Blogging has been such a fun way for me to talk about the things that I love: baby products, recipes and experiences I’ve had as a father. But what really matters most to me is my family and family always comes first. That being said, we have had quite the crazy past few weeks, which is why I have been out of the blogging world and been trying to be here for my family. Now that it’s all back to normal, here’s what’s been going on here.
New Job
A few weeks back I had received a call from a place that I had randomly applied for. The job I was working at was great, but benefits can make or break it and we needed something that provided more benefits for our family. Not only was I getting a call from one place, but two. Both of which were fantastic organizations with great benefits and future opportunities to grow within the organization. These were all things that I was looking for and when thinking about changing companies I had to know that it was going to not only be a great fit for me, but for my family.
My entire life I had always only cared about the money when it came to a new job. When you become a father working to support his family you have to think about the entire package that is being offered. Maybe one job is great, offering more pay, great benefits, but a lot of travel is expected. As much as I love traveling, I love doing it with my family. There is nothing that I love more than at the end of the day coming home to my family and being welcomed by their hugs and kisses. I don’t want to have to talk to them on the phone all the time from somewhere other then home. Call me crazy, but I love spending every moment that I can with my family.
There was a lot of stress and worry about this new adventure I was taking in a new job, but as a couple, my wife and I decided what was best for us, our family and the goals we have for the future. I never want it to be where I make a decision without my wife that could effect my entire family. It’s a team effort with us and we make every decision together.
Sinus Surgery
My wife has dealt with sinus issues for years. Sinus surgery after sinus surgery with the same results time after time. But since we’ve been married she has dealt with it because we got pregnant quickly after getting married which made it so that she couldn’t’ get a CT scan to see what was happening. Then after we had our son she was worried about recovering from surgery with a baby, funny but true.
The doctor did a food allergy test to see if maybe that was what was causing all these issues and the results were mortifying. Allergic to corn, soy, peanuts, chocolate, wheat and eggs- basically making her think that she wouldn’t be able to eat anything ever again. When we first heard of her allergies we decided to give it a try and not consume any of these things. Do you know how hard it is to sustain from all these? They are in everything! When we would go to restaurants we had to ask what type of oil they fried their foods in- you’d be surprised how many places don’t even know. Eventually we learned that her biggest allergies were to corn, soy and peanuts which are a little easier to avoid.
We saw benefits of this crazy lifestyle change in the form of weight loss, energy, we both felt great and my wife could breath a lot better. Did this fix everything? Absolutely not. She continued to grow polyps back which blocked infection into her sinus cavities.
After having our little girl we decided that it was time that she get the much needed surgery to clear everything out. It was the only way to do it and with two kids now, we needed her to be feeling better now more than ever. Having two kids already takes so much out of a person, but when you have constant headaches from the pressure built up in your head you become very drained. She was hit with high fevers and achy body and her body was basically waving the white flag.
Thanksgiving weekend was upon us and so we knew that we would have at least four days where I didn’t have to work and could have the kids so my wife could rest. It was perfect timing and we were ready to go through with it.
Everything went great with the surgery and my wife had a fantastic recovery.
Everything Comes in Threes
Just when you think life couldn’t get any crazier, flu season hits. And it hit our house hard! My wife was feeling good enough to hit up Thanksgiving dinner and we all were all feeling great. Friday morning came to a wake up scream of my son who awoke throwing up everywhere.
Parents understand this, but when you have sick little ones it’s always going to be hard. The hardest though, is when they’re sick and can’t give you a warning. When my children get sick I don’t care how many times they throw up, I just let them do it on me. It’s easier to clean up my clothes than to have it get on the floor or all over their bed. Plus they need the comfort as puking is such a scary experience. My son could care less about the process but he freaks out about the mess and spends lots of time in the bathtub.
So first was my son, then my little daughter. The hard part is, this was happening post sinus surgery. I feel for the single parents, but as a single parent you know there is no one else there to help. Nothing is worse than being a couple and having the other parent helpless. It was nothing against my wife because the girl just went through surgery, I get it. But it totally made me think of all the times (usually guys do this) we come home from work, sit on the couch and we don’t parent. When you make the choice to become a parent you made the choice to work together and both be parents to your children. I hope that there is never a day when my wife feels that she is doing it all and I don’t do anything.
Of course, since two family members had to get sick, why wouldn’t there be a third? My wife hopped on the band wagon and sickness struck her as well. I was almost at my end, but I thought, life hits you and you work through it. We survived it all and learned and grew from it too.
At the end of the day, life throws you curve balls and as a parents there can be a lot of balls being thrown (figuratively and literally). These experiences will make you a better person, a better parent and sometimes you need moments like this to show you that parenting is hard. We don’t know it all, but we get through it and we do it together.
How thankful I am for my amazing wife, her support and health. Whether it’s making choices with a new job, supporting one another after a surgery or taking care of the entire family when no one is feeling great, we love each other and are here to work together as parents.
