Have you ever forgotten your friends' names or couldn't remember your own phone number? Have you ever torn your house apart, looking for your car keys...Only to discover they were in your pocket the entire time? Have you ever put someone on hold while on the phone...and then walked away and completely forgot that you had someone on hold in the first place?

I'm afraid to tell you this, but it's true, ladies!

Momnesia does exist.

Simple, uncomplicated, every day things that we used to never think twice about all of a sudden become a challenge. Forgetting that we've done things or that we have to do things just becomes part of our daily lives. Crazy.

Fatigue, stress, and hormones can contribute to this strange "loss of memory" or moments of sheer ditzy, scatterbrained behaviour.

My latest Momnesia moments:

1. Feeling upset with myself for forgetting to wish my twin nieces a Happy 1st Birthday, when I actually did wish them a Happy Birthday when I spoke to my brother on the phone.

2. Tearing the house inside out and upside down so I could find my 2008 Notice of Assessment (for tax purposes), only to discover that it was one of the first places I had looked. It was with the other tax papers...of course!

3. Calling my friend up to tell her something really important, only to forget why I called her in the first place.

4. Overbooking myself a million times over. What I would give for just one day to do nothing but laze around the house with Little One. Hasn't happened yet since we've been on the go every day of the week (appointments, meetings, errands, chores, online and offline work, visits, dinners, etc).

5. Forgetting the baby's wipes and soothers at home when we went on a day trip off-island. Gah.

6. Totally forgetting to give Hubby his messages and then get upset when he "forgets" to return phone calls he never even knew he received.

7. Crying my eyes out when Hubby makes himself bacon and eggs and completely dismisses my need for breakfast too...not remembering that he asked me twice if I wanted anything to eat for breakfast. Poor Hubby. I can only imagine how worried he was that his wife was "losing it".

The absentmindedness, ditsy behaviour, temporary memory loss, and general "not being with it" was happening too often. The more I spoke with other Mommy friends (and our family doctor and some of the nurses!), I discovered that there is a thing called Momnesia! After I gave birth to Little One, my doctor told me that I had "Mommy brain" and it was something that wasn't uncommon after having a baby.

Women can balance a zillion things at a time. However, if we pile too much on our plates, sooner or later, things will start falling off said plates. It's no wonder so many of us have these slip ups occasionally. I remember after Little One was born and I had to go for my six week postnatal follow-up, the receptionist asked me for my phone number. I stood there with a blank look on my face. I completely forgot what my phone number was! For the life of me, I had no idea what it was and it really upset me. The receptionist smiled and said, "It's okay. You've got baby brain. Don't worry about it. Oh, and it gets even worse as they get older!"

Great.

My friend, Maddy'sMom told me that Momnesia can last up to the time the baby turns two years old. In other words, I only have two years to use this "excuse"! ;)

I found this interesting book online. It's called Momnesia: A Humorous Guide to Surviving Your Post-Baby Brain.
In the meantime, time spent with family and friends is a good remedy. My friend, E and I have come up with what we call "Download Days". Every woman should have "Download Days" to just relax and chat with friends over dinner or tea. Or, if you are lucky like me to have friends like SuperAmazingMommy, key lime pie days are great too! I don't like sweets or baked goods, but one thing I have no reservations about accepting is a slice of key lime pie! The sour/tart flavour of the pie and some good laughs with friends are just the perfect combination for a Saturday "chill out" session. Thank you, SuperAmazingMommy, Maria @Notes from a Brown House, and E!Little One says that SuperAmazingMommy's key lime pie is the best ever!
Buy kids all the toys in the world and they just play with the boxes the toys come in. Give kids a Rubbermaid storage bin, and it's hours of entertaining themselves!
Little One and her "boyfriend" (SuperAmazingMommy's youngest son).
Little One standing on her own. Yikes! I think she'll be walking on her own any day now. The thought of her walking just makes me want to cry. Seriously.