My 8th Little Thing

Recap: I pelted everyone with the same 10 questions I have already asked and figured out I already have the information I need; I just have to make peace with it.  So I’ve added to this plan since it looks like it may be a bit more long term than a week:


• Pray about the c-section every day.

• Find ways to counteract negative effects of c-sections, especially on baby’s guts (probiotics, certain foods I can eat, etc.).

• Figure out a way I don’t have to be separated from my kids after the c-section if possible. This almost happened with Sammy, but he was taken to the nursery for breathing problems and to have his lungs suctioned. I think that is called foreshadowing since he ended up with pneumonia 10 days later.

• Know that I am probably not going to be 100% mellow about having another major surgery where my kids are affected. I am grateful this option is there, I know why I’m doing it, but I am probably not going to be able to not feel a bit of panic under the influence of drugs, drugs I was hoping to never have to receive. I’ve never even smoked a cigarette and once got kind of tripped out from Advil. Caffeine actual messes me up for days. I really have problems with drugs.  I will practice relaxation techniques and visualize when Asher and Eowyn get here to get through the actual getting them here.


Week 8: Figure out a better morning routine

I used to be a morning person.  Not so much anymore, and I think I’ve identified the problem: my morning starts on someone else’s clock taking care of someone else’s needs every day. There is no quiet emerging out of sleep.  There are four hands in my face begging for eggs.  It puts me in defensive mode, not grateful mode, right off the bat.

I would benefit from 15 or 20 minutes alone in the morning to pray, drink some water with lemon, stare out the window, load the dishwasher. The problem is, every time I attempt to get up when Dennis leaves for work, the kids sense it. Instead of it being quiet Mommy time, it ends up being everyone awake way too early and kind of cranky and tired by 10 am. Whether they are sleeping in our bed or in theirs, they know when I emerge.

I am still going to try to stealthy slide out of bed this week for a few quiet moments of sanity.  If all else fails, I’m going to try the following:

• Convince the kids to let me grab a quick shower before breakfast. I am better if I am not around a hot stove half asleep, and water wakes me up.

• Make my bed daily. The small act of completing this task makes me feel like I have done something amazing.

• Open all the blinds. Natural light is good. It’s amazing how junky I feel when I forget to open the blinds.