(222) Do what you have to do.

What do you do when it is cleaning day but you wake up with a pounding, throbbing, stabbing awful headache that ibuprofen doesn't even phase?

What if you just want to go back to bed but there is a 2-year-old telling you she is hungry and wants some cereal?

What if the 1-year-old sleeps in right up to the point when you lay down on the couch to take a quick power nap?

What if you haven't seen your husband for more than 20 minutes in the last 24 hours and you really, really need a strong hug?

Here's what I did:

-Listen to your husband's passing advice when he says, "Sometimes you just need a day to not do anything and just lay on the couch." He's right. Sometimes you do.

-Now, ignore that advice today and listen to your own head saying, sometimes you just have to do it so it gets done.

-Eat a good lunch and then change into sweats--you can at least be comfortable.

-Put on cartoons for the kids and head in to the kitchen to tackle the dishes. They are the worst chore so do them first and get them out of the way.

-Ignore the kids who are ignoring their movie and are now sitting on your feet screaming for attention. They will live another 15 minutes. Just get the dishes done!

-Congratulate yourself for finishing the dishes! That was a huge accomplishment. Eat a mini chocolate cupcake.

-Pick up the baby and hug her and kiss her. Cuddle her and lay her down for a nap. She's going to scream for a while because she misses you so much when you leave the room. That's ok.

-Take the toddler into the bathroom and show her how much fun it is to scrub the bathtub and wash the mirrors. Be impressed with how much help she actually gives.

-Now, go downstairs and lay on the couch and try again for that power nap. Have about 7 minutes of success before Miss Toddler decides that she would like to sit on top of you.

-Buck up one more time and clean up the living area as quickly and efficiently as you can while also preparing some magnificent barbecue pork chops for dinner.

-Enjoy dinner while the only conversation consists of "Please sit down and eat." "Chew your food and swallow it." "Sit down, please."

-Finish vacuuming the house and be scared to death when your husband pops his handsome head around the corner. Kiss him and hand him the kids before you sneak out the door to run to the fantastically quiet grocery store to get some milk.

-At the end of the day, as you are laying the kids down for bed, listen to your toddler as she whispers quietly before drifting off to sleep, "I love Mommy." It's okay if this makes you cry.

-Remember, this really is what you wanted to be when you grew up. This really is worth all the stress and fatigue and moments of feeling so overwhelmed you just might explode. This family is wonderful. You are lucky. You are their world and they are yours. Sometimes it is hard, but you just have to work through the hard days and you will be rewarded with so many more good days. Remember this is your life and it is a really, really, really wonderful life.