Exhaustion

When I got pregnant last two year ago, I felt exhaustion like never before. I used to get up willingly at 4:30am to swim and bike before work. Now, there was a permanent indention of my booty on the couch.  Then, when we had Jackson in October 2011, we both felt the incredible fatigue of having a newborn and sleeping for 2 hours at a time, for 6 hours max.  We were delirious, seeing things, hallucinating with fatigue.

Then, Jackson started sleeping 8 hours at night and it was like gold. We felt rested again and ready to tackle anything that life could bring. However, we had no idea what it was going to be like to have a toddler. I can't keep my eyes open. I'm sleeping 10 hours a night (yes...that means going to bed at 7pm), napping each afternoon that I don't work and having trouble getting any housework done. I've been thinking of all options...

pregnant: nope

anemic: maybe, but we've been eating really well-balanced

coffee: we cut back but not enough to explain this fatigue

sleep: quality, sufficient amounts at night

winter blehs: started popping some extra Vitamin D

Final diagnosis....living with a toddler. We are always in 'on' mode, chasing Jackson around the house, neighborhood, park. Making sure he doesn't fall off the couch, bed, rocking chair, slide. Preventing him from bumping his head too much on corners, brick, concrete.  Having 'conversations' with him. Getting instructed to follow him here, go there, lift this, stack these.  Prepping and cleaning up after food fights meal time. Dodging tidal wave splashes during bath time. Wrestling him out of and into diapers, clothes, PJ's, shoes. 

He is such a joy, but man, we are tired! 

Checking out the giraffes at the Norfolk Zoo

Carrying his favorite animals around after nap time