10 on 10 | march

march 2012 - i am strong enough

I have been on an emotional roller coaster ride lately. Towards the end of last month, I realized for the first time that I was suffering from postpartum depression. It took me by surprise since I didn't really feel all that sad, at least at first, & I had never experienced it before. I just didn't have much motivation to make or keep goals, & I didn't care. I was floating through life after Ruby was born, but I felt fairly happy. Honestly, having a second child wasn't nearly as hard as everyone made it out to be, & I enjoyed it a lot. But then my lack of motivation started to flow into too many areas of my life - I had no desire to exercise, I cleaned my home sparingly, I stopped spending quality time with my children & husband, I wasn't taking care of myself spiritually . . . . I soon began to feel like a failure in every aspect of my life. When these feelings came, I began to feel down, more & more each day. Then one day, I had the sudden realization that I was dealing with something far more serious than I had realized. I was depressed, extremely depressed, & I could hardly function. I was at a breaking point & wanted to just melt into non-existance. I called Scott at work & sobbed uncontrollably. I was a failure, & I was ashamed. I was desperate for help.

Scott was the amazing support that he has always been & took time off of work to help get me back on my feet again. We took a mini vacation to the beach to refresh my soul, & when we returned home, my mom came up to stay with me for a couple days to get me on track & help out. Admitting that I had a problem became a huge help in motivating me to take the necessary steps to get my life in order again. I set mini goals for myself each day, dragging my feet to get the simplest tasks done. It felt like I was physically wading through mud up to my thighs. But soon the tasks & goals became easier to accomplish. Within a matter of weeks, I felt transformed & much more like my normal self. I could feel the influence of God in my life again & didn't feel nearly as alone. Of course I still have difficult days, but now I know I can fight them & keep moving in the right direction to be the mother & wife I know I should be.

I am so grateful for this project & the opportunity it has given me to see the beauty in my everday life . . . to focus on finding special moments in the most mundane things. I struggled a lot yesterday morning & wasn't sure that I could pick myself back up again, but I took the time to complete some simple tasks, nurtured myself spiritually, & then completed this project by the end of the day, filled with happiness & peace. The end of February & the start of March have been a trial, but I am trying my best to continue on & see the joy that surrounds me. I will be happy. I choose to be happy, pushing myself, sometimes while crying & fighting, until I get past that cloudy abyss & feel the light in my life again. I will continue to do so each & every day.

"good morning Ruby."

playing the piano in skivvies & singing the ABCs.

learning the importance of hard work.

time out. 

suffering. feeling like i might just disappear.

but pushing through:

feeding this perfect babe - & let me tell you, getting this picture was not an easy task, but I was determined, & when I'm determined, watch out :).

dinner at Jalisco - delicious.

trip to the mail.

asleep in the car - look at all that hair she's getting!

Continue the 10 on 10 circle by visiting Jen at Jennifer Kruk Photography.