Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Feeling... Overwhelmed

overwhelmed

This is exactly how I'm feeling this morning. Since we had our last baby shower this weekend, I decided it was time to do Emma's laundry. So I unpacked all of our gifts and laid out everything on the living room floor. This sort of heavy feeling started to pour over me and I had to take a break. So of course I got my camera out and started taking pictures of the mess.

All these thoughts were unraveling as I kept piling and piling the mini heaps of hooded towels, onesies and baby socks.

Do I really need so many damn onesies? Which of these will fit her right away? If it says 0-3 months does that mean she can wear them right away? What if she's a huge baby? Should I wash the 3-6 month outfits?... the 1 year dresses? Are these going to shrink? She'll never get to wear these cute summer 3-6 month outfits! Should I really be cutting the tags off all of these things or should I wait and perhaps give them to friends who are also pregnant? Do I have enough hats? Will she need hats, it's so hot out? There's way too much freakin pink! There's waaaay too much stuff!

The thoughts were non-stop so I just left it all down there and decided to go upstairs and write about it instead. The living room looks like a baby shower bomb just went off so I'll probably hide out up here until I get too hungry (it's a shame I don't have an emergency stash of food up here). AND to top it all off I feel like a penguin and I've turned into a big ol' sap crying and tearing about things that aren't even all that sad. Now I'm worried. Could this be a preview to postpartum depression?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Marichelle,
I'm not a mom, nor am I expecting, but I think it makes perfect sense to feel overwhelmed. You've got a ton of stuff right there! And you've probably got a bazillion things whirling through your mind in preparation for little Emma. But I think you're going to be just fine. One step at a time. First...the clothes. :) Take care of yourself and be kind to you.
April

Anonymous said...

Hi Marichelle,
I'm not a mom, nor am I expecting, but I think it makes perfect sense to feel overwhelmed. You've got a ton of stuff right there! And you've probably got a bazillion things whirling through your mind in preparation for little Emma. But I think you're going to be just fine. One step at a time. First...the clothes. :) Take care of yourself and be kind to you.
April

Michelle Engel Bencsko said...

Aw! No worries. You'll soon come to realize that you take everyday as it is. Yes, some things will never get worn, but just pass them on and you'll feel better that they are being used. The baby will outgrow things in what seems like a blink of an eye and a year from now, you'll wonder if she ever fit into them! My advice is to use the ones you love the most and don't worry about giving equal time to things you might feel obligated to wear. Cherish these small moments!

Danielle and Clint said...

First off, take a break. Sometimes you have to just walk away.

Once you are ready to tackle it again, I would seperate things in different piles. For example, things I want to keep, things I don't want/or wont use. Then, I would bag up the don't want stuff and focus on the keep pile.

I hope this helps!

Melissa de la Fuente said...

Aw...my darling friend. Don't worry about a thing hun, truly. Everything is alright and I agree with Michelle above, keep what you love and don't worry about the rest. Everything will become clear in the moment and being overwhelmed is completely normal. And NO, this is not a preview of ppd. It is just your hormones, the heat, and the fact that you are having. A. BABY. :) I will be home soon( saturday) and will come help you sort it all out. Okay? A huge hug for you my friend.
xoxo
Melis

Kate said...

You are going to do great. After all, just look at all that cute stuff your little Emma has to be adored in!

Just give yourself plenty of time to get everything done and you'll soon start to enjoy the sweet scent of Dreft and images of you holding baby Emma. One other MUST HAVE baby item that smells so good are MUSTELLA products. I highly recommend the cleansing fluid!

Ces said...

Sister..... eat some polvoron and you know what you can do to relieve that overwhelming feeling? Plug in your karaoke and sing it out sister. C'mon i've always thought you are a much better singer than i am so i know your neighbors wouldn't mind :)

Ez said...

Aww Biz...I'm glad you walked away from the pile for a while. I wish I was there to help you sort it out and hand you tissues for your tears. Every woman is different of course, but I think it's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and emotional towards the end of a pregnancy (that doesn't make if fun though). Hang in there! xox Ez

Jeffrey said...

I don't have any children but since it's Pregadelphia and everyone at work is pregnant or has kids I have heard people suggest not to cut tags off everything until the babe is here. Just wash some onesies and the hospital clothes. You're going to do great. Be easier on yourself and take it slow!

Sammi said...

Sell the lot in exchange for a mini fridge to keep upstairs when moments like this happen, LOL!

Zee said...

Take a deep breath!! Trust me, everything will be ok :) Not depression but just overwhelming Just take one step at a time. Definitely laundry the stuff you love first and the 0-3 month stuff. Worry about the dresses and other stuff later. Hillsy could help you do it :) It's normal to feel the way you are :)
Hang in there!

Clementine said...

Holy shitballs!! Is it weird for me to be jealous of Emma's wardrobe? :)

{ HUGS } for you, Marichelle

Bonbon Oiseau said...

ummm...i love that you took a break and wrote about it. you're doing really really well...i think this is, dare i say, a normal freakout. take it minute by minute and let your hormone flag fly sister.

(and i think you do need a lot of onesies--someone told me that. and a lot of those burping blankets. do you need me to come out there and help you clean up the baby shower bomb? because i will!

Kristina said...

Deep breaths! You have the nursery done, which is a MAJOR task, so revel in that. And if you need to ignore the clothes pile for a few days - you've made it so you have the time to do that.

I don't think I would the tags off of everything yet. Just the things you love. She may grow to fast to fit in the rest anyway, and you may be able to return some of it or, like you said, give it to other pregnant friends.

Good luck!

Marichelle said...

You guys are THE BEST! Thank you so much for all of your comments today, they really helped get me out of my rut! Hopefully my melodramatic episodes will soon subside.

I forced myself to go to prenatal yoga class today and I'm so glad I did! I felt a whole lot better and was able to finish washing and folding everything once I got home. I also treated myself to a huge plate of chicken parm + pasta for dinner while watching So You Think You Can Dance (go Lauren go!) I feel like myself again (thank goodness)! Thanks again for all of your comments, I definitely needed them today!!

k said...

Try not to worry so much... One look at your newborn baby Emma and all your fears will disappear :)

Yes, I think you should keep some washed 3-6mos clothes on hand. My nieces only fit into 0-3mos for a month at most. But then again, babies come in all shapes and sizes.

Also, I'd say, don't worry about having too many onesies, because you can easily go through a handful per day. Babies spit up a lot.... and leaky diapers are bound to happen along the way.

Lastly, my little tip for the adorable summer clothes... As with adults, I say you keep your absolute faves, and dress your baby girl in layers. Like, a summer dress over itty bitty baby leggings and covered with a cardigan. Or, you can layer the dress over long-sleeve onesies with tights.

Hope this helps...

Wishing you the best!