You ever feel as though aside from the hundreds of duties you are awarded as a mom the most time consuming and daunting task is that of a personal nail technician?

Well I sure do feel that way about my children’s nails. I remember reading about ‘baby essential items’ as we prepared for DJ’s arrival and made sure we had nail filers as well as nail clippers. But what no one told me was how often I would have to trim and file them. I find myself needing to clip nails at least every 3 days! I typically don’t go looking around to do it, but usually I get an unpleasant reminder. With baby Aiden I’ll begin to see scratches somewhere around his face. Then with DJ, I typically get very irritated when he gives me a pinch in the middle of his ‘I don’t want to go to bed tantrum’. You see when a two year old pinches you, most of the time it isn’t so bad. But when you add long nails to that pinch…boy are you in for a world of pain.

Last night after a long 8 hour day at work, 2 hours of commuting in a crowded subway train, 8 pumping sessions, sore nipples, a long walk home from daycare (with an extremely inquisitive an talkative 2 year old & wearing a 22 lb. 6month old in a Bjorn Carrier ), finally followed by an hour long dinner at grandmas house… I was beat! And seriously, who wouldn’t?? I found myself putting both boys to sleep on our recliner. Aiden nursing on my left as he laid on his Boppy pillow and DJ was resting in the fold of my right arm holding his baby doll Ayanna and drinking milk as I read 2 of his favorite books. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney and Subway by Anastasia Suen. Eventually they both fell asleep and I switched from my nutrition and nurturing mothering role into my role as Nail Technician. I trimmed 20 fingernails and 20 toes. Then filed 20 fingernails and 20 toes to make sure they weren’t too sharp. Whew! Did I mention this all happened on the recliner while they were both asleep, sweating and drooling all over me.

I tell you it was a long, long day. I know it wasn’t the first and it certainly won’t be the last. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Mommas nail spa is now closed! Until this weekend of course, when we will have to do it all over again!

Andrea