RELATIONSHIPS
That’s my word for 2021. When I chose TOGETHER for 2020, never did I imagine how much togetherness I would spend with my family. But as I reflected on this past year I realized time together doesn’t mean we focused on investing in our connections with each other. So much of our time was focused on making it through: making it through a difficult pregnancy, making it through all the changing regulations for delivery during a pandemic, making it through the NICU, making it through adjusting to a new baby and life as a family of 4. So this year I’m taking back what 2020 took from me; building stronger RELATIONSHIPS with my faith, my family, my friends, my momma community, and myself.
Relationships are so important because they lift us up when we are down and cheer us on when we are crushing it! Going through this pandemic at the end of my pregnancy, worried about the high possibility that I would have to give birth alone (I didn’t. My hubby was able to be there with me.), I never in a million years imagined spending the first weeks of my baby’s life worried about him making it. He was taken to the NICU less than 12 hours after he was born, and it was more than my heart could bear. With all the COVID restrictions it made an already stressful time so much more so. Even though I did have my husband in the hospital with me I felt so isolated and alone not being able to be with my child in the same room, not being able to hold him, not being able to be there for him in those moments. There we so many emotional roller coasters during this time from different rules on COVID precautions with each shift, being told he was being discharged only for his stay to be extended 4 extra days as we were packing him up to go home, to not being allowed to stay with him because of the new COVID/NICU policy. It was a hard time for our family to feel secure.
,After all that stress we were finally settling in at home, but now I was worried about keeping my baby safe. I’m normally an on the go mom, so I like to take my littles out to explore, go on “adventures”, and make the memories, so staying at home was really hard on both my and my toddler’s mental health. The saddest thing I heard him say during all this was, “I’m SO excited we are at Target! I actually get to see people!” It hurts my heart that these times have affected how he’s been able to learn to interact with others and make friends. He is at such an important age to learn about socializing and he hasn’t had that opportunity.
So that’s it! In 2021 we are taking back our relationships! I’m really investing in each member of my family and as a whole. I’m taking the time to focus on myself, so I can be the best version of me for my family, my friends, and the Little Rock Momma Community! We are finding safe ways to see our friends and bring back the adventures, to lift them up through life’s struggles and cheer them on the loudest when they crush it!
