It's Going To Be Okay

In an effort to get another gift for my husband (several beers wrapped up in Valentine gift bags to fill half of the bottom shelf of the fridge...) my daughters and I headed out for a late afternoon walk to the grocery store. We also needed milk and a light bulb...oh the excitement!

The store was actually pretty crowded - lots of men picking up flowers and/or balloons and chocolates...some looking at end-of-the-isle wine glasses... lots of booze buying.

The shopping itself was uneventful. I had a good chuckle watching a man try to pick out milk for himself. He took out one half gallon and realized it wasn't what he wanted and put it back. He went to take out another half gallon, and then paused and watched to see which milk I was going to get. Then he rerouted from the second half gallon and bought what I had.

I snuck into the Express lane even though I had a few more items than the limit of 15. It's Valentine's Day...a day of love...what were they going to do to me?

And in the next isle over I hear a woman's voice speaking toward me, "You're really busy aren't you??"

"Well, yes. Yes, I am." as I gesture to my baby in the Bjorn and then to my toddler in the stroller.

The woman asks me how old each of my daugters are and repeats how busy I must be and goes on to explain that she is newly pregnant and her son is one so she'll be in the same boat as I am. She asked me how it's going.

My oldest daughter is a spunky princess and it's no secret that she hates to sleep. She's hated sleeping right from the get go. Even moments after she was delivered she was looking around the room taking in her environment. She even turned her head to look at my cell phone when it rang. She screamed for the first 45 minutes of her life and she's not lost that sense of energy since.

"It's a lot of work, but it's manageable. It's a lot of fun, but you're just tired most the time. It would be easier if our oldest liked to sleep, but she doesn't and that's what makes it a challenge with having two."

The woman nodded at me with an understanding gaze.

"My son hates to sleep too."

And with that we smiled at each other and bought our groceries and went on our way.

I met up with her in the parking lot as she was loading her groceries into her car and I was heading on my walk home.

I offer up, "Congratulations on your coming addition!"

She smiled again and thanked me and said, "I don't know what I'm going to do if this new baby doesn't like to sleep..."

The look in her face changed from happy to worried and her cheeks became flushed.

It was as if a rush of emotion had run over her, and I just wanted to hug her and tell her I could relate to what she was going through and the worryin her mind of what's ahead of her.

I assured her she'll be fine and that things have a way of working out. It might be difficult at first, but in the end it will be easier.

"Just think...we're working our way through sleepless nights and endless diapers all at once..."

She nodded at me with tears in her eyes.

"What am I going to do if the second baby hates to sleep??"

And as I do best...I answer her in my own comic relief fashion...

With a smirky tone in my voice, "Well, look at it this way...you're already up anyways..."

And through the tear filled, emotional moment that she was sharing with me came a laugh and a smile, "You're right...thank you."

I wished her the best of luck with everything and a healthy pregnancy and went on my way.