… I mow the grass with Eva (almost 1 ½) in the sling while I’m 4 months pregnant.
Stupid-sounding, I know. The neighbors think I’m nuts and tell their kids, “Her HUSBAND should be mowing.” But let me explain!
It was a Tuesday night and the grass was getting long. It was supposed to rain the next few days, and then Saturday was Joel’s First Communion, so we were going to have a lot of people over. But Aron couldn’t mow Tuesday night because he was being an angel by taking Joel to his religious education class. So I decided to strap on the baby and go for it. I did the whole backyard plus some of the front.
This is not foreign to me. When Aron used to be out of town all the time and I only had 3 kids, somebody had to mow the grass. Luckily, Callie was happy in the sling while the boys played and I mowed. To do the front yard, I waited until a friend or my mom came over to watch the boys play out front (to make sure they didn’t run into the busy traffic that runs on both sides of our house) and mowed with Callie on me. If I didn’t strap Callie onto me, she’d cry, and I hate that, so the sling was my solution.
Last summer when Aron was gone all the time, Eva was only between 6 and 9 months old, so sometimes she’d lounge in the bouncy seat while I mowed and sometimes I had to have someone watch her inside. A few times cheapskate me had to suck it up and pay Ellen’s twin boys to mow.
I guess I feel like a bad-ass because people who walk or drive by stare at me like I’m crazy, which strangely I’m getting used to. But to me, I’m just doing what is necessary for my family. Isn’t “field expedience” doing the best you can with the tools you have? Then I do that every day! Who doesn’t?
*FYI … I HATE lawn maintenance in general and think it’s a waste of money to fertilize it and water it, but it’s important to my husband so I try to play along.
Bonus post: to see what I'm up to in WriterMommy-Land, check out yesterday's post at Mother Writer.blogspot.com (or click on the link to the right) ... sorry, but I'm mouse-less today and can't get the "select" thingie to work so I can make a link.
When you are a Mom you do what ever you have to do. I have used a snow blower with a baby on my back wrapped in a plastic bag from the arms down. I have never figured out why we fertilize to make the grass grow faster so we have to mow it more.
ReplyDeleteThe Raggedy Girl
I remember someone at work that I waited on when I was eight months pregnant saying my husband was worthless because I had to work in my condition. I wanted to refuse him service, but explained it is my choice to work and enjoy it. Besides pregnancy is not a condition. I was so offended. My husband works so hard and is anything but worthless.
ReplyDeleteHi Kerrie, I say you do what you need or want to do, and the heck with the rest. The baby sounded safe enough. And, my hat of to the mom's, both Raggedy Girl and Jbechtod, for speaking up and defending their position as moms. Being a mom is such an important roll to society and to our children. And if your health allows you to do all that you can, while still serving your family, the more power to you. GO MOMS GO!
ReplyDelete