I had just survived one of those hyper-scheduled “days off.” Early morning short work assignment at the fertility clinic, my daughter’s first gymnastics class, squeeze in a quick workout for me (as long as she agrees to stay in the gym daycare), back home for a fast lunch, then out for a mid-afternoon doctor’s appointment with babe in tow because I couldn’t work out childcare. It was the kind of day that used to get me very frazzled, but I’ve been working on my organizational techniques lately, which has really been helping. I won’t lie, though, it’s hectic making that many logistical moves in a day with a two-year-old. It can be as busy or busier than a day in the OR! As the sun was going down, I pulled out my journal to reflect on all the day’s events. Instead of the typical narrative you often hear from moms like us, “It was so busy today, I had to… (insert long list here)â€�, I decided to turn it around. I wrote at the top of the page, “I get to…â€�
I Get To:
- Wake up at 5 AM to provide anesthesia for two women at the same fertility clinic where I was a patient, giving them hope and reassurance that they too will someday be an IVF success story
- Take my daughter to a Mommy & Me gymnastics class on a weekday when I don’t have to be in the OR
Warming up in Wednesday gym class
- Do a workout for myself, since after suffering for months with both a back and a shoulder injury, things are slowly resolving and I’m able to perform some of my favorite exercises such as the overhead press and barbell deadlift again
- Spend more time with my lovely daughter by bringing her to my doctor’s appointment (she surprisingly behaved perfectly)
- Argue with my husband about what wording to use in a text to a landscaper, who we are fortunate enough to afford to pay for landscaping services, as opposed to arguing with my husband about something less frivolous (such as where our next meal will come from or how we’re going to pay bills, etc.)
- Clean up potty training messes x 3 (“Oops, mama! There be poo poo on the seat/floor/etc.”), including a wipe down of the whole bathroom each time, and then bathe my beautiful baby by candlelight before laying her down in her bed, where we read books and sing songs and have a cuddle-fest
- Have a few minutes of silence to myself after everyone in the house is asleep, where I prepare healthy foods for lunches the next day, and then reflect like this on my “crazy” day