Happy Monday Friends!!
I wanted to give a quick update on life since having a baby. To say the least it’s been crazy in our life the past 6 weeks. Yes it has been 6 weeks since having baby girl and I haven’t had a moment to even blink.
Since starting a new part-time job at the beginning of July, life has been a whirlwind. I am still currently employed with my studio back in Washington, helping with nutritional clients and managing all social media / website maintenance. In addition, I have my own personal nutrition clients and run coaching clients, which I love all the above.
Then to add a cherry on top, I started coaching XC August 1st, a few days after baby girl was born; both middle school and high school girls and boys. I made my husband the assistant coach, since my hired assistant coach quit before starting. Thankfully he agreed, although I don’t know how much choice he had in the manner. 😉 I figured it would be some time we can all spend together as a family, and it’s been crazy fun.
I officially came to practice one week post-partum and I jumped right back into work on Monday after baby was born. Thankfully, I do much of my work at home, but to be quite honest, the last 6 weeks have been overwhelming. Cross county practice every day after school, meets on Saturdays and my oldest starting preschool. A newborn who requires a lot of my time and a toddler starting the 2 year old tantrum stage.
Thankfully, Mariah was available to write some posts while I tried to adjust to it all. I am finally feeling like I have a little breather, only because flash flooding is happening here, my electricity is out and I can write this in Word without the Internet, otherwise I would be working (even though it is a Saturday, as I write this). Yes even on Saturday’s and Sunday’s I am working, here lies my problem.
I am trying to find balance to it all. I won’t download an email app for my new job on my phone, because I don’t have time for a fourth email account to be checking constantly. Social media has taken a back burner, along with the blog, as I try to manage my time and figure out what is more important to me. To be blunt, the social media world isn’t ra priority right now, no offense. It more exhausts me.
I will be honest in saying that I will stay up and work on one of my many jobs until after 9 p.m., trying to stay caught up. I feel spread too thin between work, family and friends. Some days I don’t even feel like I have time to eat or go to the bathroom. Running to and from school to drop off and pick up R, getting to XC practice, getting back home to make dinner, going to doctor appointments, start bedtime routine, get emails off or replied too, check in with clients, read bed time stories, get to piano practice……
Honestly, how do ya’ll do it?! My oldest is requesting “mommy time” and my husband would like a date. My youngest is struggling with keeping food down, and I am struggling to find a doctor to listen or help me. She cries all evening, making the little time we have as a family before bedtime exhausting and hard.
My toddler is getting his molars and is adjusting to not being the baby anymore. I have post pregnancy hormones raging, with hot flashes, cold sweats at night and meltdowns.
To sum it all up, I need more time in my days, a little more breathing room, and the only way to make this happen is to say “NO” and to say “see ya” to some things. I am evaluating how much more I can do of all my jobs, and whether or not I can part with one or two. I love doing them, and with looking for a new house and now pay off mounting, unexpected medical bills from all this additional appointments with baby girl and having a baby, we can’t afford to quit, at least not for now. Life happened.
The 20 extra hours a week I spend at my new job is challenging and outside my comfort zone, as well as outside my expertise. Working in education has many challenges and learning Texas education for charter schools is even more challenging, Some days mentally I just don’t have it in me, and the lack of sleep doesn’t help. I find myself wondering “What am I doing? Why am I here?”
Needless to say, Mariah may be covering more and more for me in the next couple of months. I will call it my maternity leave. I need to focus my extra time on family and not feel like our blog is just another “job,” because what I used to enjoy doing, has now become something I stress about and don’t want to do anymore.
We will be sharing some great recipes again in the next few weeks and I will have some new recipes ready to share as well. I hope you will continue to come back and I hope you offer me a little grace as I transition to our new life in Texas and our new life as a family of 5.
Oh and I will share more on my birth story in the next coming weeks. Promise!!
Please leave any tips or comments for a working stay at home mom (yes, almost all of my jobs can be done at home, except for coaching XC and my occasional meetings), because I welcome any tips I can get. I know there are many of you out there that are juggling more than I am!!
All my love,
Bryanna
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit
Tip number one. Give Him the First and the lump will be blessed:)