I want to somehow pretend that being a new millennial mom means that I have a ton of energy all of the time. Well, here’s a bright news flash: I don’t. I’m sleepy! I want to sleep in, don’t ever want to get out of the bed, and need more hours in the day, sleepy. I sit at work and think maybe if I had skipped the last 30 minutes of that really enticing show, I’d be much happier. I lie in bed at night trying to calculate and carry the one on an appropriate time to set my alarm. That’s the kind of tired I am and it’s every single day.

Since becoming this fabulous persona of a mom that I’ve cooked up in my head, I’ve realized that sleep just does not exist in my life like it use to. Not only does sleep no longer exist like it use to, but it’s become quite normal to me and it’s now a true realization that I probably won’t sleep well again until I’m 60. No exaggeration, but all I can think of is that I’ll probably keep losing my rest as my child gets older. And let’s not even mention the fact that at some point I’d like to have another child. Another newborn with no sleep pattern, turned weird sleep pattern, turned sleeping child kicking their parents around the bed so they can get their best sleep. It’ll be a cycle that won’t quite end for quite some time.

Now am I saying this to complain? Maybe! lol If I’m really real with myself, and others, I think having a place for moms to vent about things like this is important. And what I’ve learned through my journey is that there is always someone else that can relate. There’s another mom out their that’s tired, but has to go to work. And there’s another mom who may get to stay at home, but needs a load of coffee before making that target run with a baby in tow and a shopping list longer than she wishes. Whichever mom you are, in the midst of your quest for sleep, continue to do what you can to salvage a piece of “me time” or what my former therapist affectionately called it, “self care”. It is important.

What does self care look like? Well, it’s simply what you make it. It could be as simple as spending extra time in the shower shampooing your hair and daydreaming about your life before the kiddos. Self care could also mean a trip to the spa or a dinner date by yourself. It also could mean going to therapy and maintaining your sanity through the rapid trials of life. However it may look to you, self care is needed. I wish I could say it was required because I want all of us beautiful loving mamas to take care of ourselves. I hope you feel the big hug I’m giving you through my words, and yes, it’s a long grandmama-like embrace that makes you feel that everything in the world is okay. Hang in there, mama.

Xoxo

Big Faith Mama