The baby is crying (she is hungry), phone is ringing, someone is at the door.  Shake up the bottle with one hand while you hold the baby under your arm, phone to your ear with the other hand, while peeking out around the curtains.  One needs her hair brushed, one cant find his phone.  Hubby needs a pair of socks....baby is crying again (wet this time).  Stop in the laundry room on the way to change the baby, fill a hamper with clean clothes from the dryer while listening for the baby.  Give the man his socks.  DAMN I have to pee!!!  Do it later, gotta change the baby. Time to cook dinner.  Baby is crying (this time she she sleepy).  Fix a bottle, swaddle baby and get her to sleep.  Just enough time to fix dinner, fix the boy and girl their plates......then guess who is awake.  DAMN I am hungry!  Eat later, gotta play with the baby.  Hubby is finished eating, so grab a plate and  shovel it in quick before she cries A...

This is hard.  Being the mom of a 9 month old isn't the easiest thing under normal circumstances. Being the mom of a 9 month old at the ripe old age of 41...well...it is HARD!  I have a good friend who is also 41 and has 2 children under 2, one of which has Down Syndrome.  She is my HERO, I don't see how she does it, when one typical 9 month old can send me in to the fetal position myself on the best of days. The thing is, my little Princess was a surprise, an unexpected gift.  Rarely does anyone ASK you if you want a gift, they do not call and say they are dropping by with a puppy, a kitten, a gerbil...or a baby. I was settled in my life.  My youngest child was 15 years old and a freshman in high school. My oldest was 20.  She has special needs and will live with me for the rest of our days. I was working, enjoying being able to go to bed as early and sleep in as late as I wanted on the weekends. I could go shopping, read a book, pee in private and shave ...