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We all get advice from people when pregnant. Some of it is helpful and most of it is what worked for them or was specific to their situation. But hey it’s the thought that counts right?

In my second pregnancy, I was surprised how much advice I was still receiving, specifically the whole “oh it’s so different with two”.

Hey everyone, I’m doing the mom thing already.

How much different can adding in one more be?

People do it all the time and many act like it’s no biggie. And maybe for some, it is easy but I’m here to tell you it’s ok if you think it’s hard because it is!

You are back to having a little human who needs you for everything while trying not to turn upside down your other little human’s world too much.

And don’t forget it’s important to take care of yourself when you can so you can be great for them 🙂 I know easier said than done right?

I had this picture-perfect idea in my head of how maternity leave would go. We would do projects, learn new things, make memories. The baby would be on a schedule by the time I’d have to go back to work and at the end of the day, we could all eat dinner together and enjoy the summer.

Once again I must have forgotten that I am but one person and would have to be in multiple places at once most days.

When the still newly potty trained 3 year old has to go potty at the same time the baby is ready for her bottle and not willing to wait any longer and the dog has to go out and the phone is ringing…and suddenly, strangely, it was all a lot like being at work. 

When I interview people, I often question them on their multi-tasking skills. I have witnessed many times when an employee literally melts when too much is coming at them at the same time. So I talk to my staff about how to multitask and the skills to be successful at it  (more on this in a later post).

As I reminded myself this, and took a deep breath, I knew I needed a plan.

I decided to create a goal for each day. Nothing crazy or unobtainable but something I could be happy that we accomplished and more importantly make my two girls happy while hopefully building some good memories along the way.

One goal, that’s it.

Some days the goal was to go on a walk. Other days it was to do a project. Soon I started to piece together things that I really could make work for both a 3-year-old and a newborn to enjoy together. This allowed me time with both of them, alleviated the stress of making them both happy at the same time, and surprisingly helped build some memories.

It was all a lot more simple than I ever knew.

I was expecting way too much out of myself and from my babies. They wanted time with me and they didn’t care what that looked like as long as I was happy. 

Now granted I still had other goals in my day such as getting some laundry done, scheduling some doctor’s appointments, or making dinner…for once. But ultimately this past year especially, I have really learned how short life is and it goes incredibly fast.

I’ve forced myself to slow down and literally stop and smell the roses. I look back at my oldest daughter’s first year and am so embarrassed to admit that I have a hard time remembering so much of it.

Most weeks I worked 50+ hours and stressed about things that just a few short years later don’t matter at all.

I do not want to lose out on any more precious time.

I absolutely refuse to.

Forcing myself to slow down and focus on the important has not only made me happier but made me a better mom, wife, boss, friend, sister, and well you get it.

It definitely has not been easy though.

Especially for this type A perfectionist who has a hard time asking for help.

A very hard time.

It took some unfortunate life events to hit me on the head and say to myself this is what must happen so now how will I keep that promise to myself?

I hope this blog will inspire you and help you to find ways to do the same. Start with small steps and be kind to yourself. After all, we are only given one life to live so let’s make the best of it and not be so hard on ourselves along the way.

These are some of our top 10 favorite activities to do together (Did I mention they are budget-friendly too & can be done in 30 minutes) Note they can each be adjusted depending on the age of your little ones. 

1. Nature walk

I’ve switched this up using both my double stroller so my 3 year old can take a break on longer walks and letting her walk on her own when she wants. LOVE this stroller as it allows her to get in and out easily and it’s compact enough to fit in my trunk…huge win! Sometimes P has a scavenger hunt she takes with to see what she can find or we play “Eye Spy”. And sometimes we just enjoy the walk and each other’s company. Click here for our favorite scavenger hunt template.

2. Bubbles, need I say more!

3. Painting

Easiest painting the baby’s feet but can make for some super cute art and a great sensory activity too. P loves using the paintbrush to paint her sister’s feet and helps develop her small motor skills also. Click HERE for a great pack of washable paints to get started with.

4. Sensory water bottles

Easy to make though there will be parts for you to do on your own and depending on the age for instance my baby loved watching big sis play with them but couldn’t actually partake in making them. 

5. Water play

Again, the easiest dipping in the baby’s feet. We have recently added some fun sponges too. Great when trying to work on grasping with the baby and more sensory play. Can also use a paintbrush and paint with water. I always love using a water table too. Click HERE for our fav.

6. Singing

Little p especially loves to watch big sis sing songs with motions such as Itsy Bitsy spider. Plus singing is proven to help babies’ language and memory development.

7. Reading

Which brings us to READING! So many benefits for all ages. Follow along in our What We’re Reading Wednesday https://nicholesnotebook.com/nicholesnotebookread-with-us/

8. Visit a library

Many offer storytime activities for different ages. For instance, ours has times for 0-2 and toddler time for 2 and up. They welcome the older siblings for the younger sessions and little p loves watching the “big kids” dance around in toddler time.

9. Puppet show

Use some you already have or even make your own. So many easy ways with minimal materials. Little p loves watching her sister put on a puppet show and it challenges my 3 year old to be creative and make up her own stories. Check out https://30minutecrafts.com/2018/01/no-sew-felt-puppets.html for a quick and easy way to create your own from Carolina @ 30 minute crafts.com. Super cute and easy!

10. Play what’s that sound

Using different toys, animal sounds, musical instruments have them guess what they are hearing. My baby loved us just being near her, listening to the different noise (more sensory!), and of course watching us laugh at the funny guesses.

One thing I didn’t plan on happening was the bonding it is building between my two girls and learning early on how to play together. And yes some days we just curl up together, turn on Frozen for the 112th time and enjoy being together.

We would love to hear some things that have worked for you too and remember be kind to yourself…the world is tough enough on us.