Learning to Relax

I mentioned awhile back that adjusting to being home everyday has been a bit more of a challenge than I originally anticipated. The idea sounds great when you're used to having 45+ hours of your week scheduled for you, but in reality I was a bit overwhelmed by the total lack of structure. I feel the need to be as productive as possible, but at the same time I want to make the most of the window of time I have to rest. Finding that balance has been a bit tricky.

I feel like this week has gone much better than last as I continue to try and sort this out. Monday started off a bit differently than expected, which perhaps caused me to rest a little more than I would have otherwise. Dan woke up early Monday morning to go work out like usual, but instead of hopping out of bed like he normally does, he nearly collapsed when his feet hit the floor. The night before we had been at a church picnic when he heard some strange popping noises in his ankle during a game of football. If you know Dan, you know he doesn't do much half-way -- particularly when it comes to sports. So while he did stop momentarily to assess the pain, he quickly jumped back into the game and finished, thinking he just needed to stretch it out. Well, Monday morning seemed to indicate otherwise, so he crawled back into bed (which NEVER happens) and we both enjoyed a nice morning to sleep in a bit.

I had already planned to have a friend over for lunch, along with her adorable 2-year-old daughter, so I spent the morning getting ready for that and tending to a gimpy husband who would occasionally get up from the couch and hobble around on a wooden baseball bat he used as a crutch. After a delightful lunch, Dan determined that he needed to "stretch it out" some, and so we took advantage of his sick-day and went to see the new Disney movie "Up." And since we were able to catch the matinee, we even splurged and saw it in 3-D. We loved the movie (I cried through it! And that is NOT because I'm pregnant), and it was so fun to just do something rather spontaneous like that. We forgot to take a picture in our glasses, but you can just imagine :-)

Tuesday Dan headed back to work - albeit with a limp - and was able to take some x-rays and determined that everything is fine (the benefits of working in the medical field). I had another friend over for lunch and enjoyed a nice afternoon nap, some laps at the pool, and babysat for some friends that evening. Yesterday I slept in, did laundry, went to visit another friend, and had a doctor's appointment in the afternoon (everything's great, by the way! we're rolling right along). Dan gets off early on Wednesdays, so he was able to come with me to the appointment, then we had the whole evening to just hang out.

All in all, I finally feel like I'm starting to find that balance I've been looking for - almost a month after my lay-off. I'm able to read some of the books that have been on my list for sometime, I'm able to actually keep my house picked up (most days) and keep up with the laundry, and I'm able to prepare dinner before 7pm. I'm getting things done, but I'm also realizing that they don't all have to get done in one day. It sounds like a silly thing to have to learn, but I'm thankful for the time to figure it out now...since it will all soon change once this baby arrives!