As humans, I believe we all experience bouts of amnesia of different events and happenings in our life. The one that stands out foremost to me, and perhaps all mothers for that matter, would be the entire process of child bearing...
I'm quite certain it must be a part of our genetic make- up. Other wise the world would be full of families with one child. Unless you were lucky enough for twins (lucky, unlucky?) ... You see, if we didn't forget the back-aches, the Middle of the night charlie horses, the never-ending vomiting and nausea. We would never opt to do it again. If the image of our expanding belly's and misshapen bodies was not somehow erased from our memories, the baby count would remain at ONE.
It happens almost instantly, when they place that baby in your arms... They say one look at bundle of joy makes it all worth it, I think its actually all part of the conspiracy. Something chemical happens when your eyes lock, and the amnesia sets in...
anywho... no, I'm not pregnant. Toddlers are the quickest cure of this amnesia. Its not that I don't want to be pregnant or give birth again, no. I just know babies turn into these creatures that now inhabit my home. THAT is enough deterrent for a few years.
The entire reason behind my theory here is to illustrate another amnesia that I seem to have developed.
SEWING AMNESIA
I really don't like to sew. I haven't done it all that often. Made a few baby blankets when Campbell was born, sewed Danny a jean quilt for fathers day last year... A few other projects here and there. But every time I do I swear I will NEVER do it again. I swear it as I'm picking out a 3 foot seam I mistakenly put in the wrong place... I swear it as I'm returning to the fabric store for the umpteenth time after running out of fabric, AGAIN. I swear it as I'm bandaging up my bloody fingers, sliced open from pins and scissors. But, as with the baby bundled into my bosom, as soon as I lay out my bundle of fabric to reveal the end result, that amnesia sets in and I think... "well lookie what I did!" All of the blood, cursing and tears, instantly forgotten.
There is one point during child birth where the amnesia is lifted. Its when they're wheeling you into the delivery room, your feet up in the stirrups when the first REAL labor contraction hits. Your body doubles over in pain. The contraction contorts you into positions you didn't even think your pregnant body could manage. you wish you could scream but you didn't catch enough breath. It all comes rushing back in an instant. There is a moment of absolute panic and remembering. "Oh my gosh this hurts as bad as the first time... WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING!?!?! LET ME OFF THIS TRAIN, I CHANGE MY MIND. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!"
but by then its too late.
There's a moment similar to this in a sewing project, too. After you've spent way to much money on fabric, taken 17 hours to cut out all of the patterns, your fingers are pricked and bleeding from pinning all the pieces in the right place, and your feeding your piece through the machine when, your needle breaks! or you realize you've been sewing for 20 minutes without the bobbin thread. At this point, remembering that you promised yourself to never do this again, you curse the heavens and say "WHY AM I DOING THIS?!?! I HATE SEWING!!!"
but now you have too much invested in the project and now all that you can do is PUSH through the pain until the end... when your zipping up your pink princess peach dress, and it fits perfectly.
...with a baby Toad trailing behind.
And suddenly it's all worth it...
There is one point during child birth where the amnesia is lifted. Its when they're wheeling you into the delivery room, your feet up in the stirrups when the first REAL labor contraction hits. Your body doubles over in pain. The contraction contorts you into positions you didn't even think your pregnant body could manage. you wish you could scream but you didn't catch enough breath. It all comes rushing back in an instant. There is a moment of absolute panic and remembering. "Oh my gosh this hurts as bad as the first time... WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING!?!?! LET ME OFF THIS TRAIN, I CHANGE MY MIND. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!"
but by then its too late.
There's a moment similar to this in a sewing project, too. After you've spent way to much money on fabric, taken 17 hours to cut out all of the patterns, your fingers are pricked and bleeding from pinning all the pieces in the right place, and your feeding your piece through the machine when, your needle breaks! or you realize you've been sewing for 20 minutes without the bobbin thread. At this point, remembering that you promised yourself to never do this again, you curse the heavens and say "WHY AM I DOING THIS?!?! I HATE SEWING!!!"
but now you have too much invested in the project and now all that you can do is PUSH through the pain until the end... when your zipping up your pink princess peach dress, and it fits perfectly.
When you put the coordinating Mario and Luigi hat on your husband and son and watch them fight off an imaginary Bowser together...
...with a baby Toad trailing behind.
And suddenly it's all worth it...
I'm already planning next years costumes.
