sweet and supportive but he had had it with the kids today too. I think I handle it better when only one of us is at the end of our rope, but today we both were. He suggested I go out with a friend or my sisters tomorrow but I honestly don’t have enough energy to go out. I wouldn’t be relaxed. I would just be thinking of all the things at home that I should be doing or cleaning. I know he was trying to help. This is my issue right now. I feel like once I get the house clean again and things more organized then I can handle it all, but the reality is setting in that my house will never be clean! I’m living in a basement suite with a sub-standard kitchen and unless we want to invest some serious money, things will never be as organized as I want them. There will always be splatters of who-knows-what on various perplexing spots around the house and I will continually step on things that are lying in the floor. I know I’m exaggerating things but this is my reality right now. I’m trying to tell myself that this will pass but tonight it doesn’t feel like it!

I don’t like feeling this way though. I yelled at both my kids today… surprisingly it didn’t seem to phase either of them. Livi had been defiant as usual and Sofie was trying to throw poo at me for the second time today. It was not my finest hour. I don’t know exactly what needs to change in my thinking to handle this better. Sleep will help. What if Sofie never naps? I’ll be alone in December and need to figure it out for myself. Losing control and yelling  in frustration or anger scares me. I can’t let myself go down that road. I know where that road leads and I will die before letting my kids experience any part of that. It is in me though. I think that is why it scares me so much. I will be better tomorrow. I know I will. I just need sleep.