I blinked and Mother’s Day is here, again! This year I am a mom of two and although the hand print pictures and potted plants are nice, the best gift I could get for Mother’s Day this year is a nap, like a big fat 3 hour nap! Being a mom, though extremely tiring is one of the hardest and most rewarding positions a person can have. I don’t know what’s been in the air lately but it seems like several women in my circles have enlisted in the mommy tribe and I am thrilled to take on all the shower throwing, craving runs, and decoration making that is ahead for me as the friend/aunt of these mom’s to be. When I found out that my older sister was expecting there were a few things we had do immediately 1. create a pin board and pin all things baby 2. come up with a plan to tell everyone in due time 3. freak out, scream, cry, and happy dance! Somewhere in the mix I inadvertently gave her some advice that seemed pretty legit to give a first time mom. With Mother’s Day around the bend I am offering 5 tips from a semi-new mom (that’s me), to a brand new mom or mom to be.
1. Know What to Buy New and What to Get Second-Hand
When you find out that you are having a baby the first thing you want to do is buy buy buy. I don’t even know, you just black out for a second and wake up with all this stuff in your amazon cart and you aren’t even sure of what half of it is or what it does! I distinctly remember this happening in waves when I was pregnant with Camilla, first when I found out I was pregnant and then again when I found out I was having a girl. Now that I have been around the block, a good piece of advice is to keep in mind that just because people offer you used items, doesn’t mean that you should take it and on the flip side, just because it looks cool online doesn’t mean you can’t get it for a better deal from the sales group on your neighborhood’s FB page! Buy New: car seats, infant stroller, bottles, pacifiers, crib mattress, burp cloths, sippy cups (in general anything that may come with a warranty or expiration date I would buy out right. This way you can register it and be alerted if there are any safety recalls). Get Second-Hand: clothes, play mats, jumpers, furniture, toys/books, maternity clothes.
2. Befriend Moms Who Have Kids Around Your Kids’ Age
I value the friends I have made that have kids close to Cami’s age so much! If anything they are awesome to vent to because they have a kid that’s doing the same things as yours and maybe even worse than the behavior you were complaining about in the first place, haha! They are great to get advice from and swap stories with. Another great reason to have mom friends is because you can arrange play dates with the kids. Cami is almost 3 and now that she is a bit older it is great to get together with another mom while Cami runs around with her friend, sit on a bench, and catch up. It’s the best!
3. 1st Baby? Do All The Things
Please do all the things when it comes to celebrations! A first baby is so exciting! You will never get to experience the “firsts” like this again, and you and your partner should soak it all in. Let this time be your time of “yes.” Gender reveal? YES!, Baby Shower or two? YEP!, Father To Be Guys Party? Sure! Baby-moon? HELL YEAH! Do all the things! Give people the opportunity to celebrate you because honey, these days when it’s all about you are about to end. You may or may not luck out on getting a nap on Mother’s Day!
4. Keep Your Baby Names To Yourself
Oh boy. This is a toughie. Definitely my opinion, but, if you are going to name your baby something remotely unique, keep it to yourself unless you want to hear everyone’s opinion or worse see their scrunched up faces in dislike of the name. It’s not that I think names should be a big secret but sometimes people really can get in your head and you start to second guess what you feel in your gut. This happened with my husband and I and our son Hendrix. We settled on the name Hendrix before we even had kids. If Cami was a boy she was going to be Hendrix. When we finally found out our second was a boy, the name was a no-brainer. We told everyone immediately and got push back and jokes just as quickly from our relatives of all people! During those months I would suggest other names to my husband because now I was second guessing the name. My husband stayed the course and I am so glad he did. When Hendrix got here, he fit his name perfectly and he’s like, the coolest baby ever.
5. Do All The Things (Part 2)
We talked about all the celebrations, but this “do all the things” relates to the time you have left with no kids. See every movie in the theater that you can. Accept every invite to parties, and girl’s night outs, and dates. Catch up on all the shows on your DVR and On Demand. For the love of God watch every show that you even thought about watching on Netflix! The time is yours, make it count because next thing you know you will be watching Paw Patrol on repeat and be so behind on what the Real Housewives are doing.
Whether you are have been a mom for 20 years or you found out you are pregnant 20 minutes ago cherish all the mom moments, celebrate all the victories, and learn from the defeat because you never know what other sister-friend could use your advice, empathy, and sense of humor as they walk through motherhood! Comment below with any other tips you would give to a new mom!
