I am 39+3 with a few older dc. My edd is the same date as my dd's birthday next week, so dh and I came up with a plan to take her on a special birthday trip today and tomorrow (dh is taking her, I am at home with the others) to help stave off the feelings of being overshadowed by baby and Christmas this year.
My DM surprised me by offering to come stay while dh & DD are away. Great - helping hand with the dc, less pressure on me, etc.
But it isn't like that at all, and I always forget until she comes to visit. She wants entertaining, she sits while I do all the cooking, takes several naps throughout the day, etc. I've been up since 5am from doing the airport run, and after waking at 8am talking about how well she slept (fab, I'm happy she was comfortable), she went up for a nap at 9.30am "because I can! You don't mind, do you?"
I basically have to function as of I'm the only adult in the house, but it's harder because I still have to cater to a guest. Then there's the never-ending comments on the levels of cleanliness and/or clutter in the house, when again, I could just do with a helping hand rather than someone else to cater for.
I am making her sound awful. She isn't deliberately nasty, just kind of clueless and seems to have forgotten what it's like to run a household with children in it!
Normally I'm willing and able to overlook this sort of thing and just accept her for who she is - a complicated woman who loves us to the best of her ability but doesn't give me what I actually need. I'm just feeling fed up and tired today. Blah.