'Do it tired'
My amazing sister who I so adore and admire gave me some advice a few years ago that I will never forget. I remember watching her go about all the demands of motherhood with 3 kids (now 4!) and be amazed at how she just keeps going despite the little sleep she was having at the time with a newborn. After commenting something like 'I don't know how you do it. Aren't you too tired!?' She responded 'you know what Grace? You just have to do it tired'. Although this doesn't sound like the most profound statement in the world, it has really helped me keep a good attitude on those tired days. Days like today after multiple 'disaster nights' (as my hubby and I like to call them). Days when I'm onto my 3rd coffee by lunch time but I'm not sure if they are actually making any difference. Days when you throw on the first clothes you can find and rush out the door without socks on and end up walking home from mothers group through the busy streets of town with one shoe on because you got an epic blister! You know the days I'm talking about, and sometimes these days all merge into one and end up being week or months.
I said to a friend the other day 'I have come to accept that the next 10-15 years of my life I will probably always be tired.' If I want to be the kind of Mum that gets up with her kids at 6am, or stays up late making muffins and doing loads of washing. If I want to be the best Mum I can be, I will most likely be tired. I will probably very rarely have the 8 or even 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night which I would like. If I want to still write or read or play music or have any time to myself, I may need to skip my afternoon nap while bub is sleeping (doing that right now).
The challenge in all of this is how do you remain happy, alive, alert, fun and just generally not a Mumzilla when you haven't had enough sleep?
Well I'm not really sure what the answer to that question is.
All I know is just over a week ago I spent the night in emergency with baby Tobias (almost 8 months). He woke suddenly struggling to breathe. The breathing attack lasted around 35 minutes and was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. I was at my Mum's caravan so we jumped in the car and drove normally a 40 minute trip in 20 minutes to the nearest hospital. Mum went through multiple red lights and drove like a ninja while I just prayed and held my pale, floppy baby in my arms. Tobs was given steroids and diagnosed with croup. Basically his throat was inflamed and his air passage became very narrow, restricting his breathing. That night I saw another precious babe in emergency also struggling to breathe, another sleep-deprived parent, another heart aching with worry, overflowing with love. How precious life is. What a gift every day is. Every moment we are given with our babes is so valuable. I, for one, don't want to miss out on enjoying as much of this crazy life as I can.
I know some days can be a struggle. But I will remind myself that even today is a gift. Today I will choose joy (even if it's just a little) and just 'do it tired'.
I said to a friend the other day 'I have come to accept that the next 10-15 years of my life I will probably always be tired.' If I want to be the kind of Mum that gets up with her kids at 6am, or stays up late making muffins and doing loads of washing. If I want to be the best Mum I can be, I will most likely be tired. I will probably very rarely have the 8 or even 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night which I would like. If I want to still write or read or play music or have any time to myself, I may need to skip my afternoon nap while bub is sleeping (doing that right now).
The challenge in all of this is how do you remain happy, alive, alert, fun and just generally not a Mumzilla when you haven't had enough sleep?
Well I'm not really sure what the answer to that question is.
All I know is just over a week ago I spent the night in emergency with baby Tobias (almost 8 months). He woke suddenly struggling to breathe. The breathing attack lasted around 35 minutes and was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. I was at my Mum's caravan so we jumped in the car and drove normally a 40 minute trip in 20 minutes to the nearest hospital. Mum went through multiple red lights and drove like a ninja while I just prayed and held my pale, floppy baby in my arms. Tobs was given steroids and diagnosed with croup. Basically his throat was inflamed and his air passage became very narrow, restricting his breathing. That night I saw another precious babe in emergency also struggling to breathe, another sleep-deprived parent, another heart aching with worry, overflowing with love. How precious life is. What a gift every day is. Every moment we are given with our babes is so valuable. I, for one, don't want to miss out on enjoying as much of this crazy life as I can.
I know some days can be a struggle. But I will remind myself that even today is a gift. Today I will choose joy (even if it's just a little) and just 'do it tired'.
Great piece Gracie, I hope other Mums get to read and feel encouraged too. You are so right every day we have is a gift, our children are so precious and as parents we hold their lives in our hands and hearts to inspire them and mentor them and help them hit the Tamborine and make wonderful music with heir lives. Very well done Grave xxx
ReplyDelete