Like Being Pecked to Death By Ducks
My parents are famous for saying that raising two girls is like being pecked to death by ducks. They just nibble and nibble and nibble away at you. “Mom, can I have money for this?” “Dad, can I break my curfew for that?” “Mom, can you take me here?” “Dad, can you buy me that?” Nibble, nibble, nibble.
Lately, I’ve begun to experience that same feeling. Only, instead of being pecked to death by duck daughters, I am being pecked to death by duck dependents. Namely my two legged dependent (Bean) and my two four-legged dependents (the dogs).
Every time I look around, one of those three clowns needs something. More water, more juice, more kibble, more snack, to go outside, to come inside, to go for a walk, to go for a stroll, to lay down, to get up… And the list goes on. Always, there is something.
And they never seem to sync up, either. I’ll let Lucy outside and three minutes later Molly will bark to go outside. Which means when Lucy barks to come in, three minutes later Molly barks to come in. And when Bean shrieks and moans and yells and demands dinner, two minutes later Molly will start scratching at the closet where we keep their dog food. And once I’ve fed Molly, Lucy then starts barking two minutes later for her food.
It’s a never ending cycle of need.
Although, I should confess that I don’t actually have first-hand knowledge of this cycle. I only catch glimpses of what I am able to hear of the cycle from the depths of the toilet where my head has been for the past three weeks. Chris, poor man, has been taking on the entire house of needs by himself while I try to concentrate on not puking at school and/or in our living room. The only thing I seem to do more than puke these days is sleep. And I am sleeping like CRAZY. All night long and then taking several naps during the day, too.
Not that the sleep is peaceful.
Sleep is constantly interrupted around these parts by the cycle of need. There are dogs barking and Bean’s whining and doors being scratched and toys being thrown. Sleep is for the weak around here.
Well, the weak and the pregnant.
And while I complain about these things from my little porcelain throne, Chris doesn’t say a word. Not a word. He just goes about his business of taking care of others business. He cooks and cleans and plays and scratches the ears and kisses the boo-boos without a word of frustration or irritation.
And from the depths of the toilet, I tell him how much I love him and how much I owe him. That’s when he pats me on the back, hands me a cold wash cloth, and says, “You don’t owe me a thing.”
He’s a good, good man, that husband of mine. And when he finally falls over dead from exhaustion, I’m going to engrave the following on his tombstone:
“Here lies my husband. Pecked to death by ducks.”
42 Comments
Jordan
I love that second picture. The name BIG Molly really fits 🙂
And Chris is a nice husband. I mean, you ARE carrying around his child and all 😉
Christina Madison
Wow great hubby! He needs to give mine lessons!! I have 3 under the age of 5 and one on the way. Trust me – I know pecked to death!
Alyssa
What a great hubby…by the way is great hubby every going to update from the Mancave again?
Jaclyn
Sorry to hear you are so continuously sick, Katie! Hopefully that stage will pass VERY soon.
Luckily you have Chris, who doesn’t mind all the pecking 🙂
kate g.
This made me laugh. I’m so happy you have such a great hub and I REALLY hope the sickness stops soon for you! Poor Katie!
lauren
hope the morning sickness passes soon! were you this sick with bean?? i puked until week 22…and after losing weight and not keeping anything down i finally went on meds for it for my ENTIRE pregnancy. oh well. your cute little munchkin #2 will be worth it when they arrive!
Angela
Hahaha, Beanie is just barely bigger than Big Molly.
Hope you feel better soon!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is
That is so adorable.
Cindy
I’m so sorry to hear that you are sick but so happy that your hubby is stepping up to the plate!
Jen at Cabin Fever
You make him sound like superman! Glad he is doing his best to be amazing while you are down for the count
And I got a laugh out of the end of the post. Hopefully it was meant to be pretty funny because I don’t want to be weird for laughing at it!
Cabin Fever in Vermont
Tabitha (From Single to Married)
Ha! What a great expression and so accurate too! 🙂
Jen Morris
I feel the same way. Except I’m not pregnant. We have a 2 year old and 2 dogs. Most days I feel like the dogs are more high maintenance than my child. God Bless husbands with more patience than Job himself!
Sara @ embrylovescookies
You have an amazing husband, but tell him not to wear himself out now. He’ll really have his hands full when the new one arrives and you need to rest then 🙂
Tiffany
Aw, hang in there Brown Family! Hopefully the morning/all-day-long sickness will end soon and you can go back to taking turns being pecked by the ducks. =)
Ashley @ According to Ashley
HEHEHE. Did I mention that I loooooved your posts from your pregnancy with Bean? By far some of your most hilarious moments. Remember the time you fell asleep in a recliner at Babies R Us in NYC?? I look forward to many more with this pregnancy and I hope you start feeling better ASAP! Teaching is exhausting as it is, but being tired, pregnant, and nauseous — BLAH!
Michelle
Hehehe, in the second picture, it looks like Chris just told everyone to sit (except Lucy, of course)! Too cute!
Mallory
when do we get to see the bellycasts?! 🙂
Erin
I am pregnant with my first right now. You make me feel so much better. I have been doing the same thing! While you took you step back I read all your Bean pregnancy posts and can’t wait to see what you have to say about the new one. Thank you, I now need to go puke. (this baby better be darn cute after what it’s puttin me threw) 🙂 good luck!
