3. Take time to care for yourself.

Taking care of oneself is probably the hardest thing in the world to do, especially if you're like me and more apt to take care of everyone else first! After B and I moved here, we became friends with a couple who, to me, seemed to have the whole life thing down pat. When I was having a particularly stressful period, they got me in touch with a wonderful woman, who, through her unraveling sessions (a combination of several different healing methodologies), helped me see that I needed to slow down and take a little time to care for myself. I actually had an epiphany at one point. You know how on airplanes, when they go through their safety measures in case of an accident, they tell people to put on their own oxygen masks first before helping others with their masks? The same holds true for every day life. A person really needs to make sure he/she has enough "oxygen" in life before he/she can really be responsible for the "oxygen" of those he/she loves. I've found that this applies more and more to my job as a wife and mother. If I don't get enough sleep the night before, I feel like I'm just going through the motions the following day, and this is so unfair to my family. Also, if I find myself eating way too much junk food, my body seems to want to just slow down or stop completely, and I feel sluggish and don't want to do anything worthwhile. If I haven't been able to get outside and move around for a while, I get really cranky, which isn't a good situation for myself or my family. So, it's really all about staying motivated to keep myself healthy, which in turn keeps me happy, which in turn keeps my family happy. Unfortunately, I haven't been doing a great job of it, lately. My sleep schedule is off because our son would rather sleep with us in our bed (something he's done since the day he was born) than sleep in his own crib, which is something we've been trying to work on before we move into a bigger house. The whole experience of trying to sell our current home and move into a new one has stressed me to the max, which is also a big contribution to my current unhealthy lifestyle. I've really been craving sweets and caffeine, so all of the jitteriness caused by both has made me irritable and unmotivated to do the things that I need to do. I've found out that our new city has a terrific Y with lots of programs for adults and kids, so I'm hoping that once we're settled in our new house, I'll be able to start a regular weekly exercise routine. Also, there will be a lot of opportunities to buy healthy, local foods, which will help keep my whole family feeling good. Finally, B's work schedule is supposed to be a little more consistent in his new office, so hopefully, our sleep schedules will become consistent, too. I'm just really looking forward to feeling more relaxed and more like a better mommy for my son and a better wife for my husband. And, the opportunity for doing that is getting closer everyday!