My Life of What Ifs: Parenthood is stressful

I am a bad mother.

I started off this journey as a REALLY bad mother. Now, I am just bad. Singular. Most days.

When Ryann was four months old we took her to San Diego for my brother's Navy BUDs graduation. We were first time parents, and she was pretty much just a lump we carried from place to place that other people wanted to hold.

The morning of our last day as we packed to go home, Ryann threw up. Then she squirted out. Then she threw up and squirted out at the same time. Clearly the child was ill. Or possessed, as a new Mom I wasn't so sure. And frankly, all I could think about was that we were in San Diego and we had to fly to Detroit. With her, and all her... projecting.

On our way to the airport, and after we "borrowed" a number of towels from the hotel (most of which I still have and yes, I think of that day every time I wash) we had to stop for some Pedialyte. 'Cause that's what good mothers give their sick, squirting babies. Cory stopped the car, I went in and came out with the goods and off we went.

Now I should tell you- all of this happened in January of 2001. Months before planes were flown into buildings and I felt like an even badder mother for bringing a child into this world. I share this time stamp with you because after we checked our luggage and approached the check in counter with our stroller and very pale infant I realized something. I could not find my drivers license. MY BABY IS SICK AND I HAVE NO I.D.!!!! They aren't going to let me fly home with her!!!! Hmmm, wait a minute.... NO! I never thought of that!!! At least not for long.

Anywho... I approached the counter sobbing. "I am a new Mom and my baby is sick and we just wanna go hooooomeee!" People were staring. "I lost my drivers license when I stopped to buy Pedialyyyyyttttteeeeee!"

Yes, this much I had discovered. Rewind to the parking lot of the store... Cory drops me off, I go in, Cory moves to a new location in the parking lot, and I get back in. If Cory had not moved the car, I probably would have seen the best drivers license picture I have ever taken lying on the ground. But no, I had no idea and off I went.

Again, in present time I would have never gotten on that plane without my I.D. But in the pre-terrorist era, the counter lady took pity on me and my dear sweet child, and my husband who was clearly in the doghouse, and let us fly home. With our baby. With the Pedialyte.

So you can see, I am a normal bad Mom. But I knew what I had to have for my sick baby, and I went and got it. Had I been home I would have still had to run to the store, because we could never keep Pedialyte on hand to hydrate our dehydrated children because it expired before you could use it.

Not anymore! Now you can buy Pedialyte Singles in a 4 pack of juice box size drinks. Great for kids, great for bad Moms, and they have an 18 month shelf life. Rock on.