Yolanda
Hi Katie…I just love d pics on dis post…so reminds me of our doggies at home, how they used to sit in attention when my mom was serving them food.
Samantha Dickie
A friend of mine once told me that “Raising children is like being pecked to death by chickens.”
How true… How true.
Hang in there! I think your release from the porcelain god is imminent.
Diana @ A Little Bit of Life
Aww – how sweet! Especially when they still love you as you look up from the toilet!
Katy @ MonsterProof
Love the picture! And so glad Chris is so good at distracting the ducks!
Sarah
Be careful what you wish for. Around here, at 4:00, all is peaceful. Usually, everyone’s up from rest time and has had a snack. We’re watching Word World or Dinosaur Train or reading books and the dogs are finishing their 21st hour of sleep for the day.
And then it his 5:01. I need to make dinner, so of course my “morning” sickness kicks into over drive. Because I’ve gotten up, my two four-legged dependants assume it *must* be time to go out and bark at everything that moves. The little one (19 mos) figures she needs more to eat and the big one (3 1/2) is whining because her show is over and life will end if another one doesn’t come on!
I’m with ya on the revolving door of need!
In terms of being preggers….I love it. Sassy Sarah (as my hubby calls it) gets more or less a free pass. I still have work to do, but I can be a little snarky about it and no one (more or less) gives me grief. I love it!
Enjoy these days…..
Michelle
That’s a good man you’ve got 🙂
Ashley
This made me giggle a little. I can’t imagine that kind of exhaustion for either of you! Chris sounds like he has it under control for you =) Hope the sickness ends for ya soon (fingers crossed)
Anna
You think the pecking is bad now? Wait until the pecking crew is increased in a few short months on top of having to work to pay for your increased housing expenses. Maturity and reflection shall grace you, but I’m afraid not soon enough.
El
I am grateful to my husband for picking up the slack my pregnant body is causing to happen at our house. Between our 22-month old son and 2 labs, someone always needs something, just like at your house.
Feel better, I hope the sickness passes on soon!
Ashley
You are blessed with such a wonderful husband! 🙂 Feel better!
Casper
Got to love helpful husbands! I feel your pain. Through this pregnancy I have thought to myself, I have no clue how I will do this all over again with a little one running around. But I guess you just answered it for me, the husband! He he. Hope you start to feel better soon! I feel your pain!
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
It’s one thing for Chris to do everything around the house. It’s a much higher level that he does it without complaining. Husband of the Month material right there.
Jessica
my dad knows the exact feeling of raising two girls! in fact, he still gets pecked to death and we’re both in our 20s!
Kat @ Living Like the Kings
aww what a good hubby!!!!!!!
Tressa
Good job Chris!!!
He has seen this WHOLE THING UNFOLD BEFORE! He honestly knows you don’t owe him a thing!! 😉
I do feel sorry for Chris for one thing! THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN SEE HIM BEING PECKED TO DEATH, THE TREES ARE GONE!!!!!!
Marie
You’re one lucky girl! It’s so cute to get this glimpse into how you and Chris interact through your blog. I hope when I get pregnant my husband is half as cute and helpful. I think he will be though. 🙂
Kourtney
Aww, what a good husband! You both a very lucky to have each other!
Stephanie@ourmarriageadventure
Katie – that is a super husband right there. I’m gonna save this and show to my hubby for future guidance. Now – tell Chris we would like him to update his ManCave page soon!
Jen C
wow what a fantastic supportive husband! mine was trying to convince me to lift couches until 16 weeks. i wanted to hit him. chris is getting major bonus points for all of this! maybe he just remembers the hormones from last time and doesn’t want to start that off early 🙂
i looove that first picture. that’s our every night while we’re making dinner. sometimes if he just wants a carrot or something he just goes and sits by the fridge, even if we’re in a different room.
hope you feel better soon!
Alaina
aw, he’s a great husband! And I am sosorry you’re still having the puking…hopefully that phase of pregnancy passes soon for you!
Laura
Katie, you’re a hero for going through everyday so sick. How miserable! I hope you feel better soon. Chris is a great husband for being there for you when you feel like crap (and when your head is in the crapper too)!
Kristin H
I love Chris’s smile in the first picture! He really is a great husband and father – I hope you start feeling better, and that no one gets too “pecked” in the meantime (love that saying by the way!)
Nate's Mom
When I was preggers, I heard a lot that throwing up was a sign of a very strong pregnancy. Way to go, Katie! You’ve got a winner of a pregnancy! Think about that the next time you’re barfing.
Megan @ Red Dirt and Crazy
First of all…Girl, I am praying for you! That prego nausea thing sucks the big one! I am so sorry your having to go through it! I have the utmost sympathy for pregnant women!
Secondly…are you sure you haven’t been staying at my house?? I’m freaking out here because I could have totally written about the cycle of need because that is EXACTLY what is going on here. Except that I am the need filler instead of Farm Boy and girl it wears me smooth out MOST of the time! Between one dog and one child…I’M LOSIN IT and I’ve only been home from my girls only vacay for 7 days!!!!! It’s not good…not good at all!
I just keep telling myself…it won’t be like this forever, it won’t be like this forever. I’m sure it’s a lie but it’s all I got!!
Hang in there!
🙂
Megan