Well…Baby #3 is going to be joining our family Thanksgiving 2017 and we are pretty excited and nervous all bundled into one at the thought of going from 2 to 3 kiddos. We have always wanted a bit of a larger family and 4 was always our “perfect” number. After being blessed with two beautiful baby girls, we were pretty certain that 4 may not be in our future but 3 was a must! So…here we are!
Having been through this 2 previous times now, I do have some advice for us mommas…
1. When people ask if your child sleeps through the night, just lie and say yes. It helps you avoid all that sleep advice.
2. It’s okay to mourn your old life and think, “Dear God what have we done!”
3. Ask for help. Accept help when offered.
4. Supermom doesn’t exist.
5. Ask yourself whether what you are upset about will be important in five years or even in five minutes.
6. You’re not a bad mom if you don’t love every single stage of child-rearing.
7. Don’t try to accomplish too much in any given day. Aim for one thing: grocery shopping, unloading the dishwasher, a walk around the block. But not all three.
8. Read your baby, not your baby book. You are enough.
9. You’ll never look back and wish you held your baby less.
10. It’s perfectly okay to abandon a shopping cart full of groceries if your baby gets fussy.
11. Buy a pair of nice cotton pajamas and wear them for two weeks after birth to remind your family that you’re still recovering. (And to remind your husband that you’re not back to your bouncy self!)
12. Don’t compare your chaotic, sleepless life to other “edited” versions.
13. Just when you think you’ve reached the best milestone with your baby, it keeps getting better.
14. Beware of everyone who wants to tell you the right way to do things: breast feeding, foods, sleeping arrangements. They all want to sell you something.
15. It’s okay to cry. And it’s okay to be tired. Take a moment, recharge, and bury your face in your baby’s neck. Breathe him in and stop for a moment, counting to ten. And then suddenly, it’s all okay again. Repeat as necessary.
16. Airline attendants tell the adult passengers to put their own oxygen masks on before helping small children. It’s okay to let a baby cry for two minutes if you need to pee or to make a sandwich.
17. You’re a good mom if you’re doing your best. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not.
18. If you breast feed, bite on a leather belt before you chip a tooth from the initial pain.
19. Walk. With the baby. Even it’s just to the corner. The fresh air will do you both good.
20. The days are long but the years are short.
21. This too shall pass.
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