Another Chip Off The Stress Block

Good morning everyone.
It's been awhile since my last post. Turns out Soph was quite sick and required some emergency care, and I was exhausted and got sick as well. I'm not going to make today's blog about what was wrong, but I will tell you she's doing fine. She's still not completely herself, but is getting closer everyday.

 I know in my previous posts I've mentioned stress and sleep deprivation, and between that post and Soph getting sick last week, I've been thinking a lot about what I can do to regain some normalcy for the next 3 months until I have the second parental unit back with us. Although, I have to say the great idea did not come from me, but from my boyfriend.
I hired a babysitter. She's a girl that worked at the daycare with the kids, and they absolutely loved her. At first when the idea was brought up, I was imagining her coming for a couple hours in the day once a week, but when she offered, she brought up evenings alternating between Wednesdays and Fridays, and I was instantly filled with joy. Not sure why I hadn't thought of that?!
Nights have to be the loneliest time by far, and the most frustrating. Your kids go down, it's early, you don't really want to make a lot of noise, so you just sort of putter around hoping you'll get tired, only to go to bed alone with no one to talk to. How great will this be, to have one night where I can step out and grab a coffee, or go to the bookstore, meet up with friends, catch a movie, whatever... There's no guilt of asking a family member to go out of their way to come over, your kids get exposed to someone different once a week that still knows their routine and no one's working for free.
I really think this will make such a difference in my world. It'll give me something to look forward to, I'll totally cherish my time off and it will allow me to regroup so that I don't feel like I'm turning into an ogre. Between this, my guitar lessons and a few little social events I try to have from time to time, I think this will really help pass the time until I can resume a normal family life again.
A friend had commented on my Facebook page after my first blog saying:

"Single-parenting is the most unnatural thing on the planet."

I couldn't agree more! I just have to say again this morning, that I know I have it good, and even in this situation am still very fortunate in every way.
I would also like to say that my hat goes off to any soldier's wife, widow, and any other woman, or man for that matter, that is doing this on their own, and doesn't have an end date to look forward to; and to those who are still pulling a full-time job and doing this. I have the utmost respect for you!