The Brag Book: amidst the chaos of parenting

It's time to blow your own trumpet!

A little while ago I did a post called The Brag Book - and lots of you loved it.

The idea is to get past the idea of putting everyone else first, and say that it's okay to look after yourself. Be proud of the things you're doing - big or small - that put YOU first.

Here, it's been a chaotic couple of weeks since baby Iris was born. We're all adjusting to life as a family of four, and that means staying focused on our own little bubble of happiness. Being a parent has taken every moment and every ounce of energy.

Take yesterday for example - drowning under what felt like a hundred loads of washing, feeding the baby (an exhausting thing in its own right; this baby is sucking the life out of me!), reading stories and playing with Abbey, changing nappies, being pooed on (or maybe that was the day before? It's all blending into one) and doing kindergarten duty (silly really, except that she was so excited at the thought of me staying and playing with her that I couldn't refuse) - by the time the two girls were in bed my head was pounding and I could barely keep my eyes open. Steve asked me a question about my day and I just stared blankly at him and said, "Huh?"

Absolute physical exhaustion. I'd given everything I had in me to give.

In between it all I'm taking little snatches of time to take care of myself, and that's something I'm proud of. (Hey, this is The Brag Book, it's okay to say that!)

So, here's what I've been doing to make sure I don't completely sink into the oblivion of putting everyone else first for every minute of every day:

Eating well and drinking lots of water. As I mentioned, breastfeeding is exhausting and I just can't maintain it without eating the right foods... and lots of them. It's actually a fact that you need more calories when feeding a baby, so I'm just going with the hunger. I figure that if it's mostly healthy foods it's all okay.

The occasional writing moment. I found myself committing to a few deadlines again in the last week, but it's all work that I love, is doable in the timeframes I'm working to, and most of it revolves around lifestyle things I'll be doing anyway. Blogging, too, has helped me get the thoughts out of my head and keep a little more sane than I otherwise would.

Early nights. I've been in bed before 8pm most nights!

Walking. Some have said I'm mad, but within two days of having the baby I was back out walking. Nothing strenuous - but getting out into the fresh air is a necessity for me and without it I go crazy with cabin fever.

It's all about the simple little things here right now. They're the basis of the new normal that is our family life, and I can build on those as time goes on.

Your turn - what have you been doing? It can be something you've done to look after yourself, or something you've achieved that you're proud of, a little step closer to a goal - anything. Brag away!