I made it through the day! I feel so much better right now too. I knew that still focusing on eating well and getting in activity would help overall. It certainly did. I ate my typical meals and completed the 3rd level of the Slim in 6 Circuit workout. An hour of body movement always helps cheer me up.

Now are you ready to learn the details of the last two nights? Middle of the nights are not my emotional friend. The past two nights I have experienced a severe case of “Maniacal Mommy Mind”. The diagnosis:

Maniacal Mommy Mind occurs when all sense of reason leaves the mother, resulting in unnecessary feelings of guilt, doubt, unattractiveness, resentment, and more.

That disease does exist and I have lived to tell about it. Here’s how it all plays out…

Step 1: Braedon wakes for one of his night-time feedings. 45 minutes later I put him back down to sleep. He won’t fall asleep. I try to soothe him, yet he still fusses.

Step 2: Peter wakes up from the commotion and offers to help me out. I proceed to get all “mommy territorial” and tell him the following: No. Go back to sleep. You have to get up for work. Its my job to handle Braedon.

Step 3: The exhaustion sinks in. The tears start trickling out. I feel overwhelmed too easily in the middle of the night. Peter, still calm, comes in and saves the day. How does he do that?! Then, proceeds to calm me down and try to help me fall back asleep. I start crying more.

Step 4: The following happens -

• I believe I should have been able to handle Braedon by myself. I begin questioning if I’m good enough as a mom and then, as a wife, because Peter lost sleep for work.
• I go over how Peter does so much. He comes home and immediately lets me get away for an hour to get in a workout for my “me-time”. I proceed to feel guilty over wanting me-time and working out.
• I’m exhausted and emotional which makes the fat-talk all too easy to slip in.

Step 5: I proceed to break down with these crazy thoughts and get swallowed by the “Maniacal Mommy Mind” until I finally crash back to sleep.In the morning, as tired as I may feel, I DO regain perspective. Part of motherhood is the 100% commitment and it is truly a blessing. Peter and I are a team. I should not have so much pride that I inhibit him helping meet my needs. Some days and nights will present challenges. They won’t last and I can manage. I do not want to lose the positive relationship I built with myself, so I give up the negative talk and choose to care for my body. (And sometimes re-read things like my guest post for Samantha to keep myself in check.) So Maniacal Mommy Mind, it’s about time you leave me alone. I know better than what you try to tell me. Oh, do I know better. This is my mind now.

Question of the Evening – If a mommy = Have you ever faced Maniacal Mommy Mind? Not a mommy = What do you have trouble getting help with?

Catching up from the weekend? Check out the posts & weekly features:

• Roasted Eggplant Panini (recipe) & Elliptical Intervals
• How Do YOU Define Sexy?
• Dinner With Friends & A Day at the Park
• This Week’s FFF Features – Butt Burners & Baby B Video
• Self Love Reflection of the Week: Inner Beauty

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So, the last two nights were pretty rough. Rough with a capital “R”. Actually, I take that back. They were ROUGH in all caps. What happened to my easy sleeper?

Someone once asked me what mothers do when they are short on sleep. Well, I know first hand this morning so I will tell you.

I toss my hair back in a ponytail and throw on sweats. I don’t recommend this every day, because prettying up in general helps me feel better, but sometimes its just downright necessary.

On the especially hard days, I do turn to caffeine. Oh, the sweet nectar of the sleep-deprived come to me!!

I bite my tongue a lot. I pray a lot.  A calm demeanor is not my virtue when tired.

And I just do it. I get through because I have to. Sometimes with tears and that’s okay too. It passes. I keep telling myself it passes.

That’s all I can muster for a post right now. So, pretty please with a cherry on top click over to my guest post at Samantha from Bikini Birthday’s blog. Trust me that you would much rather read that post than anything sleep-deprived I could whip up right now.

Question of the Day – What do you do when you are sleep deprived, but can’t get a good nap?