Rubber Band Theory

When we were younger, my siblings and I liked to tease our mom when she forgot things. We came up with our "rubber-band theory," and it has been a long-standing joke.  Here's the simple premise:

A woman's mind is like a rubber band.  When she's pregnant, the rubber band stretches out, making it more difficult to remember things.  After the first kid is born, there's still a lot of elasticity, and the rubber band snaps right back to close to it's original shape and capacity.

 After the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth child, though...

Mom pregnant with #7

 Not so much elasticity left.

Oh yes, we thought we were so clever and funny.  "Haha," we'd taunt, "rubber-band theory strikes again, Mom!" 

 Turns out, the joke's on me.  

Yes, my previous pregnancies left me feeling occasionally absent-minded and forgetful, but this time? This time I am capital B, Brain Dead!

Me pregnant with #1

 I've always been able to trust my brain and memory.  If I say I'll do something, I'll do it.  If I have an appointment, I'll remember it.  Not. Any. More.

In the last few months, I've forgotten birthday parties, choir practices, play rehearsals, meals I promised to bring, doctor appointments, church meetings... pretty much anything outside of my regular routine.  And friends, those are just the events I've forgotten.  If I tried to list all the commitments, intentions, promises, plans, and information I've spaced, we'd be here all day!

It's really shaken my world.  It's gotten to the point where I have to set an alert on my phone for every single thing I want to remember. 

At this point I'm just hoping that my brain will come back when the baby is born, because if this is my new normal ... I'm in big trouble!

Rubber band theory indeed!