Mommy Mush Brain

People warn you.

Mothers, grandmothers, friends…the warnings come from all over.

They come fast and furious.

They come by way of “enjoy your brain now sweetie because once you’re pregnant it all goes bye-bye.”

Ah yes, pregnancy brain.

For me that meant a certain amount of fogginess that just never went away. Pair the fogginess with hormonal emotions and you’ve got flying blueberry pancakes and a major breakdown over the texture of the nursery walls.

After you give birth, more warnings come.

“If you thought pregnancy brain was tough just wait until mommy brain.”

Ummm yeah….mommy brain?  Mommy brain is tough! 

Early on mommy brain meant not remembering if I showered, brushed my teeth or had a meal that day. 

It meant trying to remember how many ounces of formula my baby had and how long ago he had it. 

It meant trying to remember all the stats and percentages after a well baby visit at the pediatricians’ office.

After getting out of the infant baby stage and you’re starting to sleep through the night you think that you will finally get your normal non-pregnancy, non-mommy brain back. 

Yeah, that doesn’t happen.

Well at least it hasn’t happened for me yet and I’ve been waiting and looking for it.

Mommy brain sticks around well past the baby stage because now what you are trying to remember is not just meals and doctors appointments.

In addition NOW you have to keep school work, activities, field trips, and parties in your brain.  You have to keep soccer practice, games, and snack schedules in your brain.  Don’t forget the pick up and drop off times (for school and sports) You have to keep dentist, and hair appointments in your brain.  Not to mention all the typical household stuff like if everyone has enough clean underwear or not.

Sure an organizer and calendar help, IF you remember to look at it.  But then again, that is one more reminder to keep in your brain.

AND if you have more than one child you have to keep all of it straight and try not to mix it up between the kids. 

This usually results in you calling one child by every other name in the household (including the dogs) before actually getting to his real and actual name. 

So after a long day of remembering everything listed above and then some by the time the evening rolls around I don’t just have Mommy Brain, but Mommy Mush Brain.

It hits about the same time every night, right around 7-8pm.  You ask me a question and I’ve got the “deer caught in headlights” look as a response. 

There is nothing left.  My brain feels like Cinderella after the ball, except I’m not the princess who goes from wearing a gorgeous gown to rags.  My brain is the gorgeous flowing carriage that turns into a pumpkin and then gets trampled on by horses.

And that….that is Mommy Mush Brain!

Do you get Mommy Mush Brain as much as I do?