I have a confession.

Two weeks before Christmas, I was getting very, very tense.

Liam had grown teeth, and breast feeding had become quite a chore. I was also anticipating family-in-law coming to stay, kids being on holiday, and all the other dreadful routine-destroying carry-on that comes with the festive season.

Both my older boys were becoming more and more rebellious, and treating me like a junior house maid. My husband seemed to be more distant, impatient, and less helpful around the house. In fact, I was pretty sure he was planning to leave me.

I knew this because every time he asked me if everything was alright, or if he could do anything to help, I could just tell he was purposely pushing my buttons and just trying to start a fight and I would blow up at him.

Then, one day as I was folding a towering mountain of laundry, and contemplating life as a single mother of two ungrateful aliens and a nipple chomping toddler, all of whom look a lot like the man that my mother warned me not to marry…

BAM!

I burst into sobs with a “OH MY GOD NOTHING IS GOING RIGHT IN MY LIFE! I’VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD AND I JUST FEEL LIKE SHIT! I CAN’T SEEM TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT! WHAT’S THE POINT TO ALL THIS? WHAT’S WRONG WITH MEEEEE? AAAAAAARRGHHH!!”

As I blew my nose into a towel from the laundry basket, a little voice inside my brain said, “Oh hey, we haven’t seen you around here in a while!”

Insecure, psychopath, moody, angry Karen! Welcome back!

The next morning, I discovered that my body had resumed it’s normal monthly routine. Everything was working just fine. I was so relieved!

I wasn’t going mad! It was just the temporary madness of PMS!

8 months have passed since I gave birth and I’ve enjoyed a great ride of non-stop, cruisey, happy hormones. After so long without a cycle, I was completely unprepared for the return of the PMS rollercoaster ride.

But little Liam’s teeth are a sure sign that my life, like his, is moving on again to a new phase.

And I’m okay with that!

I am now armed with emergency chocolate, and listening to boy band music from the early nineties.

Flowers from hubby. Some expensive chocolate. And a foot rub. He knew all along, and he was just waiting for me to settle into my new cycles. God, I love him so much.