Ever wondered how a “newly appointed mummy of 2” feels during the first weeks at home? Apart from the emotional ups and downs, here are some random confessions about how my life looks like since our little princess was born three weeks ago:
– There are impressively few moments during the day when I am not covered in milk, baby poo or toddler food.
– There is at least one moment every day when I think I am the worst mum in the world, that I’m doing everything wrong or when I just want to cry (which I do most of the time)
– I realise that I did NOT miss the leaking breasts after taking a shower in the morning (which make you run around in the bathroom like a headless chicken to get a towel to make them stop)
– I will never forget how my eldest one suddenly looked like a giant when I came back from the hospital with our baby girl.
– I still get this strong feeling that I need to fight off strangers who lean closely over the stroller to look into the bassinet.
– I am missing the adult outside world but I kind of can’t be motivated to go out and meet people just yet.
– I love our breastfeeding sessions (thankfully, breastfeeding gets much easier the second time around) and I am using the night sessions to write on my blog posts (that’s why I am actually much more productive now than when I was pregnant)
– When I see the amount of things we need for the kids every day I wonder how we will ever be able to travel / take a plane again (and respect the luggage restrictions!!)
– It is nothing unusual that both the baby and me are rolled over by tschut tschut trains, cars, and even animals (all directed by my oldest one) during nursing sessions.
– I am wearing my pyjamas and getting prepared for bed at around 7pm so that I will be able to sleep at 9pm after our eldest one has had dinner, is bathed and baby number 2 is fed – and I do not feel bad about it.
– I would not be able to tell you what I am doing during the day (other than nursing and holding the baby) but I hardly manage to get a shower and dressed before noon.
– Without our nanny I would most probably loose sanity.
– When both kids are sleeping at the same time I feel like some kind of superhero/ Wonder Woman.
– At the end of each day, I am actually proud (and slightly amazed) that everybody seems to be surviving and doing quite well.
– I regularly need to remove breadcrumbs and other food from my youngest one as there is usually no chance to eat without holding my little baby in my arms (don’t judge me!).
– I wished that, within the last two years, nappy brands had managed to develop nappies that avoid baby poo explosions going up the back…
– I have never had as many arguments with my husband as in the last weeks since baby number 2 was born (thankfully, we are so tired and busy that, after five minutes, we usually forget that we were fighting)
– I love how our nanny is taking good care of our eldest one when I’m with our newborn but I hate not being 100% in control and not being able to spend as much time with him anymore.
– I have not even really attempted to fit in my pre-pregnancy clothes again, which are pre-pregnancy-2 but basically post-pregnancy-1 clothes… To be honest, I don’t even know where they are as I put them in a box when we moved apartments. So, it will still be pregnancy clothes for a little while then…
– I have never realised how noisy my nearly 2-year old is! And I have probably never told him “hush” so often. And yes, I do feel bad about it…
– I didn’t have any particular pregnancy craving but OMG, why does nobody ever say anything about breastfeeding cravings?! The other day, I asked our nanny if she could buy some chocolate ice cream, some chocolate yoghurts, some chocolate biscuits and some dark chocolate. And I tried a bit of all of it that day. Yes, that’s right, all of it.
– I sometimes look at my little ones and I wish I could hold back time… I know that, one day, when both of them will have outgrown the toddler/baby age, I will terribly miss the cuddles, the baby smiles and toddler giggles. This is when it will be time for baby number 3, I guess (note to my husband who might just fade when reading this: I am just joking!!)
xxx
Tani
Hi there! I’m Tani De Gregorio. The one behind this little blog. ‘Our big Dubai adventure’ started about three years ago when I quit my job in a multinational in Switzerland to follow my husband to sunny Dubai where we are living now with our two little munchkins, Luca (3) and Maëva (nearly 2).
This blog is not about the glamorous life of an expat wife. There’s just too many baby wipes and too few high heels in my life for that.
Instead, it’s about our daily adventures in the sandpit. About motherhood away from home. It’s about the kids. About fun things for them to do. Things you might not have heard of otherwise. It’s about workshops. And cool places to explore. In this amazing city we call home. At least for a little while…
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So beautifully written and honest. Great read.
Very insightful! I can see myself in here down the line, except I will have no help and I’m sure I’ll go mad.
Haha so agree with the toddler who suddenly looks like a giant. Mine is a week old and the cravings are bad. Haha and the nursing sessions are sooo stressful when the toddler is almost everywhere around the place, especially climbing on me and the the little one.
Haha, same here. But thankfully our eldest one is not jealous during the nursing sessions. Just happily playing next to me (or on top of me haha).
This all sounds so familiar from when our little miss no. 2 came into our lives!! I have been a chocolate monster ever since , hence still struggling with pre-baby clothes 2 years later!!! Lol! Enjoy the snuggles, you’re doing an amazing job xx
Thank you, Harkee :-* I think there are clothes I will probably never be able to wear again haha