Boy Mom Tribe

 Day 1 - no coffee. I didn’t miss the cozy devotion time with coffee. The dandelion Teechino with a touch of real maple syrup and Almond milk tasted somewhat similar to coffee.   I’m currently enjoying a beautiful headache on a sunny day. 🥴

 😬😂 Needles for acupuncture and now I’m going to be giving up coffee in addition to the sugar in the little bit of chocolate I eat once in a while.  Pray for me…. Coffee is my happy place.  Also, what do you drink instead? Caffeine free.

 First, don’t let the title fool you. You are BOTH having twins. This is VERY important because your priorities and expectations of life have just been dumped unceremoniously in the floor. Throw everything you know/knew about having a newborn out the window.  I want to make this suuuuuuper simple for you men. I know you don’t want to read an essay. So, here are the things that are changing for you.  1. You are BOTH having twins.  2. You have to help more now.  3. Say goodbye to video games and guys night every night of the week. Plan one night you get to chill and one night she gets to chill.  4. Make date night a priority.  5. Tell her how amazing she is. Every day. She’s going to feel like she’s bumbling along. (If you want more on how to help her feel loved, read “The Five Love Languages” and learn to speak her language).  6. Plan on getting up in the night with the babies two. It’s impossible to calm two crying babies at once and you will both...

 First of all, Congratulations!  Second, this is survivable! ;) I am still here to tell you about it! :)  I had a 4 year old, 3 year old and added newborn twins to the mix. I won’t lie to you and say it was easy. But, I will give you tips so you don’t walk into this blind. So, here goes!  1. CHOOSE to focus on the sweet moments.  2. Don’t plan on doing this alone! You’re going to have to be humble enough to ask for help. Lots of help! I was blessed with so many women surrounding me who helped in various ways. A list of things that helped:  a. meals  brought to you (like, for the first year. Not just a couple months)  b. someone to hold babies c. having someone clean d. having someone do laundry e. Someone to watch the older two while the twins and I napped.  f. A couple of people on call willing to come over and help if you get sick.  3. You can show my blog post, “My wife is Having Twins” to your husband. ;) Your husband will need to he...

Today, there is hope that has long been absent. The hope lost was not that in Christ and the promise of eternity with Him. He WILL hold us fast. He will not let His children go. But, rather, hope that this life on earth might hold the possibility of having fun with my children without feeling like I am walking through sand up to my shoulders to accomplish every little task. Hope that date night won’t just be a fight to stay awake and alert. Hope that I can do all the things to care for my family and husband with a little pep in my step. Hope that I can give so much more to those I love.   I am so incredibly thankful for my Mom taking over the household tasks the last two weeks as I slept and slept and slept…and had some of my worst days and slept some more and went to see the Doctor.  After much rest, and two acupuncture treatments, I have felt tired, but able to move for the first time in… well, I have absolutely no idea how long it’s been since I have felt like I can do...

 My Mom has been here helping out this week. SO. THANKFUL!  Drew is working a lot this week in addition to preparing to preach on Sunday. So she has been a blessing taking some things off his plate and helping me throughout the day with household things and school runs. Plus an extra nap instead of pushing through exhaustion has really been such a huge gift!  She even let me run to the grocery store on my own! 😃

 I’ve struggled with how to write this. If I should even share it. When I should share it. But here I am. Writing and sharing it. So, here goes.  Once again, I find myself leaning into God’s strength to make it through each day. He has carried me as my energy is severely lacking. The simple act of switching laundry leaves me feeling drained as if I have done a full day of deep cleaning the house. Taking a shower leaves me winded and exhausted. My skin has been erupting into rashes and my body has aches. It’s not contagious. No one else has gotten any of this. Doctors are helping piece the puzzle together and there’s no official diagnosis. Lupus was brought up by the urgent care doctor, but she didn’t have the tools to diagnose there. Upon further research, we realized that all of the pieces fit, although it isn’t official. The diagnosis through a traditional doctor would require ruling out a myriad of other things too. But, Lupus would explain so many of my health struggles fo...

 Today I am grateful.  I had the energy this morning to handle the bills, budget planning for March, sorting the mail, one load of laundry, and getting the kids to school.  When life takes the energy you once poured out in buckets, and leaves you wondering if you will have energy for any of life, you realize the miracle so often overlooked. God sustains us and gives energy for what is needed. It’s a miracle that I so easily forget. This one more day getting to watch my littles grow. This one more day doing a gazillion puzzles just to see their smiles when the picture is complete. This one more day to love the husband God has given. This one more day to strive to teach boys to be men. This one more day to seek God’s face for wisdom for where to invest the energy He gives.