Week 15 - The hard times

Week 15 Picture

I've got a really good life. On the whole, I'm a very happy person. However, this past week will not be one that I look back on fondly in the years to come. It's been a taxing few days on me and my family emotionally and physically. Lately, it feels like things both big and small just won't stop piling up on us. This is nothing that we won't be able to get through in time, but that doesn't offer a lot of solace in the present.

Gee-ma snuggles

Part of the strain we've been feeling recently can be attributed to Jay's recent sudden change in disposition. There have been days this last week where he literally did nothing but sleep and cry all day.  The frustration of this is only amplified by comparisons to his cheery demeanor from only a few days before. It's nothing to be overly concerned about since his symptoms are consistent with early teething. Still, Kimbre and I both just hit a wall toward the end of the week where we just ran out of energy to deal with it on top of everything else. Being a new parent requires a staggering amount of patience, both with the baby as well as with each other - patience that can be hard to come by on three hours of sleep.

I'm confident we'll make it though. Kimbre and I make a really good team. Yesterday she sacrificed her time and energy to give me a chance to unwind and recover. Today I'm doing my best to give the chance to do the same (mostly by simply giving her a chance to sleep). I love Kimbre a lot.  She's all I could every hope as a wife, partner, and mother. I'm still amazed that I found her and even more amazed that I convinced her to marry me.

At the end of the day, it's this resiliency that gives me hope. Kimbre and I have yet to experience a challenge that we can't handle together. Besides, I honestly believe that a life without hard times is no life at all. You can't truly appreciate the good until you've had the bad. Life is lived in these contrasts, and it's what makes everything so beautiful.