The Facts:

1. I should be showering right now. All the kids are asleep. Matt is home. I may not get this opportunity again for quite some time. But, I think I will continue blogging.
2. You can tell what kind of day it is going to be, from the absolute first second, of the first encounter you have with your toddler. And boy did we have a doozy today. Brock was not going to do a single thing I asked of him today. In fact, planned to do quite the opposite at every opportunity. No point in fighting it. Just make sure you have all your cards in a row. Absolutely DO NOT promise anything you are not willing to give. Absolutely DO NOT threaten anything you are not willing to take away. And it's never OK to shake a baby.
3. It takes a solid month for your hormones and body to recover from delivering a baby. At least. I do not care who you are. No matter how healthy, energetic, happy and put together you feel at 2 weeks postpartum, you are not 100% yet. In fact, you are probably far from it and just surviving off the fumes of adrenaline left from giving birth as well as the absolute joy and freedom from no longer being gravid.
4. Never let your husband leave you for 5 entire days, with a 3.3 year old, a 16 month old and a 2 week old. (And 2 dogs, a cat, and a fish). Refer to #3. I love my children. It's painful how obsessed I am with they're every nuance. But, I have realized, it is not healthy for one person to run a household of this size in those conditions. I consider myself to be a very strong, positive person, and let me tell you. Every one of those 5 days had me beat. Major life lesson learned. I think I love my husband more after this little trial, as it demonstrated what a difference having him around truly makes...
5. ...do not take your significant other for-granted! I can't be bitter with him for leaving me in these conditions. We couldn't have known how hard it would be, or that the "all-mighty Erin" really does have a breaking point. But we sure found it. One child was always crying. Always. With one person around, someone had to be neglected. And all too often, it was poor, teeny, weeny baby George, because houses don't get flooded, or burnt down from a newborn crying. But a 3 year old and a 16 month old can easily destroy an entire 2100 square foot home in hours.
6. Be impressed, very, extremely, can't imagine anything worse impressed, of ANY mother who has stayed home, all day, alone, while she is extremely ill to take care of the kids. Make that 3 kids, one or 2 of which are ill as well, one that is nursing and requires attention at least every 2 hours, with little to no relief from the husband, because he is ill as well (in fact, maybe add him to the "ill child" list.) When Matt came home with this dreaded cough and horrid fever, I was bitter. My husband was finally home to help, yet, here we are, he is now adding to the neediness. Then, I got the bug. The bitterness vanished. I had no energy to be bitter. I had no energy to care. Thank goodness, I had no energy to shake a baby, either.
7. Keep your sense of humor, through everything. If I didn't blog about these past 11 days, I would probably forget they ever existed. I might remember that there was something about the early days of George's life that were a bit awry, but not to the extent that they really were disastrous. Though, amidst all the insanity. All the pain. And what I might even call torture. I found moments of hilarity. Moments of happiness. Moments I enjoyed, even cherished. Moments I wouldn't trade ever or for anything, because I always kept my sense of humor. And I found these moments everyday.
8. Be thankful for, appreciative of, and flabbergasted by all the really wonderful family and really close friends in your life. After this past week or so,I think they all might murder Matt and I if we decided to have another child any time in the near future. I relied too, too heavily on them. And a baby or two may have been shaken if it weren't for the near daily assistance I had from one person or another. A number of meals were provided, bedtimes assisted, children entertained and showers or naps allowed. I love, love, love Kansas City. And it's only because of the people in it.

(Ok, or maybe just a few of them. I could continue on with the facts of life, but #9. Go to bed when all 3 of your children, especially your newborn, have been asleep for well over an hour...your time to catch some zzz's is only deteriorating.)