Help Wanted

Doctor- Have you been under some stress lately?

Me- (looks at baby).......yes

Doctor-  Guess what you have?

Me- What???

Doctor- Shingles!  (like this is good news)

Me-............seriously?

This diagnosis hit me like a ton of bricks.  This virus has been in my system since I had chicken pox at the age of 7 and it's released on me again because of.....stress?

They say when it rains it pours and lately it's been pouring!  We've fielded almost every kind of stress there is these last couple months, emotional, mental, physical, and financial we've been there.

The first element of the stress recipe is lack of sleep.  Everyone knows that you won't sleep with a baby but this last month has been worse than usual. It all began with Kylea's first cold.  She has quite the flair for drama and she howled heartbrokenly for hours on end usually until she passed out asleep.  Of course she has become very attached to her mama and only wanted me while she wasn't feeling well.  When she was passed to someone else her screams would jump several octaves and grow several decibels until she was returned to me.  I think this affinity has more to do with a certain food producing anatomical appendage than anything else.

Shortly thereafter baby girl decided that sleep was optional because eating was necessary at least every hour day and night.  I believe the technical term is "4 month old regression."  Not every baby does it, but ours did.    

Part two of stress cocktail is financial concerns.  The dreaded student loans have entered repayment.  I feel a great sense of accomplishment for obtaining my degree but also a great deal of guilt for burdening my husband and family with the debt. This was sort of the icing on the cake.  Kevin and I haven't really had financial concerns in our marriage because we've always been very frugal.  I console myself by saying that I can't feel too guilty because I made a goal and I went about achieving it the ONLY way that I knew how.  And I did it!  Still, guilt is a tricky emotion.

It has been a VERY stressful month and a half.  Isn't it funny how my sleep deprived stressed out body punishes me more by breaking out into a giant painful rash.  Silly body, that's an incredibly counterproductive response to this situation!

If I could, I would post a "help wanted" add for multiple me's.  One would be there to meet Kylea's every need, the other would take care of home concerns, the other would go out into the job market utilize her education and earn money to pay off her student debt, and one to just take it easy get a haircut or a pedicure.  Maybe then I wouldn't break out into stress induced rashes.

I'm stressed but it's all worthwhile for this cute little girl.....enjoy some pictures.

at the mall

If mommy wasn't always after my hair it would look like this, wild!

Sick Kylea likes to ride in the sling and suck her fingers

best buddies

I love to read!