Well, I’ve been delightfully MIA for the past couple weeks. I had every intention of diving back in right away, but I decided to take the time and savor the little bit of time together before Ryan’s parental leave was up. If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw that Ryan resumed his rotation last Saturday and deployed again – leaving us solo for the next six-ish months. My mother, thankfully, arrived the day before he left to help us ease into this transition and carry us over to Mieke’s 5-week mark. I’m endlessly grateful for that because wow…this mom-of-three thing is no joke.
I’ve had an insanely easy recovery physically from Mieke’s birth, so it’s more of a mental adjustment than anything else. I remember feeling like this after Porter was born, too. It was like, how did I ever think one was hard? And now, how did I ever think two children was hard?! But it is, and I’m having to consistently remind myself to give myself a little grace and space as we adjust.
But we are. We are adjusting. We are finding our rhythm, and I’m excited to get back to blogging, too. It’s a bit of a therapy for me while Ryan’s gone, much like running is my therapy. I’ve been slowly diving back into running, as well, which has been a godsend mentally.
Meanwhile, as we transition into this new normal for us during Ryan’s deployment and with a new little family member, we’re busy, busy, busy. I’m learning that I’m much more capable than I thought I was. I’ve navigated solo appointments, nursing in public (and on-demand), moving, unpacking, cleaning, everything. I set up an appointment with DEERS to get Mieke enrolled as a valid dependent, which is something I never thought I’d have to do. I secured certified waivers to ensure we can get Mieke’s passport and Spencer’s new passport in time to travel this December. There are hoops and hurdles everywhere I look, yet I’m doing it. We’re doing it.
Finding our rhythm without Ryan, or in new circumstances is always hard. It’s challenging and exhausting, but I’m grateful for the challenges, however chaotic they are. They show me my own strength when I’d otherwise never see it, and for that I’m endlessly grateful. And now, as I slowly challenge myself to get back in this new normal of ours, I’m excited to start blogging again – both the good and the bad.
It’s bound to be a wild ride!
