3 weeks

We're three weeks in. "Rollin rollin rollin, keep this family rollin..." It goes without saying (I've already said it in my previous posts) that life in the Hillstead home this month is full. There have been many moments where I think to myself, "Wow. Our cup runneth over!" And that's the nice way to put it.

Everything is good. Everyone is healthy, everyone is happy (for the most part), everyone is active. There is lots of love. Lots of noise. Lots to do in the kitchen and laundry room. Sheets to change, diapers to change, nursing pads to change.

Tyler is working at max capacity to WORK then come home and WORK alongside a wife that, admittedly, hasn't been herself recently (or for the last 10 months if we're really being honest). Not as fun for him, but he does it amazingly!  Raising a large family is a team effort and dad carries some serious weight after a new baby is born. He has been putting the kids to bed, cleaning dinner dishes and leaving me with a clean kitchen for the next morning and helping me as much as he can with Mikey during the night (and usually that's just a supportive comment in his sleep or a warm arm to wrap around the little guy). I SO appreciate him!  Work is always busy but on top of that we had Mikey right at quarter end which is an extra busy time. Tyler is also in school right now for his CPA so trying to get through homework and exams (last Friday, put him getting home after 7pm - bust). He is Elder's Quorum president at church which has it's busy moments - he was gone helping a new family move in Saturday morning and has several meeting every Sunday morning. He serves on the HOA board and what else... oh yea, has me bossing him around most the time. So he has very little free time. And yet, he is an example to ME of keeping his cool. Maintaining his priorities. And being pleasant to be around. Honestly he never loses his temper. He never walks in the door grumpy. We are all lucky to have his influence, love and support in our home.

Wow - so that paragraph went longer than expected but maybe that's where the focus needs to be this week. On my man. The other half to this picture. He is amazing.

After I had Jake I went through the same emotions/hormones that I've been facing this week and during a quiet moment of reflection I came up with an acronym for what I need to focus on in times of fatigue and stress.  I wrote it in my journal. Its the girl's name: LORA.  If you add a P before each letter it works:

pLesant

pOsitive

pRayerful

pAtient

These attributes are at the core of who I want to be and what I want to do as a mother. I try to remind myself of these basics often but frankly sucked it up this week most days.  That's the truth.  HOWEVER, I am getting better, feeling better and doing better. So Week 4 is looking promising. :)  And that's a really good thing for me and the kids and Tyler!