My husband left this afternoon for a three-day business trip and it was the hardest "leaving" I've ever experienced. He's been travelling every other week for a while now, so this is nothing new, but I've never experienced it quite like today. I missed him before he even walked out the door and I felt a deep, deep sadness at the thought of his being away that went beyond the hardship of caring for both babies by myself. Here's how I will take care of myself and the babies while he is away:
* start off prepared - before my husband left, i did a grocery store run to make sure we were stocked up on supplies. i brought all dirty laundry down to the basement and keith and i did a few loads before he left. it's too hard to negotiate carrying multiple loads of laundry from the second floor down to the basement with an awake toddler and infant. and who wants to use their precious nap time for carrying laundry? just as important, there is gas in the car for a spur of the moment adventure.
* get plenty of sleep - this cannot be overstated. there is nobody to take over or share parenting or household duties with. i'm on 24 hours a day for three days in caring for our toddler and our infant. so each night i must get to bed at a reasonable time so that i have energy and stamina to keep the kids and me thriving. for me, this means trying to be asleep by 10:30, not 12:30 am!
* get outside - soon after my husband left, i loaded up the kids into the double stroller and headed for the neighborhood park. today was a gorgeous overcast crisp-cool day (reminding me of october, not mid-may) and it felt great to stroll the neighborhood and chat with other moms and dads. feeling connected to a community and being in nature can do wonders for your sense of well-being.
* see the positives - oodles of alone time to surf my favorite blogs, read my book club's selection for this month, watch that foreign film my husband never feels like seeing, or having a mini spa night, with bubble bath, lavendar body scrub, and face mask, with no feelings of guilt for not taking advantage of good time with hubby.
And now, alone in my king-size bed, I will dive into that juicy book that has been ignored for too long...
* start off prepared - before my husband left, i did a grocery store run to make sure we were stocked up on supplies. i brought all dirty laundry down to the basement and keith and i did a few loads before he left. it's too hard to negotiate carrying multiple loads of laundry from the second floor down to the basement with an awake toddler and infant. and who wants to use their precious nap time for carrying laundry? just as important, there is gas in the car for a spur of the moment adventure.
* get plenty of sleep - this cannot be overstated. there is nobody to take over or share parenting or household duties with. i'm on 24 hours a day for three days in caring for our toddler and our infant. so each night i must get to bed at a reasonable time so that i have energy and stamina to keep the kids and me thriving. for me, this means trying to be asleep by 10:30, not 12:30 am!
* get outside - soon after my husband left, i loaded up the kids into the double stroller and headed for the neighborhood park. today was a gorgeous overcast crisp-cool day (reminding me of october, not mid-may) and it felt great to stroll the neighborhood and chat with other moms and dads. feeling connected to a community and being in nature can do wonders for your sense of well-being.
* see the positives - oodles of alone time to surf my favorite blogs, read my book club's selection for this month, watch that foreign film my husband never feels like seeing, or having a mini spa night, with bubble bath, lavendar body scrub, and face mask, with no feelings of guilt for not taking advantage of good time with hubby.
And now, alone in my king-size bed, I will dive into that juicy book that has been ignored for too long...
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