Bodega Bay Getaway
I read an article somewhere a few weeks ago and this line completely resonated with me…Fill up your cup! Some of us have guilt or even feel selfish when we do things for ourselves, when there is so much that needs to be done for our families. The reality is that we all need a little break from the action to feel rejuvenated and to be better partners and parents. When my husband and I start to feel bogged down by the pressures of life, we typically recognize each others need for a break and recommend either some time away together, a golf day for him, a massage for me, or even a getaway separately with our own friends. This has been essential in our lives.
With our new little guys due date quickly approaching and our son’s recent tantrum antics, we both felt the need to have one last hoorah before our lives take a drastic turn from one child to 2. For me, this was getting a nice hotel with a girl friend for a few nights, napping, eating, vegging in front of the fire place, and watching Bravo. For him, it is partying like a rockstar in Vegas with his buddies for the weekend (sleep is obviously way more important to me than him :)).
So…fill up your cup (and maybe recommend your partner do the same). Do something for yourself whenever you can fit it in. Maybe it’s something as simple as going on a peaceful walk by yourself every week, or maybe you get 1 weekend away a year to do as you choose (without guilt from your spouse upon your return). Think about what makes you feel happy and fulfilled and treat yourself. We all need to hit the reset button sometimes.
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the line, “oh enjoy this time, it goes by so fast.” I’m certain almost every parent has said this to someone with younger kids at some point. These song lyrics by Trace Adkins get me every time,
I remember at the beginning, when I was in extreme pain from a broken tailbone after delivering my 9 pound 5 oz. baby, nursing was almost unbearable for 4 weeks (and he was nursing every 1.5-2 hours for what seemed like forever), and we were mentally and emotionally drained from the whole process of learning how to take care of such a helpless human being. I remember my mom saying, “just take it one feeding at a time.” I would dread bedtime because I was SO tired, in a lot of pain and knew that getting a stretch of sleep longer than 2 hours was not in the cards for me. Then, when I finally got that 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I felt like a new person! I started to see the light, and then bam, ear infection! Bam, teething! Bam, another ear infection! More teeth, flu, sleep regression, more teeth, croup, and on and on and on. This is the reality of having a child, and boy was I not prepared. Just when I thought I had finally gotten the hang of it, something changed and I was thrown once again.
wish we didn’t have children or these experiences. Don’t get me wrong, there have been times when my husband and I have looked at each other and said, “wouldn’t it be nice to sell everything and take off to Costa Rica to live the simple life” or “what if we just worked our butts off for 10 more years, retired, and were free for our last 60 years.” I’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again….it’s the little moments that make it all worth it…the snuggles, watching him learn new things, the funny phrases he comes up with, and the fact that he is a result of the love my husband and I share. If we didn’t get any joy back in return from this little guy, I can’t even say that we’d feel differently. There’s just a bond that exists that is unexplainable. For example, I cannot wait until he goes to bed at night, then after he finally falls asleep after fighting me for an hour, I miss him. WTF?!?
Rainbows, Butterflies and Unicorns 