My husband and I recently took a trip, just the two of us, with Henry at home, for the first time. When we first tossed around the idea of taking a “break” just for us, we were a little on the fence. Not only did the guilt immediately sink in that we would be leaving our little nugget for a few days in someone else’s care, but that we maybe wouldn’t enjoy ourselves as much as we could, because our minds would be at home with Henry. Despite our reservations, we booked the trip and decided no matter what, we were having a weekend just for us! This is what happened.
When we first arrived in Florida on our trip, we were excited! Excited to have some drinks, eat some great food and spend some time with friends. But we were also nervous. We just left our one-year-old so that we could have some fun, without the worry of tending to our son. Enter, Mom guilt. Whaaat were we thinking?!?! A couple hours and a pina colada or two later, my nerves had been settled and all the sudden I started really enjoying my freedom and relaxation. It was then that the reality of no 3am wake-up calls, diaper changes or bottle making was going to happen for the next four days! It was kind of crazy the freedom I felt. It was like we were dating all over again. Without having a care in the world.
After the first night, we woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on another day! We joked that we didn’t realize how badly we needed this trip. I think it’s very easy to let life control you and your relationships. For the last 13 months, our life has been controlled by a new little human. Now, don’t get me wrong, we love this little human with everything in us, but I don’t think we realized how much of “us” we had lost in the process. In just the first 24 hours, we had felt more relaxed and refreshed than we had in over a year.
The next few days that followed were the same. The guilt washed away and full relaxation mode was instilled. Scot and I had “adult” conversations that didn’t include talking about daycare pick up and what Henry’s poop looked like. We reverted back to dating when our conversations were ours. We got to know each other, again.
By the fourth day, feeling refreshed and renewed, we were ready to come back home and snuggle our sweet boy for days! We missed him tremendously, but we needed this. When we got back, seeing Henry smile at us when we walked in the door, was worth being away a million times over. I know that not only did we need this trip for us, but that we needed this trip so that we can be the best parents we know how. Without a break every now and again, I can’t give 100% of myself as a mother OR as a wife.
Final thoughts before I start planning our next trip away… Book the trip, go on the date night, DO THE THINGS that make you happy so that you can be the best version of yourself for the people you love, and be a much better example to your littles, that it’s OK to do things just for YOU!
Much love,
Shan
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