Hey Everyone!
Wow...it has truly been a loooooooooooooooooooooong time since I last shared anything teacher-spirational with yall! Most of you who know me personally or follow me on IG know that I have taken a "break" from teaching in the classroom to stay home with my own children...a decision that I will never look back on!
I welcomed a precious baby into my family on May 12, 2015. He was due on May 22 which just so happened to be the last day of the 2014-2015 school year for me! I was convinced he was gonna come late and that I'd make my eoy gifts, attend awards, host our last class carnival, and even attend the dreaded FIELD day ;) BUT he came a couple weeks early (labor contractions began while walking around Sams for party supplies with my Room Mom) forcing me to say an abrupt goodbye (and we all know the eoy goodbyes are hard enough anyway) to one of the best groups of kiddos and parents I'd ever taught. (My last post literally sums that year up...The Best School Year EVER ironically too, because if some of you remember, I totally thought that partition was gonna ruin me!) They showered me with so much love even afterwards that I always intended to make a post and dedicate it to them. However, the wonderful demands of having a newborn always wrapped up in my arms made that challenging so I never got past a draft. Seriously, yall...he was the cutest baby boy in the whole wide world...Meet Hudson Andrew Stewart:
And...he made us a happy little family...something I always dreamed about even as a child. AND THEN before I had anytime to get the blues about being out of the classroom....I got pregnant and had the most beautiful baby girl in the whole wide world. Meet Adalyn Ruth Stewart:
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| Photo Creds: Giggles & Grins by Brittney York |
And...that sweet little baby girl above, made us a bigger busier crazier happier family of four...
After a week, my husband went back to work and life with 2 children under the age of 2 was nothing like my picture perfect heart had hoped....lots of demands (many of which I put on myself because my husband is seriously the most understanding man I've ever met), lots of thankless and tireless jobs, things that we had always been able to balance seemed unattainable, things were not getting done, finances were tight,...and I went from SuperMom to Momzilla. I felt so worthless.
This is "FREE" but looking back, I know I had some PPD, the baby blues, whatever you wanna call it, but I never wanted to directly deal with it...be it pride, my family's record with medication, admitting something was wrong, not letting the Lord be my strength, you name it...I had a reason to not deal with what it really was. HOWEVER, I had an absolutely amazing support system in my husband, family, and friends. Were it not for them encouraging me, telling me it was normal, making me do things I didn't want to do, obligations that kept me busy, then I would not be who I am right now. If you are reading this and struggling with any of that right now, PLEASE reach out to me or someone who really can get you some help. Don't think less of me sweet friends, but know that it can be real, and be smart enough to recognize it. When did it end?! When did I get over it?! I think it is different for everyone, but in my case around the time Addy turned 6 months old...she and Hudson both became more independent and I started doing 2 very specific things for myself:
1. I joined the YMCA. I stopped making 2 pregnancies in the last 2 years an excuse for why I wasn't happy with myself physically and started doing something about it. It is still a work in progress. Joining the Y also has allowed me to shower everyday while my kiddos are in the childcare center...that was a game changer! :) Seriously, who knew an uninterrupted shower was a part of wellness!!! So that's really why I joined hahahaha!
2. I got a job with VIPKID....teaching English online and making good money just 25 minutes at a time and setting my own schedule (nights and weekends while my hubby is home with the kiddos in the comfort of my own home!) Yep, that company you keep seeing on your social media feeds that seems to good to be true...I applied to work there and they hired me! Yall, it has given me such an outlet to use my God given talents, and make some extra easy cash in the meantime! If you're interested in the company, I'll be posting a "Why VIPKID?!" post tomorrow so stay tuned and I'll give ya lots of details and instructions for the initial SIGN UP.
BOTH of those things, have given me a little bit more WORTH. Even my husband commented that I seem "happier".
SO there's why I've been MIA...most of you already knew...but you might be seeing me around a bit more to showcase some of my VIPKID fun! (oh, and if you are interested be sure to tune back into The Overstimulated Teacher tomorrow for the why and how to become a VIPKID Teacher.
Happy Teaching Sweet Friends!
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