Bouncing From Child to Child & Moment to Moment

I finally figured out why I've been eating so much. I delivered our fourth child on October 8th of this year (that's not why). During the pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes (that's not why either... be patient). I used that time to redevelop better eating habits that I once maintained in my life. I figured it was a great jump start to continuing the path of healthy eating after I delivered. But the second I delivered, I was allowed to eat sugar again. I had to celebrate - both the delivery of our baby and the disappearance of the diabetes - with, what else? a cookie! Sugar just leads to more sugar for me.... and so it began. But that's not answering the question of why I've been eating so much.

I'm nursing. I'm burning more calories, I need to consume more calories (that's not why). I went for my six week appointment and actually weighed less than my pre-pregnancy weight (my pre-pregnancy weight included 10-15 extra pounds that I never lost from children numbers one, two and three). I got a little cocky with that weight and immediately began eating more - of everything. My stomach has popped (way) out again... but that's not WHY I've been eating so much.

My husband left town this week for two nights (nope! that's not why either). My babysitter has been sick all week. The person who helps keep my house clean and organized has been gone all week. I've been a little under the weather - my throat HURTS - and I'm taking antibiotics. The night before my husband left, I moaned to him about how difficult the next couple of days were going to be. He naively stated that he had no doubt I could handle it - easy as pie. I reminded him that he had been home for two hours before we ended up at the table sitting across from each other, eating and talking and that all we had done for the last two hours was bounce back and forth between one of four children. Literally. This one's whining too much and he's caught in a power struggle... SWITCH. This one needs to brush his teeth and I can't stand watching people brush their teeth... SWITCH! The baby needs her diaper changed and I need a break from being latched to her... SWITCH! The 18 month old needs his pajamas on.... You do that while I nurse the baby then I'll take him and put him to bed while you put '5years old' and '4years old' into their pajamas and start reading to them. Then, I'll take over and get them into bed since it takes you 45 minutes to do that. While I'm tucking them in, you get their water ready. I'll come out of their room, get their water and bring it back in. Then we can eat the dinner that's been sitting in the oven for the last two hours getting hot and crunchy. Which is exactly where we were at the beginning of this paragraph.

And, now - after one day of my husband gone... did he just leave this morning? I know why I have to eat so much.... the more I eat, the better I bounce.