Doing Alright.

Some days we’re winning and some days, we’re not necessarily losing, we’re just not winning.

After work, I washed up baby bottles, prepared bottles for the evening, got the formula all measured up. I even managed to get the diaper bag ready for the day tomorrow, prepare lunches for work, and got one load of three, folded.

This doesn’t happen every day. It used to, though. I used to seem to have it all together- before Emmarie came along. I always stayed on top of laundry, and things around the house. The grocery list was always up to date, and our fridge, and cabinets- always full of food. I always felt like I was doing well.

Nowadays, laundry happens less often, and the fridge; well, it always seems to be empty. I snap at my husband more; and it’s always over the silliest things. I think back on it later, and feel terrible for not being nicer to him. He really does do a great job. He shares in everything; dishes, laundry, dinner, helping with Emmarie. He’s one in a million, really. However, when things get chaotic, and the baby is having a bad day, we all tend to have a bad day, and we take it out on each other. We’re just tired. And overwhelmed. And expecting too much of ourselves.

Quite frankly, if the baby is changed, clothed, fed, and clean- we are doing alright. It’s not just the baby. It’s everything. Our house is never really dirty. We are doing alright. We manage to pay our bills, sometimes it runs close. But we are doing alright. The fridge, it’s bare sometimes, but we still have food. We are doing alright.

Life gets chaotic. The car breaks down. You pay that darn credit card payment one day late, and now have an extra $25.00 charge added onto your next payment. You’re running late for work. The young girl at the drive thru window made your coffee wrong.

You’re doing alright.

Yesterday Kevin helped his dad with some things around his house, and so it was just Emmarie and I. We had just got back from our weekend trip. We hadn’t seen the baby. Our house needed some straightening up. We had bottles and dishes to wash. We had laundry to do. And Emmarie? She was grumpy. Very, very grumpy. She needed a nap, but guess what she refused to do? Take a nap. I found myself stuck to the couch, with her right there, and everything else had to wait. But guess what, it got done eventually. And today, it’s a new day. And we’re doing alright.

Some days will be harder than others. Sometimes you’re going to snap at your kids, your husband, your wife, your parents, and you’ll look back and know you shouldn’t have. You’ll say I’m sorry, and get another chance at it. Tomorrow is a new day. It’s another chance to do better. And sometimes, we’ll do worse. It’s all a part of learning, and growing, and being human.

So today, if you’re overwhelmed, and struggling, know that it’s just a bad day. Cuddle with your kids; tell them that you love them. Sit on the couch in your pjs, and keep them happy. Because one day we will look back, and wish they were still little, and cuddling on the couch with mama and daddy. It goes by too fast, friends. So sit back, enjoy the chaos, and smile, because tomorrow is a new day.