I know I've only been a mom of 2 for one month, but I wanted to document the things that helped me get through the first five weeks unscathed.
5. Coffee. I don't like coffee brewed straight up. Maybe given enough time I could handle it, but for now I like my little frou-frou Starbucksy drinks. I was going to Bad Ass Coffee on mornings when I needed a hit, but this recipe has cured me of that money drain.
4. My car and the Car Songs CD from the Schmidts - These two go hand-in-hand, so I'm classifying them as one. Johnny LOVES the music on this CD, but I tell him that we can only listen to it if we're driving (if we just turn on the car and listen to it, the car battery dies... story for another time). So, sometimes I'll pack the boys up and we'll drive around listening to kids' songs. Granted, I'm SO OVER "Zippity Do Da" but I'm not over my older son being totally happy and adorable and my other one asleep in the car. The car is also an excellent place for Johnny to play (with the car off) while I nurse Hank in the passenger seat. Gotta love how multi-functional cars are.
3. Sam the Cooking Guy's book - I am not a gifted cook. I can't just look at random ingredients and make something delicious like my sister-in-law Leslie (have you been to her website, by the way?), therefore, cookbooks are my friends. Especially Sam's cookbook, which uses ingredients I know and has recipes for foods that are delicious and very quick to make. Making dinner with Johnny running around and Hank strapped to my chest is an awful lot easier when I only have to spend fifteen minutes making it.
2. Maya Wrap Ring Sling - I LOVE this thing! I have every baby carrier known to man and while Hank doesn't seem to have a preference for any of them, I like this one the best because I don't overheat in it. The Ergo and Moby, while distributing Hank's weight better, are just way too hot to wear while chasing Johnny in 85 degree weather. I'm thinking of making another one just to have on hand; they have instructions on their website!
1. Help from others. With Johnny, I felt like I had something to prove and thus, didn't accept help when it was offered. Granted, I learned a lot and probably felt more confident after braving it alone than if I had someone helping me every step of the way, but it probably would have been WAY less stressful for myself and John if I had just put away my pride and asked for help. This time around, the help is what got me through. From in-house helpers to friends who dropped by with dinner, every little bit helped. My advice to moms: You may want to do it alone and you can, but your life will be so much easier if you just accept even a little help here and there, especially because people want to do it! If your uncle calls and asks if you need anything tell him to pick something up for you! If your mom calls and wants to hang out with your baby for a few hours so you can get a nap, take her up on it. I promise, you're going to be a mom forever and accepting help from a willing helper can make the difference between sanity and insanity.
No comments:
Post a Comment