Well, hello again. It's nap time and I'm coming up for air from the whirlpool that is life with two little ones. It's been pretty difficult to commit any amount of time to the things I enjoy in my spare time- blogging, reading, oh, and you know, sleeping. *Insert laugh-crying emoji face*
Crosby is three weeks old today (say what?!) and I've spent the last week being a SAHM to a newborn and a 20-month old toddler. Guys, I wish there was a way to put into words the insanity that is taking care of two little people, but for now, pretty much all I can manage is a list. These are the five lessons I've learned as a new mom of two:
1. The pregnancy weight will come off. Charlie is the sweetest toddler you ever did meet, but damn, this kid has energy for days. As soon as I could get out the door without feeling like my vagina was going to fall out of my body, I started taking both boys for daily walks- Charlie in the stroller and Crosby in the Ergo carrier. Getting out of the house with the most energetic little boy around has been my saving grace. If I didn't, I'm fairly certain both of us would go crazy.
Also, the whole eating thing? It pretty much comes down to 1. I eat when I can, and 2. I eat whatever I can feasibly chow down using only one hand. Mornings are especially rough because both boys wake up starving so I run around the house like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get both of them fed, dressed, and ready for the day. There have been several days where with the exception of my mandatory cup of coffee, I haven't actually eaten breakfast until I get them both down for a nap around 11 or 12.
2. Your house will be a mess. I hate this particular lesson. While I'm not obsessively clean by any means, I try to keep the house relatively orderly because a chaotic environment means a chaotic mind. This is virtually impossible. I have practically no time between kiddos to get anything accomplished around the house and I'm trying to be okay with that. I was articulating to Chuck the other night that I hate feeling like my days aren't productive. I know that keeping two humans alive is no small feat, but there's no feeling of accomplishment tied to changing diapers and nursing an infant all day so the fact that I can't check things off my to-do list is driving me a little bit bonkers.
3. It won't get easier, but it will get less terrifying. I've only been at this solo parenting gig for a week, so I realize that I don't have much experience to draw from, but I can say that for the last couple months I have been utterly terrified at the prospect of handling two kids by myself. Day One was hard, but I survived. Then Day Two came, and it was a smidge easier. Day Three was manageable and by Day Four, I felt like I actually might have the ability to do this, after all.
4. It takes a village. My mom, Chuck's mom, Chuck's aunt and the Daddy bear, himself, were all able to take a couple days to get Charlie off my hands those first two weeks so I could focus on healing and nursing my smallest little bear cub. I am so thankful for each of them because I don't know how I possibly would have survived those first two weeks without their help. I've also had several friends provide us with meals which is not only incredibly thoughtful, but a huge lifesaver when 100% of your energy is going into feeding, diapering, and snuggling a newborn.
5. Your attention will be split, but the depth of your love will not. I can confirm that all the cliches are true- my love for Charlie hasn't changed in the least and my love for Crosby continues to grow exponentially each day. And seeing how sweet Charlie is with Crosby makes me fall deeper in love with both of them!
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