Surviving solo parenting at 3 AM

3 AM.

Exhausted, barely holding it together, and my children need me more than ever. Solo parenting while my husband finishes work in the States.

One child finally asleep after hours of coughing, the other curled up on my lap, a little warm but mostly restless. I’m running on no sleep, trying to keep it together, but it’s all I can do to stay upright.

This isn’t how we thought our first few days home would be.

I’m counting breaths, wiping noses, and losing track of the days. But in the midst of the exhaustion, there’s a lifeline: my parents, my father-in-law, and Jenny ❤️.

My dad quietly brings me tea, my mom takes the early shift so I can steal a few moments of rest. They move around the edges, stepping in where I can’t manage, offering the care I sometimes forget I need too.

Amidst the chaos, I’m grateful for my children — their strength, their resilience — but I’m also reminded that it’s okay to lean on others, even as I try to hold everything together.

It’s a balance, but right now, family is what’s keeping me going. 💛