Life Changes

There have been so many major changes in our lives the past three months, we can barely catch our breath. The loss of Dave's job in June, the arrival of our new daughter in July, and now the move of our entire household to another state. Changes for the good, certainly, but still stressful. The weather hasn't helped, either: nearly 100 during the day, around 82 at night, and very humid with no breeze. Dave and I have both have been snippy and impatient with each other (which would probably be expected of sleep deprived new parents, even with everything else aside). We've both have our ideas about how things should be done, and have been arguing more than usual. I'm sure that has an effect on Eva, even though we don't raise our voices. I find it hard to be patient with her sometimes when she displays typical toddler behavior, like stripping off her clothes, making a mess, or throwing a toy at the baby's head. Dave seems to handle that part better. Sometimes it just helps to divide and conquer: Dave takes Eva while I care for the baby, and we both try and see if we can still get anything done. I feel guilty that I'm so distracted with this move, I'm not really meeting the girls' emotional needs and giving them the attention they need. Amanda cries every time I set her down, but I think it's especially hard on Eva. Even though she handled her new sister's arrival remarkably well, I know her world is getting turned upside down right now, and I want her to feel secure and reassured.

Technically, I'm still in the postpartum recovery phase, with hormones and emotions out of whack to begin with. I'm still taking all my prenatal vitamins to help my body heal and produce milk, and extra B-Complex to help deal with stress, though I'm not sure it's helped with the moodiness. My 6 week check-up with the midwife was originally scheduled for Sept 12th. Now that's the day that I fly one-way to Oregon with a toddler and newborn in tow. I'm still in a state of shock about the whole thing.