we made a lot of progress over the weekend and the last couple of days preparing for baby dowiak. the nursery is set up, clothes + blankets washed, tiny diapers + wipes bought, hospital bag mostly packed, bouncy seat set up, etc. now i can officially say that i'm really excited to meet our new baby! i've been reading my baby book on what in the world to do with a newborn and how to breastfeed and it's all coming back to me pretty quickly. it makes me reminisce about when reese was so small and also look forward to caring for the one i'm carrying. when we held up the newborn diapers compared to reese's size, it was so hard to believe reese was so small! i know everyone says that, but it's true! just seeing all the tiny baby things warms my heart. children are such a blessing.
i've asked a few friends for any advice for a mom about to enter the world motherhood with two children, but would love to hear more. any tips or tricks i should know about? anything to help me survive the early days when i'm a bit sleep deprived? any ideas on how to involve reese and make her feel special also? thanks in advance!
3 comments:
The best advice I got won't really help you where you are....to teach the older to be able to climb up into the car and get in his/her carseat themselves ASAP.
Other stuff--
I'd set Lilly up with her doll and a bottle so she could feed while I did (of course she started nursing her doll too :); I'd let Lilly sit on my lap while I was feeding and she would stroke baby's head while he was eating. And of course diaper duty....she'll be a great diaper/cream/wipes getter! I may e-mail you a few more :)
coffee
lots of coffee
I would suggest that you get a baby carrier or two. Especially with all the walking y'all do, it will be easier to have your baby in a sling and Reese in the stroller than to take a double stroller, I would think.
I don't know what I would have done as a new mother of two without my Moby Wrap (www.mobywrap.com) and a pouch sling (like the Hotsling). I also love my Ergo (ergobabycarrier.com). Ally rides on my back in it and it's quite comfortable on long walks. She was in it at the Farmer's Market today.
I like the online store attachedtobaby.com for slings. I've bought a couple things from them. Don't know about international shipping.
One more thing is to make an effort to do one Reese-focused thing a day. Like when the baby is sleeping, have her sit in your lap and read to her or fix her a snack she likes or play something she wants to play. It's hard for those first borns to loose that one on one attention.
Also, include her in helping with the baby, when possible. Bringing your diapers or burp cloths, feeding the baby (Becca likes to give Ally cheerios and raisins and loves to feed her with a spoon) once she is eating solids, helping to choose what the baby will wear, helping to wash the baby.
Try to read to her while nursing the baby at least a couple times a day.
Enjoy being a mommy of two. It really is so fun to have two. I love watching them interact now that Alexandra is older. Becca can make her laugh and get excited like no one else can.
I hope the rest of your pregnancy and delivery goes well.
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