I have two kids. Two babies. It kind of shocks me every time I think about it. Like, whaaaat? When did this happen?! But then I look down at the spit up on my shirt, pull the raisin out of my hair and finish changing what's likely the 40th diaper I've changed for the day and realize- oh, you definitely have two kids under two years old, Michelle!
There are a few of you out there who have shared that you're in the "two under two" boat, so I wanted to share how things are going over here so far. I remember soaking up every ounce of this post Natalie wrote about having two little ones... there's something about knowing you're not alone in this crazy journey we call motherhood that makes you feel better.
So. We're ten weeks in to this adventure with two little ones. HDawg is twenty months old and Little Lady June is ten weeks old. I have to start by saying that David and I are so blessed to have two healthy, happy children. We are not dealing with colic or potty training (yet) or anything else that has rocked the boat too badly, so things have gone pretty smoothly so far!
Let's start with little miss. LLJ is a great baby. Like, I don't even want to talk about it for fear of jinxing ourselves! Let's just say she eats, sleeps and poops like a champ. At her two month appointment, she was 11 pounds, 2 ounces which is up about four pounds from her birth weight. She has been social smiling and laughing for weeks now, which is soooo fun. It makes all of us melt (including and especially her big brother!) to watch her smile at us. These are certainly not complaints, but her "tough" moments are at any point in the car seat (she screams), towards the end of the day (she wants to cluster feed every 1.5-2 hours right when I'm trying to fix dinner, get H to bed, etc.) and she's not a big napper. As in, she doesn't nap at all during the day really.
HDawg would take 2-3 hour naps a few times a day at this age and that's when I would get stuff done. LLJ... not so much. BUT she sleeps like a friggin' champ at night, so there are no complaints here. I just don't have as much time during the day to do dishes, laundry, blog, etc. To be completely honest, sometimes I get really frustrated that I have no "me" time (you know you're a mom when you consider time to do the dishes as "me" time!) but then I remember that this too, shall pass so I hug my little bundle a little tighter, do what I can while babywearing her and remember that I have a lifetime of doing dishes ahead of me but only a few months to snuggle this sweet infant bean. Just don't judge me if you drop by my house and see dirty dishes piled up on the countertop. Just sayin.
I know a lot of you want to know how HDawg is doing with the transition. He's seriously wonderful. I have fallen even more in love with my little boy as I watch him become a big brother. He is QUITE the bundle of energy but is seriously the sweetest kid around. H is that kid at the grocery store that waves to everyone in sight and starts talking to them about their groceries. He's so smart, too- he loves books, counts to five, loves identifying colors and absolutely loves singing along to anything musical (but particularly Pharrell's "Bappy" which we listen to 1,567,679 times a day).
And he's great with LLJ. It took awhile to teach him about being gentle and there's still no way I'd leave him alone in a room with her, but he's getting there. He loves to give her the paci when she's crying and he tries to wipe off her face when she spits up. When he pops up out of bed in the morning, one of the first things he asks for (besides some "meeee-yulk"/milk) is "shu shu." Sister. He really, really loves her.
This is an honest post, though, so I have to tell you that, of course, it's not always sunshine and smiley babies. David travels some for work and has spent a couple of nights away each week since the beginning of April. That means mommy takes on both kiddos alone for a couple of days. Thank goodness we have amazing friends and family (my sister, Callie, comes and stays with us a lot which is AWESOME!) but it's still tough. Like that one time LLJ was screaming with a blow out diaper while I was trying to wrangle H into the bathtub but he was too busy wiping his marina sauce hands all over our walls and carpet. Or when I tried to take both kids to Target and it started raining and I looked like that crazy lady in ratty yoga pants babywearing a screaming infant while my toddler sat in a wet grocery cart throwing animal crackers at my face. Or when I was trying to get both kids to a doctor's appointment in tornado weather (seriously) and I got a nail in my tire halfway there. Yup. I could go on and on. It's definitely tough sometimes.
