Survival Mode

We all begin our journey as new parents wide-eyed and oblivious, not that any of us can help it. It's human nature. Something wonderful and exciting has happened, and we can't help but stand in awe of the tiny miracle that we have just become responsible for. And then reality sets in. Fast. And we go into survival mode.

It's one of those things you can hear about from someone else, but you will never fully understand it or grasp its weight until you are there, in the middle of it. Before I was a mother, I didn't think it could really be that hard to raise children and still manage to keep it all together. I would always plan meals and cook for my family, I said. My house would never become cluttered and messy. People with messy houses who eat too much fast food are just plain lazy. HAHAHA!! (That was me laughing at my former self, because I just could never have known what my life would be like today.)

The truth is that there is just no way we moms can do it all. I simply do not have the energy to work a full time job, keep a clean house, put food on the table, maintain a healthy marriage and raise two small children, one of whom depends on my body for his nourishment. I can't do it. And you know what? That's okay. Survival mode means having to prioritize and triage each situation as it comes. Just picked up the kids from daycare and they're both starving? Screw a home cooked meal, we're going through the Mickey D's drive thru and shoving hamburgers in our faces on the way home.

I have come to the realization that it's okay to wear the same pair of pants to work two days in a row if I haven't had time to do laundry. It's okay that I've worn my hair up in a bun every day since I returned from maternity leave. Blow drying and styling my hair just takes too much time and energy right now. It's okay if I need the help of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to entertain my kids for a few minutes so I can get something done or simply take a breather. You see, right now I have very young children and I am often running on little sleep, so I'm doing what I need to do to keep myself from going crazy.

The good news is, I know this won't last forever. Sure, I may not see my house spotless again for years to come, but I'd rather have a lived-in, happy household than a clean one without silly, playful children. I may not look my very best for a while, but I value the time I spend with my family above the time it would take to primp. Date nights with my husband may be few and far between right now, but they mean so much more to us than they ever did before. We understand that this time in our lives may be hectic, but it is also precious and fleeting. It seems like just yesterday we were cooing over our little tiny firstborn son, and now we've got a two year old and an almost three month old. Time flies, you guys. So enjoy it.