Holidays 2016 and Some Not So Jolly Days

Happy 2017, friends! Long time no talk here on the blog. I can’t believe it’s almost been a month since my last post. If you came back and are hanging in there with me, thank you so much. So here’s the deal. Lots has been going on with me. I want to recap our holidays then I’ll get into what’s been happening. Sound good? I have lots of pictures to share first.

The Holidays

Thanksgiving travel started the weekend of birthday which was mid-November. We went to Victoria then to Beaumont for Thanksgiving. Both babies loved spending time with family, but it sure is a production to travel with two kids and a dog. Charlotte loved helping in the kitchen this year, and that made it fun. She even got to wear her daddy’s old apron.

This was us in Beaumont.

(This was also the week I started feeling “off.” More on that in a bit.)

Before our travel started for Thanksgiving, we decorated for Christmas. I always love coming home to a house already decorated.

At some point during December, we took the babes to see Santa, and Charlotte was less than thrilled to meet him. Last year, she was all smiles, but this year, not so much. My babies first Santa picture together will forever be a framer.

Our Christmas cards from Tiny Prints went out the week before Christmas, too.

Fast forward through all of our festivities in December, and we were back at it the week of Christmas. My sister flew in and my mom came up for our annual Nutcracker tradition. We also baked our sugar cookies during that time, too.

Charlotte absolutely loved the holidays this year, and it was so much fun to see it through her eyes. This was also the first year she went with us to the Nutcracker, and my heart almost burst with how magical it was for her.

We then packed up and started our crazy Christmas: a night with my dad, a night with my aunt in Port Lavaca, and then a few nights with another one of my aunts in Victoria. Here are some pictures from our travels.

We then packed our bags and said goodbye to our family and came home to one last surprise from Santa.

This little girl was so excited!

We rested as much as we could upon our return because all of us were exhausted. We all had lots of late nights and no naps when we were gone, so we caught up on some much needed rest.

For New Year’s Eve, we celebrated with some friends, and then New Year’s Day, my mother-in-law, her boyfriend, and my sister-in-law came up to see us to open gifts and have a great dinner.

Another week of rest happened after that, and now we’re here to this first week of January already said and done.

The Not So Jolly Days

I thought long and hard about sharing what’s going on with me, and since I’ve always been nothing but honest and keep it real for you, I couldn’t not tell you. All my friends and family know, so it’s only right that you do, too.

The weekend of my birthday, I ran out my Synthroid pills (I’ve managed hypothyroidism since 2007). I had been so busy with travel that month and with sponsored posts and getting the hang of being a family of four, I put my needs on the back burner and didn’t think much of it. Big mistake. I started to feel off and I started to experience the worst of the worst symptoms from hypothyroidism: depression, irritability, fatigue, and hair loss. I chalked it up as my hormones being out of whack from being postpartum. In actuality, my thyroid being out of whack plus being postpartum just made it for one big case of a hot mess.

Once we got back home, I made an appointment with my endocrinologist, and I got back on my Synthroid. I had most definitely set myself back into full blown hypothyroidism and was told it would take several weeks for me to feel normal again. But that didn’t happen.

The week before Christmas, I was crying a lot, still exhausted, and more snippy than I’ve ever been. I had no motivation to do anything. Getting out of bed was hard and with two kids, that just doesn’t bode well. However, my babies were well taken care of, but that’s it. I wasn’t taking care of the house, my husband, or myself.

My anxiety was also through the roof. I had never experienced it that intensely before, so I knew it was probably more than my thyroid at this point. So, I went to see my OB and made a call to my endo again. My endo upped my Synthroid, and my OB confirmed my fears: I was living with postpartum depression.

Moving Forward

I’ve now been managing my health the best I can ever since, and it’s been a fight. I put on a smile and a happy attitude as much as I can, but I know I still have a way to go. I trucked through the holidays the best I could, and now I’m really focusing on making myself better. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I write about this experience, too.

I have my good days and bad days, and lately there have been more good than bad. I’m taking care of myself so I can take care of my people the best I can. Blogging has taken a back seat, but I’m excited to get things rolling again. I’m sure it will happen slowly but surely.

If it wasn’t for my amazing husband, I truly don’t know where I’d be. He’s been there for me and for our family far more than I ever dreamed. He’s definitely my knight in shining armor. My friends who have encouraged me have also been the biggest blessing. I’ve never felt alone during this, and that is a gift.

Now with a new year here, I’m more determined than ever to beat this thing. I’m leaning on my faith and TRUSTING that God has not ever left my side nor will He ever. I focus on the good and celebrate little victories. If you’ve ever been through what I’m going through, you know taking it one day at a time is the only way to go.

I’m thankful for another holiday season and for this blog and for you.

I hope you had a grace-filled holiday full of hope. My word this year is TRUST. I’m trusting God that there are better days ahead and that there is so much goodness to come. Stay tuned.

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 Be blessed, friend!