While we're on the tough part, let's not forget the post-partum fun for us mommas. I had a couple of weeks of ups and downs but once my hormones settled, I was good. I still have a lot of mommy guilt as I navigate the waters of distributing my time and energy between the two kids. I do send H to school 3-4 days a week, which means I get quality time with June bug. But of course then I miss my little man and feel guilty that he's away! It's a crazy circle. I am still looking for a job in our new town, so I'm kind of in a weird in-between stage in terms of being on maternity leave while interviewing. That's definitely a different dynamic! Especially when I can't figure out what to wear... you've got to love that whole awkward "5-10 pounds still over my normal weight but can't wear maternity clothes still and oh yeah I'm nursing so what do I wear" phase!
I have to share that I got a terrible haircut last week and just about broke down over it. I know that's stupid and it's just hair, but this hair cut was bad. The guy gave me a total mom cut. When I told David this he said, "Well, honey, you are a mom! That's a good thing!" Yeah, guys don't get it. Even though I've done it before, it's hard to get used to the post-partum body and hard to get your style back post baby. I'm still working on feeling more like "me" and I know it will come eventually. Luckily just one glance at those cute kiddos of mine makes me feel like all of the post-partum awkwardness is totally worth it!
Before I forget, I should say that this whole two under two thing seems more manageable because I have a rockstar husband. Minus that one time he told me I have mom hair ; ) David is super patient (with the kids and me, ha) and always makes me feel like I can handle whatever is in front of us. He is more than a "hands on" dad- he handles as much of the parenting and housework as I do, even though he works full time. Seriously, kudos to him. Love my man.
Alright, that's quite the glimpse into our little lives right now. It's crazy, but it's fun. While I'm certainly savoring all of these moments, good or bad, I also can't help but get excited about our future. I picture us on family vacations, going on family hikes and just being a silly, happy family together. These kids are such a blessing and David and I make it a point to recognize that each and every day.
Thanks so much for sharing. I don't even know how you are managing to write posts between it all. Sounds like you have a great attitude about it all.
ReplyDeleteSending you fast growing hair pixie dust!
Before you know it, you'll have loads of me-time. When the kids are this close in age, they're likely to be playmates who don't have time for mom! At least that's the way it is with my three. Thankfully, it gets easier and easier, and the mom cut grows out. ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou are doing an amazing job with them. When they are this little, bonding is way more important than housework! Don't feel bad about your post-partum body, my youngest is almost four and I still have that "post-partum" body! Ha!
ReplyDeleteAMEN to your postpartum bit! I will not look forward to that again, it definitely is crazy town. But eventually you come out of it and it sounds like you're doing an AMAZING job! I bow down to you, big time!!
ReplyDeletegirl, you are my superhero...You are handling this season with such grace and patience! I'd be in a mental hospital!!! And exhaustion doesn't help in feeling good about your body/hair...but you'll come back better than ever! You are amazing, and I'm amazed by you!!! Lots of love, and hope to see you this Summer! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteLove it, and so so so similar to how it progressed over here. It can be so stressful and so fun at the same time, I wouldnt have it any other way! Loved that you shared an update :)
ReplyDeletei am so glad to hear you are still sane and doing relatively well! way to go!
ReplyDeleteXOXO,
a survivor
Aww this is really sweet. I love it when mom's can recognize that it's amazing being a mother...but realistically it's tough. Hang in there!! You are such an amazing mom just by your blog and this post.
ReplyDeleteThey are both adorable and I remember those days...so precious!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being honest, it's really great to see the real motherhood on a blog (without all the crazytown drama). Animal crackers at your face. LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for your honesty- I cannot imagine attempting 2 under 2!! You are super mama!! I have a hard enough time with the one! :)
ReplyDeleteThis post makes me tired just reading it! You ma'am are a rock star!
ReplyDeleteAmazing post. You are a rock star :) work travel just plain sucks for mamas and kiddos! Keep it up and it's great to hear you are able to step back and realize the moments are fleeting so enjoy them while you can.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. My son is 18 months and I'm due basically any day with a little girl. I'm excited and terrified for two under two. You make it sound real: tough, but wonderful and doable. You're doing great!
ReplyDeleteThey are so precious! And yes, the mommy thing is tough...period! I teach Bible class with a sweet mom who has 4 under age 6. I am always amazed by her!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this post and thank you for being so honest. I'm due in November and my son is 3 now so I'm nervous how I will be able to juggle it all!!! Kudos to your husband for being so hands on! I bet your haircut is still cute and just know it will grow out fast! Keep taking those prenatals and add some fish oil in!
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