Friday, March 4, 2011

Ever Just Feel You Can't Do It All?

Work has gotten so busy lately with staff quitting, new wins to be staffed (made harder since we have a staff shortage) and lots of difficult conversations had by yours truly which basically means I am the deliver of bad news. On top of that, we are in the middle of our budgeting process for the year, my client service work is still not finalized, I have a backlog of reports I have to run to send to my managers upon their request, training deadlines I have to determine and communicate as well as deploy staff for, larger staffing issues to deal with for my high profile clients, and all of this must be fulfilled before I leave for maternity leave which begins after April 15th.

Personal tasks include obtaining certification from my doctor for my lactation consultant program enrollment information, sending it in, getting everything ready for taxes, doing the taxes, canceling memberships and premiums, monitoring our bank account, changing my name on all my other savings accounts, car loans, school loans, ensuring all our automatic payments are accurate, figuring out what we eat next week, going grocery shopping, working out consistently throughout the week so I can surpass our family's body, mind and soul challenge, figuring out what baby furniture we want and if two different brands with the same color title will be the same, gearing up for our birth classes, reading through all the prego manuals and books I have been given, doing the laundry, and cleaning the house. I also have to figure out our budget with the baby, which includes research and theorizing situations (insurance with my work, with Andy's school, etc.)Andy helps a lot (he takes care of the toilet if it's plugged, cooks if I'm running late, researches the baby furniture, builds furniture, helps with the laundry if he's home and studying, and is always positive!) but a lot of his responsibilities lie in studying and doing well, so if he comes home early, he is studying or gearing up for his residency applications.

To say I feel a bit overwhelmed is an understatement. If I thought wedding planning was insane, boy was I in for it. And if I think this is anything compared to once the baby shows up, I am double in for it! And more than one kid? How do people do it?!

Life gets busy! Tasks keep on piling up. Being a grown up just kinda happens before you know it! If there's one thing I'm grateful for, it's the consistency of small things that keep me grounded from the list of crap - I mean responsibilities- I have to deal with. Scripture study has never been so joyful for me as it has been lately. It is the one time during my day that I can sit down, relax and just focus on getting closer to spiritual things that matter and work on my eternal progression. Things are put into perspective and I am always grateful for everything - even the overwhelming ones! I'll admit - sometimes, I'm still signed on through my email and sametime (like an aim conversation but for work) - forgetting so, I may get a ping and have to depart from my study to address a work issue right away, but the determination to study seems to take over and the work issues are always quickly addressed. Study has been the one time throughout my day I can just step away from it all.

Sometimes blogging about this stuff feels a bit like just moaning and groaning about it - but somehow it is therapeutic and when I reflect on it, I think - that's honestly nothing compared to what other people do, so I can deal. I can deal. And even if I can't, at least my little moment away from reality to scripture study is something I can look forward to.

1 comment:

Kimberly Bluestocking said...

Scripture study time has become sacred to me, too, for the very reasons you mention. When both kids go down at naptime, it's the first thing I do because otherwise it won't happen and I need that quiet time to recalibrate and feed my soul.

As for how parents manage multiple kids without going nuts, the first child is a huge adjustment, but the second one is much easier because you've been through most of it before and you've learned to adapt. I've heard adding a third is a much bigger challenge than the second one - guess I'll find out in a few months. :)