For a little while now, I’ve been feeling like I’m the world’s grumpiest woman. There was not one particular thing that would set me off, it was like everything and anything. My husband could just breathe the wrong way and I’d be annoyed. It must have been hell to live with me.
The thing is, I know there’s logical reasons behind it, like hormones and the lack of sleep. That said, I wouldn’t want to be around me if I had a choice!
Thankfully my husband is incredible, even if he does breathe wrong from time-to-time.
He identified I needed a break, and suggested a weekend away. Oh hell yes! We looked at our options, organised some time off work for the hubby (thank you to his boss, I really appreciate it), and booked a hotel. We were off!
Down to the Gold Coast we went
We went to the Gold Coast because it felt far enough away that it wasn’t home, and so there wasn’t any emotional baggage coming with us. Yet it was close enough that we didn’t have to travel in the car for days (always a challenge with a baby). And there’s a beach – a beach is always good.
We stayed at Artique Resort, which is a great resort in a perfect location. The rooms are a little tired around the edges but it was super comfortable and perfect for us. They have an amazing pool, but when we tried to take advantage of it I felt just a bit too cold. The hotel is walking distance to the main Surfers Paradise beach, and has a tram stop out the front for if you wanted to travel further. The ocean view is unreal. We had booked ourselves a 2 bedroom apartment (that’s all that was available), and struck gold. We had a huge balcony with a 270 degree view of the Gold Coast, from the beach to the hinterland.
I mean, look at the sunset! This photo was taken from our bedroom!
There’s no doubt about it, we’ll be coming back to this hotel next time (and trying to get the same room if possible).
And we walked, and walked, and walked…
In the last few months it’s felt like my husband and I were so taken with the responsibilities of raising our little guy that we weren’t having time as a couple. I mean, sure we would go out and do things together, but it felt like chores or necessities. We weren’t going out to be together for the sake of being together.
One of the things we enjoy is going for walks and exploring. When we travelled to Japan for our honeymoon we were clocking up to 30km a day. We like to see things, and it gives us a great opportunity to talk about everything and anything.
So that’s what we did on the Gold Coast. Every morning after the little man was fed we would go for a walk. We’d walk along the beach, getting in a bit of exercise and enjoying the view. Usually on the way home the little guy would fall asleep in the pram for his first nap of the day. Following that we’d have breakfast somewhere, home for a shower, change and off we’d go again. Usually it would be to jump on the tram and go somewhere new for the day. We also went to the arcade and played a lot of games, always a favourite for us! We’re like big kids sometimes! I love playing the basketball shooting games.
A couple on holidays plus one
Even though we had our baby there, it still felt like the old times of us hanging out. We were out having fun together. We weren’t discussing budgets, or chores, or issues back at home. Instead, my husband and I were being a couple, and enjoying being together.
Luca, our 3.5 month old baby, fit into that so well. It was a true family unit. He was such a good bub.
The best thing about the holiday was being able to introduce him to a lot of new things – the sights and sounds, and different textures and smells. One of my favourite moments was standing back and watching son with father at the beach. Watching Mario introduce Luca to the sand and the water, my heart swelled. I had never felt so much more in love with either of them than in that very moment.
I love my family unit.
Back to reality…
Alas there was a time when we had to come home. Even so, I can already feel how much happier I am. It truly was the weekend away I needed.
One thing that became clear to us is that we need to make time for this more often. It doesn’t have to be a weekend with a hotel and costs associated with it. It just needs to be us.
I need time to see Mario as a partner, my husband. Not someone responsible for the budget, or garden work, or anything like that from home. I need to see him as the person that I fell in love with, and still love more than ever. And when you’re caught up in the day-to-day of everyday life, it’s hard to see that. It’s not that we don’t have time, we just hadn’t prioritised it.
This weekend reminded me that being with my husband is one of my biggest priorities of all.
How was your relationship after you had a baby? What did you do to keep the spark alive? How do you stop yourself from being grumpy or caught up in the mundane?