The Time of Your Life Don't Be Overwhelmed ...

**By Martha Copeland **

Let me direct your thoughts to this scenario. Six months ago you were in a hospital for 18 hours, in pain and feeling typically horrible. After 4-8 weeks your pain finally is gone, but there’s a new problem… you’re completely incapable of sleeping a full nigh**t. Four months later, you are finally getting a solid night of sleep, it feels amazing, but don’t think you’re out of the woods just yet. Now you are diligently trying to safeguard your home, one slip up could be disastrous. While it may not sound like it **THIS is the time of your life. The investment of time and money is more than anything else you will do with you life, however, the return is so much greater! You have the privilege every morning to look upon an angel’s sleeping face, and smell the sweetest fragrance. When you hold said baby in your arms you know that you’d do it all over again; pregnancy, labor, sleepless nights, just for one more second with your beautiful child.

That being said, if you are like me, you know that every now and then you have to have a moment to yourself. Even “Super-Mom” will wear around the edges if she doesn’t take the time for a small indulgence every now and then. Here’s my advice as a fellow mother, let go of the feeling that “daddy” can’t do it right. Now I will agree that I do everything better than my husband in relation to our daughter, *wink* but he is capable of back up support (with training of course, we didn’t get as good as we are overnight after all.) Personally my husband gives our daughter a bath at least once a week, while I lounge around the house or stare into a starry sky. We also take turns taking her places for example, Saturday I took my daughter with me to visit my sister, in return she will be “entertaining” her daddy while I go for a long evening walk and take a luxurious bath Thursday. He also helps with feedings on the weekends, changes diapers, etc. Before we made these arrangements it was very easy for me to forget that in addition to being a mother, wife, house keeper, laundry service, and chef, I am also just Josie a 21 year old woman who loves to read and go for long walks.

If your husband meets this idea with initial resistance, don’t be discouraged just remind him how hard you work all day while he’s at work and that your work doesn’t end at 5. It’s fair for both of you to get a little downtime while he’s not at work. Keep this in mind when you’re considering picking up the nearest frying pan… Have a wonderful day, and keep shining bright.