When my daughter was born I was working at a job I really enjoyed and would be returning to after 3 months of maternity leave. Although the pay wasn't great, my work environment allowed me the flexibility to drive a short distance to nurse my daughter during lunch breaks and visit my son. Financially, it was only right that we move back in with my mother. Not only was that a financially sound decision but I received tremendous support. My son had a lot of attention from his grandmother and uncles while I spent quality time with my daughter and vice versa. As time went on, my son continued to suggest he wanted his own home. It got to the point that he refused to identify my mother's house as "his" home. Not only did we have to adjust with moving to a new place, we had to wean my family from the 24/7 access they once had. That was no small task I might add. But one of the most intricate lessons I learned while living with my mother for that short time frame was the importance of spending time with your family and yourself.
I now have a strict schedule in place that consists of a weekday and weekend routine. I strive to not feel overwhelmed with not feeling that I spend enough time with each child individually. What I am slacking off on is spending time alone especially now that we're expecting our 3rd child in May. On my daughters 2nd birthday she informed me that she's a big sister now. As random as that was, it painted a clear picture and brought me back to May 2010 when I found out I was pregnant with her. I'm going to be a mother of 3 & instead of the anxiety I once felt going from 1 to 2, I feel that I am now equipped to love our new addition quite fine. And honestly who could resist another one of these sweet faces?
