Hellobee

Recently we went through the toughest of times, the most emotional, and the busiest. We were flying by the seat of our pants, and there were many weak points filled with tears, stupid arguments, high stress levels and pure exhaustion. In those moments, I felt incredibly overwhelmed and like there was no end in sight. The trenches. I feel like we’re finally over the hump, and those few weeks of transition and complete chaos are now a blur to me. Hey, we survived! In reflection, here’s how.

Repeat: This too shall pass. Everything is a stage and a phase. The good and the bad. Savour the good moments, and repeat as often as necessary, “this too shall pass” to survive those can’t see past them tough moments. Time is your best friend and worst enemy.

Let other priorities drop. We got married on our property, and hosted a wedding here. That was the messiest our house has ever been. Well, these past few weeks? Gave that mess a run for its money. Big time. We’re still not there, but hey, at least now I can say our floors have been washed twice since W was born. The housework had to fall to the bottom of the list. Something had to give.

Make time for the things that will keep you sane. See above. Let other things go, but don’t give up on the things that help you relax a bit. Mr. M went on a camping trip. I had lots of baths and binge-watched a few Netflix shows while staying up too late. Me time is more important than sleep sometimes.

Splurge on something that will make you feel better. For me, I spent some money on some energy work that I knew would help me sort through and process all of the change and craziness that I was experiencing. Get a massage, get a manicure, see a therapist. Whatever it is that will make you feel better and somewhat grounded, it’s probably worth it. 

Cry it out. Pre-pregnancy I didn’t cry very often (besides from movies and TV, of course). I definitely cry much more now as a parent, and I allow myself the grace to work through stuff by letting the tears flow. I always feel better after releasing some serious stress-induced tears.

Be kind to each other. I’m not going to lie, this one was tough at times. We were both so incredibly busy and stressed and more snippy than usual with each other. In those tough moments we were forgiving and knew that it was the extenuating circumstances that were making us assholes.

Have something to look forward to. We had a hike planned for Mother’s Day. We knew that this would be a time when things were settled down, and we could spend some stress-free time together. Hey, we even got to enjoy the PNW vibes from our vacation and hiked in the pouring rain.

How do you survive the parenting trenches?