Birth and Babies

I hope things are going well with everyone.  Things here are fine - but very busy! 

Who is pregnant and due in August with me? Things are going fine with the pregnancy and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of our third child.  I’m still thinking it’s a girl!! :-)  Either way, girl or boy, I am going to be so happy to have another baby around here.  I love children, and hope for a large family!

This post, because it has been soooo long since I’ve last posted, prompted me to do a “new mom survival guide” type of thing.  Are you thinking housework and errands will never get done with a newborn?  Or even more daunting, a newborn and another toddler or two?

• Get your “to do” list together the night before.  Mentally prepare yourself so you can get up, get ready, and get out.
• Get clothing, diaper bag, and items you will need for the next day’s running around out and together.  Make sure your diaper bag is packed, your checkbook, credit cards and license (and other important stuff) are together.
• Plan to do your errands right after morning breakfast, if possible.  If you procrastinate, like me, it’s so much harder to wait until after a nap to actually leave the house.
• Bundle your errands together so you aren’t running all over town like a chicken with your head cut off.  Plan to do errands that are far away in the opposite direction the next day, if possible.
• Plan extra time to nurse, change a diaper, feed an older baby, and possibly time at the park if you have older children with you. 
• Stock a small diaper changing station in your vehicle.  Learn how to change diapers on your lap.  Many public places have baby changing tables in them, but many are not cleaned nor stocked with liners to lay your baby on.  I find it much easier to just change my children in the car (usually in my lap) before going into a store than waiting until they need a change in the store only to find it is grimy or nonexistant.  Always carry a blanket in your bag just in case, so you can lay it on the changing area if the liner is not stocked, and when you’re done fold the blanket together with teh edges that touched the changing area, and do not use that blanket again until after it’s been washed.  Often times I see other women placing their purses and bags on changing areas if the bathroom lacks a decent counter - and those purses and bags have been everywhere! Yuck!
• Bring snacks for yourself, and your older children. 
• If you use a sippy cup, BE SURE IT IS FULL BEFORE YOU LEAVE!  hehe.  If your child drinks a lot or they share between your other kids, bring a bottle of water from home so you can refill it.
• If you are at home with a newborn, andneed to do housework - wear your baby while you work.  Use nontoxic cleaners (we use Shaklee cleaners - they’re awesome!) so neither you or the baby are affected.  Wear your baby in a sling or a baby carrier and your baby not only gets to watch you work, he or she may pick up on these skills and store them in their brain until they’re old enough to try them out themselves!
• If you have older children, put them to work!  Age-appropriete chores are beneficial to children when they are started earlier.  At first, don’t expect a good job… They’re kids!  Give them tasks they can do without hurting themselves or overwhelming themselves so you can go on to do something else while they’re busy.  For instance, when I’m washing dishes, my three year old puts the silverwear away in the drawer next to me.  My 1.5 year old son helps us clean the floor up and is great for bringing mommy things. My daughter loves to sweep and mop the floor, and spray cleaner on surfaces and wipe them up.  There is a lot they can do - even if it doesn’t really HELP you, they feel like they are helping, they’re being occupied, and learning about responsibility.

What survival tips have you learned?  I will need new ideas as we welcome our third baby in the home - 3 kids under 4 years of age! Woo hoo!