2011 was a pretty good year. My introduction to motherhood went pretty well. My daughter, Shira, is curious, playful, adorable, and sweet. My husband has proven to be a complete natural at fatherhood.
I don't feel that it came to me quite so naturally.
Luckily, we have been blessed with a so-called "easy baby". She sleeps through the nights, eats everything we put in front of her, cries only out of necessity, smiles at strangers, and doesn't torture the cat.
It was a good year for my mind. You see, I have bipolar disorder. Following childbirth, I went on a completely new medication regimen. It has been great for me. No post partum depression. I had a new found confidence for life. I had a better body image. It was like a whole new world had opened up to me. I felt normal. I was more productive at work. I was an attentive mother. A caring wife.
I was happy for the first time in years. Hopeful. Optimistic.
But now, as 2011 ends and 2012 begins, I feel like I have a less stable handle on things. Maybe it's just fatigue from constant battles with daycare illnesses, but there's always that worry... that dread... a constand reminder that good health is something that must be worked at and not something to be taken for granted.
L'chaim!
