The trenches of motherhood

Trenches of Motherhood. If you aren't certain of what that is, allow me to give you a visual description of what I am talking about...

I came across this photo a few weeks back and I just smiled and reminisced about what those days were like. Two small babies in diapers, one fighting ear infections and one with eye problems. Laundry that could never be contained and me, wearing what I am pretty sure is a shirt covered in baby spit up, and my husbands belt. Trying to keep a house, care for these two beautiful babies, somehow hold down a job and find clothes that were not clean enough to just make it in, and waiting to see Ricky in between of his working multiple jobs and farming too. Surviving. That was what we were doing.

I am still raising young kids, but I can definitely look at this and tell how much difference a few years have made. Don't get me wrong, my laundry is still not caught up hah, but I sleep now. Back in the days when this was happening I did not. Actually I think I went nearly 4 years without sleep. I am no longer able to change two diapers at the same time and I doubt I could even carry two babies at the same time of that size, when back then, everywhere we went I carried them both.

I know anyone caring for young kids knows what I am talking about. You've been there, you've gone weeks without ever having a complete thought and spent day after day in doctors office for one child or another. And chances are you did it and looked beautiful and put together the whole time. I clearly did not pull that off : )

If you are in the trenches of caring for babies and surviving, here is a note of encouragement. It gets easier. And it doesn't take forever to get easier. It happened for me nearly all at once (namely when Laney decided to sleep through the night) and when I got down to having just the one baby in diapers. Life has many chapters. I'm still always half stressed and torn between a balancing act of juggling lots of things at once, but life is for sure in a different stage now.

Hang in there, it gets easier. As for me, I cherish the memories of these times like above. I don't necessarily want to relive them but they are some of the best days of our lives!Now I am in a new stage. I enjoy them at this new stage so much. Each age brings something new to life. I thought I would be so sad when I had no more babies. And yes, I can get sentimental about it and wish they still fit into my arms. But their personalities are so fun to watch now and interact with. And now that I have been sleeping through the night for a few years, I don't know how I ever did it all those years. I neeeed and appreciate my sleep so much!

Take heart mom in the trenches, sleep is coming. And it is good :)