I recently entered a new stage of mom-hood when we made a rather large purchase. I joined the world of the minivan moms. OH. MY. GOODNESS. Why did we wait so long? Why did I ever say in my snotty pre-mom voice, “I’ll never own a mini-van, gross!”
It. Is. Life changing.
This purchase decision was not made lightly. I have a perfectly well tuned “crossover” vehicle that I was quite in love with. However, back in June while we were on our family vacation, two little pink lines appeared on the dollar store pregnancy test. The crossover was no longer going to be big enough for our growing family…we were expecting our third child! With this mini-van, a free trial of XM radio has appeared. Hello 80/90s tunes all day every day! Hence the title of this post…Oops, we did it again!
Now, I’m not writing a post about my mini-van, although I definitely could write one in full on Shakespearean sonnet form. I am going to give some quick tips and tricks for handling your first trimester when you have two wild and crazy kiddos already running around! Because let me tell you, I could’ve used this advice!
First and foremost, wait to tell the kids as long as you can.
I was so excited after our 8 week appointment and first ultrasound, that we rushed home to share the news with our boys (4.5 and 19 months). Now, every single day I hear, “Is the baby coming today? When will I get to meet the baby? Can I lift up your shirt and see the baby yet?” These questions are so sweet and heart warming, but it’s going to be a long 32 weeks until baby actually does arrive home! Little ones struggle to manage the calendar, so the wait feels like torture for them!
Forget meal prepping or house cleaning during nap time-REST!
Early in my mom-hood, nap time was my time to clean the house or prep for dinner time. I learned after the first few weeks of this pregnancy that all I really wanted to do was nap. Once I gave in to this desire, life got SO much easier for us. I was in a better mood, my body felt better and… our house was a mess. Oh well…that’s where my hubby comes in!
Slow down
This is the absolute hardest thing in the world for me to do. I love to be on the go. We are constantly hitting the road on another adventure. However, when my body told me it was time to slow down I didn’t listen. This ended with me fainting in front of lots of people at Chanhassen Dinner Theater. This was when my momsquad stepped in and gave me the hard advice only another mom can give, SLOW DOWN. You don’t have to do everything every day. Since I started slowing down and spending more time at home, I’ve been feeling so much better. No more fainting spells!
A little extra screen time is not going to melt my kids’ brains!
I’ve always been a strong advocate for staying away from screen time. Our eldest son did not have much TV interaction at all until he was almost 3 and his little brother arrived. Even still, we have some strict policies on screen time. A PBS show in the morning, a PBS show after nap and one small Daniel Tiger before bed. However, on those days when morning sickness is getting the best of me, I have learned that Moana or Cars are the perfect way to get a little extra rest time for me. Both my boys are still developing normally. It’s not going to hurt them dramatically, but it is going to give them a better rested mom ready to conquer the world! That is, once the morning sickness subsides…
Ask for help.
Being pregnant is an amazing gift that I feel so blessed to experience. It is a beautiful time in a woman’s life. However, it can be so draining and exhausting. I’m realizing I do not need to be supermom during this time. It is OK to ask for help. It’s OK to have the hubby take the boys to the park without me, or to have my parents take them for a few hours. I do not have to do it on my own. YOU do not have to do it on YOUR own! ASK FOR HELP!
We’ve now learned how to function with two wild and crazy boys and one emotional and pregnant mama. Hopefully come February, I can write a post on how to thrive as a family of five! Each of these stages in mom-hood has it’s own unique challenges. Do what you can to take care of yourself in the craziness of mom life.
Any other tips and tricks while you’ve been pregnant with little ones already ruling your home?
