What do you do when you get overwhelmed at the sheer thought of the scheduled happenings in the next couple of days to the coming month? Do you start planning and work the plan? That sounds smart and reasonable. Or are you like me, do you start eating sugar, mope around the house, sit on your butt and complain about things? I get overwhelmed, then I shut down. Ugh. I'm shutting down. I still have so much packing to do, the movers come tomorrow, am I packing? nope. blogging. Makes perfect, logical sense. Right? Right.
I need my magic wand to wave and magically appear at our new house all unpacked and organized and ready for baby. But I think I packed the want already, and I can't find it.
Know what else overwhelms me. The fact that the mortgage company is STILL emailing my husband for details on our financial status. The question on Friday was, "how long has your wife been a homemaker?". Yesterday, we got an email saying to expect a call from the credit check company so we can provide a 12 month history of our current mortgage company. What?! We are supposed to settle on Thursday! Thursday! And don't you think you would have checked that out when we originally applied for the mortgage over a month ago? actually, More than six weeks ago? It makes me nervous to say the least that they are still questioning us at this point. (We have been pre-approved, approved and given a mortgage commitment letter, but still, the questions--overwhelming).
Know what else overwhelms me. The fact that our buyers realtor just yesterday emailed to see who performed the radon test and wants to know if it was done my a licensed contractor. Yesterday. We emailed that info to him over six weeks ago, and he's just asking questions now? If they're not going to be happy with what they find, what do you think will happen between now and Thursday. I'm ready to buy a pound of Swedish fish and vegetate, or hibernate, or crawl in a hole somewhere, and not come out of it. Ever.
The end.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Systematic Desensitization (in which I talk a lot about vomit).
As a former behavior analyst/therapist, I know what systematic desensitization is, and how it works. Its a form of therapy to treat overt fears by gradually and systematically exposing you to your fear until you no longer fear it (or freak out about it).
Well, I think God has been using this method on me and my fear of stomach viruses.
Back Story:
When Q was just a baby, he got the rotovirus which was a terrible horrible experience. Like 10 days of vomiting and diarrhea and he stopped eating maybe 3 days into it. Awful. And the main reason I will never refuse the new rotovirus vaccine. But anyway, since then, anytime anyone mentions that they've had a stomach virus, or so-and-so has had a stomach virus, I go into panic mode. Not leaving the house for unessential things, or not leaving the kids in child care at church. Because church, as much as I love my church, is a breeding ground for germs. I can predict illness by Tuesday if we've been to church on a Sunday. Its predictable, just a given. But I will sit up at night and obsess about hand sanitizer and panic about JD getting sick. (cause I can deal with the big boys getting it). I will count days between 'exposure' and try and predict when it the stomach bug will fall among us. And seriously, will not sleep at night thinking I heard someone puke...its fun.
Or I should say, I used to do all this, until recently.
Back in December, when we found out we were expecting #4, I remember thinking to myself, ohhhh man, what will it be like to have 6 people have a stomach bug in one house. It would take a whole month for it to run its course! Oy. The drama that occurred in my imagination thinking about that. Well, God's systematic desensitization began soon after that. No lie, beginning a week after Christmas our whole family except me, got the world's worst stomach bug. Scott and JD ended up in the E.R. for fluids thanks to dehydration. And since then, I swear to you, someone in our house has gotten a stomach bug at least 2 times a month. Which is ridiculous. Back in January, I thought ok, good, at least we've gotten the dreaded pukes out of the way. Because I recalled, we normally only get one or two stomach things a year. HA! No lie, twice a month, at least. I should have written it down. Its been an epic sick season, which still is going on in MAY! (I had it last weekend). But darn if the repeated exposure of me to vomit hasn't done wonders for my fear/obsession. I no longer freak about it, dread it or obsess about it each time one of my children gets sick. The repetition of illness in my house has made me numb to it, and not a freakazoid, thank God. Really, it was bad. And now I'm better at dealing with it, and lastly, my older kids are almost pros at being sick. The last time Q was sick 2 weeks ago, I was in the hospital being monitored. Scott woke up late and found the bathroom rearranged, (no floor mats), and the linen closet had been 'disturbed'. When he came downstairs, he found Q in the the basement, with towels laid out on the couch and floor, with the bucket by him. He had taken care of himself...(But you know if I were home, he'd have awaken me). And thankfully, all these illness have stretched themselves out so not everyone is sick at the same time. (well, expect for the first bout which sent 2 of them to the E.R.).
So, how's that for making lemonade out of lemons? Yes, repeated exposure to illness has made me less fearful, and neurotic and all around just awesome. ;)
Well, I think God has been using this method on me and my fear of stomach viruses.
Back Story:
When Q was just a baby, he got the rotovirus which was a terrible horrible experience. Like 10 days of vomiting and diarrhea and he stopped eating maybe 3 days into it. Awful. And the main reason I will never refuse the new rotovirus vaccine. But anyway, since then, anytime anyone mentions that they've had a stomach virus, or so-and-so has had a stomach virus, I go into panic mode. Not leaving the house for unessential things, or not leaving the kids in child care at church. Because church, as much as I love my church, is a breeding ground for germs. I can predict illness by Tuesday if we've been to church on a Sunday. Its predictable, just a given. But I will sit up at night and obsess about hand sanitizer and panic about JD getting sick. (cause I can deal with the big boys getting it). I will count days between 'exposure' and try and predict when it the stomach bug will fall among us. And seriously, will not sleep at night thinking I heard someone puke...its fun.
Or I should say, I used to do all this, until recently.
Back in December, when we found out we were expecting #4, I remember thinking to myself, ohhhh man, what will it be like to have 6 people have a stomach bug in one house. It would take a whole month for it to run its course! Oy. The drama that occurred in my imagination thinking about that. Well, God's systematic desensitization began soon after that. No lie, beginning a week after Christmas our whole family except me, got the world's worst stomach bug. Scott and JD ended up in the E.R. for fluids thanks to dehydration. And since then, I swear to you, someone in our house has gotten a stomach bug at least 2 times a month. Which is ridiculous. Back in January, I thought ok, good, at least we've gotten the dreaded pukes out of the way. Because I recalled, we normally only get one or two stomach things a year. HA! No lie, twice a month, at least. I should have written it down. Its been an epic sick season, which still is going on in MAY! (I had it last weekend). But darn if the repeated exposure of me to vomit hasn't done wonders for my fear/obsession. I no longer freak about it, dread it or obsess about it each time one of my children gets sick. The repetition of illness in my house has made me numb to it, and not a freakazoid, thank God. Really, it was bad. And now I'm better at dealing with it, and lastly, my older kids are almost pros at being sick. The last time Q was sick 2 weeks ago, I was in the hospital being monitored. Scott woke up late and found the bathroom rearranged, (no floor mats), and the linen closet had been 'disturbed'. When he came downstairs, he found Q in the the basement, with towels laid out on the couch and floor, with the bucket by him. He had taken care of himself...(But you know if I were home, he'd have awaken me). And thankfully, all these illness have stretched themselves out so not everyone is sick at the same time. (well, expect for the first bout which sent 2 of them to the E.R.).
So, how's that for making lemonade out of lemons? Yes, repeated exposure to illness has made me less fearful, and neurotic and all around just awesome. ;)
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