Last week my friend Sarah at The Stroller Ballet posted about surviving the first three months with two kids. Since our kids are about the same ages, I totally appreciated her advice.
If you don’t know Sarah, she is absolutely one of the most “put together” people I have ever met. Whether with toddler, pregnant, or now as mom of two, she never has a hair out of place and she wears real pants! With zippers! She’s also an all-around fabulous mom, wife, writer and friend.
After hearing throughout my pregnancy, “The first three months are the worst!” and “The first three months are okay but the next three will be hell!” but mostly, “”By six months you’ll find a rhythm and everything will get easier,” I realized upon reading this it was time to give myself a pat on the back. I made it!
Like Sarah, I felt that I barely survived my pregnancy. I could hardly imagine getting through the early months of raising two kids. And now we are almost halfway to a year as a family of four. I thought you might like to hear my top five tips as well.
1.Take pictures. The days are long but the years are short. Even the hardest days will have beautiful moments. Capture them. We all have smart phones attached to our thumbs. When you’re up at 2am nursing or walking the floors with a sleepless nugget, it may help to flip back through your photos and to see just how quickly these days are already passing and just how precious they have been.
2. Spend time with friends. It’s easy to fall into a “sleep when baby sleeps” mentality. Even if you’re not actually sleeping, laying around or hibernating may seem much more appealing than making plans. However, I promise the effects of a nice walk, coffee, or dinner with a girlfriend will last much longer than a catnap. We need that camaraderie that our husbands and children just can’t give us.
3. Wear make-up. I agree with Sarah on this one. While my entire routine takes about 30 seconds and I have no brand loyalty, I don’t even walk The Nut to preschool without primer, blush, and mascara. It makes me feel (and look, I hope) a little more human even after the most torturous of nights.
4. Accept, and occasionally beg, for help. I have absolutely enlisted the troops. I had my mom here for the majority of the first nine weeks. I’ve asked my in-laws to step in plenty of times. I have a cleaning lady. I’ve had friends walk The Nut to school or bring her home for me. (Thank you, SO and HS!) When I’m reaching my breaking point, I tell B and I slip out or sleep in. While I’m usually the head honcho with the kids, I realize that it takes a village.
5. Amazon Prime. It seems I can hardly make it 48 hours without realizing there’s something we need. Diapers, a new pacifier, lotion, shoes for my preschooler’s ever-expanding feet. Amazon sells everything and they deliver to my door. Fast.
And, as Sarah suggested, drink wine.
