Skip to main content

Day 266: That's Marriage, Man.

Our day started when the toddler got up at 4 a.m. and joined us in our bed to scratch me and roll around. I finally got up with him, accompanied by a headache, around 5:15. I did get him back to sleep, mere minutes before #2 got up and wanted to snuggle. As the day progressed, my headache got worse. Whenever this happens, it seems to stay just barely on the edge of manageable until my spouse is in transit, at which point the throbbing and nausea kicks up a notch. 

With only a couple of whiny sentences to warn him, my spouse walked in and immediately took over all the things. It's not super unusual for him to do that on any given day, but today I quickly quarantined myself in my bed and left him to manage baths, supper and bed time all by his lonesome. He did it all and managed to check on me and get me a bit of supper, too. 

I couldn't really put thoughts together lying in bed, because my brain hurt too much, but I remember hearing all the teeth brushing nonsense and thinking, "That's marriage, man." 

I don't mean marriage is all teeth brushing, though I highly recommend that practice. What I mean is that it's not all fluttery tummies and fast-beating hearts. It certainly is sharing joys, many of them immeasurable. But it's also sharing suffering. 

I happen to know it's been a week since he slept well and that he's busy at work and exhausted, and still he stepped up without complaint when I needed it. He didn't opt to play "who is suffering more?" as some people (cough-me-cough) have been known to do. He just did what needed to be done. 

Marriage can be a lot of fun, and we've had many good days. Sometimes, however, it just means doing what needs to be done to get through the day. It's harder to see, for sure, but there is beauty in that. 


Also breaking: #2 turned 2 today. Last night at supper he was calling us all maniacs. Today at school Mass he was yelling out bits of the readings and the homily. In an echo-y gym. His birth traumatized his mother some, but I'd do it over for him. He's sweet and funny, and he already has a knack for breaking up tense moments by doing something hilarious. Tonight he insisted on sleeping on the mattress on the floor in his room rather than the crib. He said to his father and me before heading to bed, "Don't wake up me." Um, yeah no problem buddy.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I Am A Blogger: CWBN 2017 Recap

The last weekend in March I had the great pleasure of attending a real life blogging conference! Like a real blogger! Cathedral of St. Paul Jacqui ,  Anna  and  Susanna  hosted the Catholic Women's Blogging Network Twin Cities get together at a stunning Summit Avenue mansion in St. Paul. Thirty-some wonderful Catholic women from the Twin Cities, the Midwest, and even Maryland joined up to talk blogging and really just to support each other and build each other up. My friend Monica encouraged me to go, and I signed up on a bit of a whim, figuring that if I paid for registration I'd be more inclined to go. If I didn't have a mutual friend link to one of the organizers, and if a couple of my most favoritest bloggers hadn't been speakers, I'd probably have chickened out.  In response to my evident nerves on the way, my husband wisely mused, "Well, if you're going to walk into a group of people you don't know, this is probably the best group yo
Post a Comment
Read more

Hey! Remember me?

Hey! I'm still here! I haven't given up on ye olde blog just yet, but I haven't had much to write about. I've been spending most of my time reading, mothering, household-running, reading, watching Instagram stories, and house hunting. Whew. Summer is flying by at breakneck speeds and I can barely keep up. I've read more books already than I did last year, which I think is saying a lot because I read more books last year than any year since I became a mother. I didn't set a number goal, but I did list out 10 or 15 that I wanted to get to. I've finished most, including the Harry Potters, but not all. It's a good reading year! Right now I'm reading one by a woman who gave up the Internet for a year. Insert scared emoji face. House hunting will likely be a whole separate post...someday. I have a few other posts in the rusty old brain, so we'll see if they come to fruition. I just didn't want you to forget about me!
Post a Comment
Read more

Overwhelmed by Information

We are experiencing crazy nice weather for North Dakota February. Today it was in the 40s so I took the kids out to play. We were out about 75 minutes. It wasn't many minutes into watching them shovel, throw ice chunks, and wander around that I got a little bored. I purposely left my phone upstairs (SO NOBLE, RIGHT?) but I found myself wishing I'd have brought my book. Then it struck me that I have information flowing into my brain almost constantly, and that I actually needed some time to wander around with no phone, no book, no radio, etc. I love reading, so much so that I'll read darn near anything. Kindergarten newsletter? Check. Junk mail? Sure. Random article shared on Facebook that I know will make my blood boil? Probably, if I'm bored enough. If I'm not reading, I'm usually listening. The radio or TV is on in the background, or I automatically throw on a podcast or audiobook if I have any amount of alone time for a walk or a drive. There is informati
Post a Comment
Read more