Exhaustion does that word even do your second, third,
fourth, fifth and so on pregnancy justice?
Yeah I don’t think so either.
I remember my first pregnancy seemed as though everything
was happening right along with my, “ What to expect when you are expecting”
book. It was my mission to lie on the couch and read my updates for the week,
and confirm that everything is going as it should.
My second trimester hit and just like the book said I felt
ALIVE! It said you could also be feeling
frisky. It was great I was rejuvenated and wanting my husband so much that I
would wake up at 4a just before he got up for work, for sex.
Yes Sex!
Well what happens with your second?
I’m still waiting for that second trimester like with my
first. Some days I lie in bed thinking I’m only 27 and I'm too tired for sex.
Then my mind wonders thinking but you are in your second trimester….
I’m tired all the time.
It must be the fact of
taking care of another child, your husband, and you and that growing baby. I
also top it off with building a house on Wed. and Sat. and you got me begging
for sleep by Saturday evening.
And the messes, the demands, the food, it doesn’t compare to
when it was just two adults. My advice
when you are pregnant for the second time is, to know your cues. It is very easy for me to not eat as much as
I should because I'm busy being a mom.
But when I wait too long to eat, things can get ugly very quickly. And I know as soon as I start to snap at
Riley, that I need to take care of myself first thing in that moment. Now I can
tell Riley, that mommy has to eat, and explain to her the baby and she backs
right off. I try to remember that messes are not important. The piles of dog
hair in the corner can wait, the toys the stuffed animals all across the
floors, can wait. Because you know what
they say, keeping a clean house with a toddler is like shoveling while it’s still
snowing.
My second piece of advice is, when you are tired,
sleep. Find a way for your child to
occupy themselves even a 15 min. nap really helps. When I need just a quick
boost I take Riley up to her room, we shut her door and I tell her that mommy
needs a rest. She usually then plays with her Teddy's and gets them dressed over
and over. And the nap is usually 15-20 mins until she has to go potty! And I
feel much better. ( notice the word usually, it doesn’t happen every time I
want!)
My third piece of advice, for when you are so tired, and it’s
not possible to nap, and your child is driving you to wits end, take some quiet
time with God. They don’t have to be “quiet.” If you wait for moments in order
to pray and be refreshed by scripture they may never come. Your children need
from you the love, strength, and wisdom only God can supply. Keep your bible
open. Pray quick, specific “arrow prayers” throughout the day. This will be a
great model for your children, and someday your quiet times with God will be
quiet again.
Quick thing with modeling behavior, I was singing a song from church the other
day, and it had Jesus in it. Riley started singing with me and then when I
stopped she started putting her hands together and rocking back and forth
singing, yes Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus
loves me….” It was so precious. I had never even thought to sing this song to
her. I have never heard her sing it before. I am assuming she learned it at
church, but I think it was my singing of Jesus that brought it on for her to sing
it for me!
Today I learned this.
Riley usually naps around 11a or noon. Well it was 11:30 we had already
been outside out an about and I was hoping she would go down soon. She still
seemed too awake. I was feeling tired. So I tried eating, helped but not
enough. I couldn’t shake the feeling of I'm about to pass out.
So it’s 11:30. I told Riley that I had to
take a nap and it was just about nap time for her too. I told her that momma
was gonna go lay down in her bed and she could take her teddy and piggy in her
bed with her along with her milk and she could take a rest. She was excited to
play in her bed with them. I laid down
got to listen to her sweetly play with her stuffed animals for about 20 mins.
Then she started with her mommy Mommy.
I told her I was sleeping in my bed and she should sleep too. She played a few more minutes. Then I heard
nothing. We both feel asleep for two hours! It was great and stress free.
So sometimes, not all the time, explaining things to a 21
month old can help.
When I was visiting my family, they wanted me to stay up
with them so bad. I couldn’t. Everything was so exhausting. I could barely make it up til ten and let
alone not take a nap. When my dad
started to whine about me staying awake and join the party, I said, “ PEOPLE, I’m growing a baby here.” They
laughed, I laughed and then I passed out J
I think it’s
important when we can’t get those moments to take a nap, find rest, to seek God’s
wisdom. Everything can just over take
us, and when your tired it’s easy to put off checking with God about all the
decisions we make.
“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God who give to everyone
liberally and ungrudgingly without reproaching or faultfinding and it will be
given to him.” James 1:5
If things seem so complicated that your no longer able to enjoy
the life as God intended, it’s time to see God’s wisdom. In all things, God
wants you to acknowledge and seek Him, use wisdom, and make the best decisions
you know how to make.
Through a simple prayer from wherever you are, you can ask
God for wisdom about any situation you face. Before you commit to something, or
buy something, check with God. If you
have peace about it proceed, but if you don’t feel right about it, then wait.
Seek Gods wisdom and make decisions based on what you sense
in your spirit. This I find is so important with pregnancy too. Then move
forward believing that God will bless you because you acknowledge Him in your
decisions.
