Self-Care… Yeah Right

Our foster-love was sick last week.  Of all the things I love… I love her.  To serve this baby, to love her gives new life to a weary soul, but even I have my limits.

So we went to the doctor.

And the baby wouldn’t sit on the scale.

No matter how much we tried, she wouldn’t let go of me.

She had a fever.

She was miserable.

I chirped, “She weighs 21-pounds, I know she does.”  But the nurse objected, “I need to get a more accurate number.”

We tried again.

She kicked our butts.  She pulled hair.  She scratched our eyes.

The nurse said, “OH!  I know.  I will weigh you and then I will hand her to you and weigh you holding her and then we will subtract the differences!”

 

 

How about… No.

I know.  I am the worst.  I am awful.  I am the bottom feeding of all things mom.  I am a momma catfish.

I pried that poor, innocent child off me like a crocodile hunter ripping a tic off a sweaty Mississippi Blood Hound.

She weighs 21.3 pounds.

 

[clickToTweet tweet=”  To serve this baby, to love her gives new life to a weary soul, but even I have my limits. #fosterlove” quote=”  To serve this baby, to love her gives new life to a weary soul, but even I have my limits. #fosterlove”]

 

We have no definite number on me.  I can’t right now.  I know the number is going down… but not fast enough.  And adding 21.3 pounds, whether I can put it down or not, I couldn’t face that number.  Judge me all day long, sometimes I need to be first. Which, yeah – I know isn’t cool cause us Jesus girls – are second.

I am still up.  I know, I need a solid eight hours.  I know… it’s not good.  We had a hard sad day.  And I can’t sleep or write well.  And I have one who knows many things… and loves well and shares well and has a perfect website.

Seeing as how I need to be carried over the finish line of the 28-day-challenge, Rebecca Huff of that Organic Mom is another one of my go-to gals.  She is my friend and I am sharing a few of my faves by her.  Seriously, I couldn’t find the one about sacrificing the well-being of a baby to protect your secret shame… but she has everything else!

This time last year I was super sick… way sick.  I thought it was my thyroid… nope. Then chronic fatigue…  But when I was finally diagnosed EBV one of the most helpful articles one internet… Rebecca’s.  

My thyroid had been underactive for years. However, it wasn’t until 2012 after a season of extreme fatigue, that I tested positive for Epstein-Barr Virus. After the first round was managed I thought that was the end of it. I was so wrong.  In 2016 I had extreme exhaustion that kept me in bed for days on end with no other symptoms besides fatigue. Doctors ran tests, I tried various fatigue reducing treatments before I finally remembered to ask my doctor about to test me for EBV. I was tested and found positive again.

At that point, I knew that being positive for EBV was something that I was going to need to deal with and be proactive about for the rest of my life. I knew from experience that I couldn’t be passive about it if I wanted to live a fully active lifestyle as I always had before.

And I know, I make some funnies, about Xanax, but in all sincerity, I have been blessed by another article of Rebecca’s on anxiety and natural remedies.  

Many anxiety sufferers have searched for a safer alternative for mild anxiety. L-theanine, an amino acid that has been receiving a lot of attention for its anxiety and stress blocking abilities, has been on my supplement list for several years. If you are a regular reader of my site, you may remember my first post about anxiety as well as my attempt to help readers understand and cope with anxiety.

I first began using this supplement when I realized what I was experiencing was anxiety. My doctor at that time had even used L-theanine for public speaking when he had experienced mild anxiety.

L-theanine has been widely used for the supplement’s ability to produce a calming relaxing effect by reducing anxiety. By blocking glutamate receptors in the brain L-theanine produces anti-anxiety effects that, unlike prescription anti-anxiety drugs, does not impair motor behavior or cause drowsiness. Mood enhancing serotonin levels increase due to the ability of l-theanine to reduce obsessive negative thoughts… Continue Reading here

I am linking up all things I love about Rebecca.  I hope you’ll take a minute to check out Rebecca’ s beautiful site. Her 28-day-challenge is a kitchen redo!  And Rebecca’s weight loss page... is beyond beneficial!

Self-care… and a link up for my blogger friends.

And a friend like that Organic mom….

May your floors be sticky and your calling ordained. Love, Jami.