It’s been a rough year for the Simoneau household.  It started off okay, got great around March and then in April, Andrea started having trouble sleeping because of what we would find out later ws a pinched nerve.   By the time she came close to coming out of it, we were pregnant.   Andrea has now been mostly sick for the last 9 weeks.   Our wonderful small group made our lives much easier by bringing meals for 3 weeks(!) it was amazing and really helpful.

Andrea gets sick when she is in our room.   She is also very uncomfortable on our bed.   Put those two things together and you can see why we haven’t been able to sleep in the same bed for about 3 months.  It’s not anger, or a broken relationship, but it does contribute to some problems.   What ends up happening is that Andrea has very vivid dreams (now), wakes up after each one, and then has a harder time falling back asleep.   When the kids wake up she’s so tired that she cannot function and only then can she sleep.    Insomnia + Pregnancy + Kids = a really sick & tired wife + some stir-crazy kids.

Everything worth doing is hard.

Would we continue on this path, or even have wanted to get on it if it weren’t worth doing?   Absolutely not.  Why would anyone put themselves through the pains of pregancy if there weren’t a beautiful baby on the other end of it.

Of course, that baby grows up, and they can become little stinkers.  Parenting can drive you crazy–tired or not!  Our children have foolishness in their hearts and they will take every opportunity to let you see it.  They say cute things, but they also yell and scream and bite and hit and do-all-the-things-you-tell-them-not-to.  Parenting is hard.

Everything worth doing is hard.

I wrote about marriage being hard and beautiful a few years back.  Marriage with 2 kids and a pregnant wife is even harder.   It’s hard to stay engaged and not check out.   It’s hard to keep your compassion.  It’s hard to prevent your emotions from overtaking you in the midst of a problem that seems unsolvable.   It’s hard to keep doing the things that need to get done, but ignore them when the time comes.  It’s way easier to wash the dishes than be patient and understanding.   It’s way easier to put the kids to bed than be loving and attentive to your wife.   Marriage is hard.

Everything worth doing is hard.

Think of that which is easy.   Think of the ultimate value of it.   It’s almost never there.   What is valuable is hard to attain.  The next time you think something is hard… think of its value.  Everything worth doing is hard.