Surviving Pregnancy with Two Kids under 4

Sometimes they play happily in my room while I work. Sometimes. Sometimes I lay down–on the rug–or hardwood floors–and they play. Until they fight over their dolls, their blocks, their puzzles, and SuperBoy is highly indignant that his sister would want something he has. Shocker.

With a new wakeup time imposed on SuperBoy (can’t leave his room until it’s 7am on his clock, unless he goes potty and then goes right back to bed), and SweetPea being happy and staying in her bed asleep til 8am, I’m lapping up these last few months of no nursing, uninterrupted (semi) sleep (for the past week?). I’m 26 weeks and thinking I can survive 14 more weeks of this. Hopefully.

Structure has saved my life. A little inner discipline and kicking my own butt has helped survive this stage of pregnancy. I put things away right away instead of letting them linger & load up in the corners of the house. I do laundry on certain days and actually turn it over all the day long so it’s done at the end of the day. I fill the dishwasher right after a meal and soak the handwashing so the sink isn’t full of nasty crusty dishes in cold water. I make a list of what I have to do that week, and then the night before, try to make a quick list of my day the following day to prep. I decided what to let go of, and what to cling to (showering too often, and cleaning my bathrooms). We don’t do more than one activity outside of the house a day. It’s too exhausting at this stage of pregnancy. No more over-committments!

Breakfast is the happy same oatmeal with yogurt, fruit, and raisins (sometimes) every day. Morning is play time while I clean up from breakfast and then get into the fray of playing. She has her morning nap. He either has quiet time or learning time (so many fun workbooks to connect the dots, same/different, mazes). We work side-by-side if I have sewing projects, or am prepping for lunch/dinner. His attitude has been really happy lately. Lunch is ready by the time she wakes up, we eat, play, and then have afternoon naps. This is my only time to focus on my list, my screentime, my naps, my eating chocolate, you know. By 4 if I haven’t started dinner, then you know it’s a take-out night.

Each day has its own rhythms, its own obligations. Finding your balance between work, home, play, snuggling, is so worth it. Set everything else aside until you’ve figured out your priority list and what you need to thrive, and what you need to survive. My sister told me she hadn’t heard me remark that things were easy in a long time.

It must the kids’ ages, my pregnancy nausea only being nausea and not vomiting constantly, and embracing what I can let go of and what I want to hang to. My amazingly supportive family. The fact our brother is home safely from his deployment to the middle east and reunited with his family! And that my husband gets me shakes from Grand Ole Creamery regularly. Sometimes doubling it with going for running in subzero temperature down there all five blocks to bring it back. He’s become a true Minnesotan.

Then I went into the attic and found my old dollie outfits–and a few extra dollies. Oh boy. Had no clue these would be such a hit!!

Who gets to wear what?? Decisions, decisions.

This time Chloe turned into a nun with a little head work.

The enthusiasm was beyond.

When Charlie Dixie turned into a monk, well, it couldn’t get much better than that.

Posing for two seconds. With their religiously ordered dollies.

Trash her room. It’s totally good. That means you’re not trashing my room right now.