These Days

Discouraged. That's the word that jumps to mind most days. To be honest it has company. Tired, stressed, sick, and when they all band together I just reach a tad further and go with "pissed off and done with it all".
Since the beginning of November there's always been someone sick in our household. Two major holidays and two out of town trips took place. We moved. And three broken toes, two new cut teeth, countless sinus infections, and two clogged milk ducts later here we are.
Yet, another word has begun to creep back in. Joy. Pure and utter delight as Secondborn is clearly the happiest baby to ever grace this earth. Even as she cut two teeth in less than twenty days, we hardly knew it. Yes, she was fussy, but, she smiled all the while through it.
Firstborn also brings his share of joy to the table. Mind you, it's often tangled up in the mess of the moment, but it's there. Sure, sometimes I have to squint real hard through my tears to see its glimmer but I see it. I see his wonder for all that this world has laid before him to explore and conquer and I then remember that I want to join him on his adventures. Forget the laundry and unpacking. It will wait. In the meanwhile all those boxes make for a really good fort and there's bound to be something fun on the other side.
I know these days will pass and things will get easier. I also know that these days will pass and I will no longer have a beautiful daughter who lights up every time I walk into the room, or a son who can't wait for me to "Go 'splore, Mommy. Let's go 'splore." These days will pass all too quickly I am told all too often. It's time I really remember just what that means. It's time I kicked Discouraged and his downtrodden friends to the curb and replace them with Wonder, Joy, and Delight.