the joy of rest

Upon my discharge from OB triage yesterday, I was given the instruction to rest. Hmmm. Not so easy for somebody like me. Fortunately, I am good at doing what I'm told. (Yes, I'm a first-born type A spazz, in case you were wondering.) So that's what I did today. I rested. Two, yes, two naps. When my daughter slept, I slept. Sure, we played together, she ate, got a bath, etc. But I drew the line at practice, dog walking, cleaning, heavy lifting or anything else I would normally do. And luckily, the contractions have subsided. So I suppose I'll just have to take it slow.

Have I mentioned one of my biggest fears is getting put on bed rest?

But you know something? It was a really nice day. There's something about being TOLD to rest that turns off my internal taskmaster that normally runs my life. I was doing what I was supposed to do, so two naps didn't feel indulgent. It felt down right healthy.

Lately I've been working on this internal taskmaster, i.e. slavedriver, that lives in my head. I'm talking back to her, questioning her demands, asking myself "is that really true? Do I HAVE to do all of those things today?"

The essentials were all accomplished. The baby and I had a fantastic day. I did a load of laundry. I made soup. The dogs were fed and loved (even if one got trapped in the garage for a couple of hours because I thought she was outside working on a bone). I even got a little crochet done and talked to my mom and dad on the phone. So yeah. It was a productive day. Maybe not by normal, "mom-Nazi" standards (a term of endearment coined by my loving husband) but productive none the less.

I'm going to try and internalize those discharge instructions. Rest. Put your feet up. Take it easy. I don't have to worry about becoming a total sloth. It's not in my nature. Even if I was on bed rest I'd find ways to do chores sitting up (ever seen those tools that pick things up for you at a footlong distance?) I once read that the best way to change an extreme aspect of yourself is to take a headlong step in the opposite direction. So that's my plan. Chop the to do list in half. Do less. Rest.

I mean seriously. These are the moments that matter.

She'll be packing for college before we know it.