It is time to get my butt in gear!
I realize now that it isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Sure if I didn't have a little one, I bet you I would totally rock everything!! But babies take more time than I imagined. My goal as a stay at home mom has always been to "live purposefully" with that I mean I don't want my days to wash away and not be productive, I want to make sure each day my family feels loved, I want to spend time with God each day, I want to accomplish something every day. I feel now that she is almost 15 weeks, she is gaining some independence and gives me about 10 minutes of "quick get things done" a few times a day. And I am learning how to get things done in those little moments she lets me. Where before I would walk around aimlessly thinking of everything I need to get done, and how she will wake before I can get it done, or run from room to room not really doing anything. I am finally figuring things out! :) And I know I am totally gonna rock at staying at home! Eventually. I can't say I am great at it yet, my house is rarely clean, something is always on our floors, my hair is always a mess, and I only have one baby!
I am learning to rock at it all though!! I have learned that my husband doesn't care that our house isn't 100% clean all the time (which I thought he cared most about, and was a huge insecurity of mine that he didn't think I was doing a good job) my husband cares about me taking care of our daughter and bulldog and having food for us. Having that revelation has really helped me prioritize every day. I am not perfect yet... today he left with no breakfast, and making his own lunch. But I am becoming more consistent. I promise.
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DISCLAIMER: This is just how I want to run things, I want to have lunch prepared for my husband, I want to have breakfast for him, I want him to come home to a warm dinner. I am not not saying every stay at home mom should run this way, it is just how I want to run things.
Don't worry! Things get SO much easier the older they get! Soon she'll be taking 2 predictable naps in her crib! Sleeping through the night in her room, and you'll have time! The early months are just a phase and pass so quickly, so let dinner be late, your laundry baskets full and floors un-vacuumed :) But I'll share some things I've found helpful with meal time (as those seem to be the hardest). Somedays I start dinner at 3/3:30, just after both girls get up from their naps and I know J will sit in her highchair contently for a bit and Allison is in the kitchen having a snack, sometimes I just chop the ingredients for later, sometimes I make it all and then either put it in the fridge and pull out later or let it sit on the stove until dinner time (things like stews and soups taste great after simmering for awhile). The days I know I'll be gone most of the day running errands, or at play-dates I do crock pot meals so I don't have to think about dinner later after just getting home. Also each week I try to keep 1-2 super quick dinners on hand in case preparing dinner just isn't going to happen like I had thought. Things like burgers, stir fry, or a freezer meal, something that just needs a few minutes to cook after Tom gets home or just a few minutes to throw in the oven quick! If I'm making a new recipe, something that I have no idea how long it will take to prepare, or that I need to pay attention to I wait to try on the weekends when Tom is home and can take the girls if needed. Hope that helps :) ENJOY and EMBRACE these early months!! Keep up the good work Mama, you're doing great!
ReplyDeleteit's about balance... there's not time in the day for everything (never will be). But there is always time to be made for those you love. Cherish that, always. And PAUSE to enjoy it (make a memory of it). Too quickly moments slip past and blur :)
ReplyDeleteI have to agree and say it's all about finding a balance! As a stay at home dad with my disability I have two kids at home. Somewhere in between the, and all their activities I have to find time for my wife and I as well. Mix in blogging and everything else day to day and it's hard!
ReplyDeleteI agree. They get easier when they get older. Or not in our case.
ReplyDeleteAt almost 17 months old he is as clingy as a couple of months old baby. Not complaining.
What helps us most is babywearing. Whenever I get the urge to get things done, I throw him onto my back and wrap him with our woven wrap. He loves it and sometimes he falls asleep. That's when I feel like I hit the lottery. LOL.
Hold her as much as she needs it. Those time passes way too quickly.