"Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" - Isaiah 43:19
"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth."- Psalm 127:4
Again, another, an adaption to our triune family: a child- our second child.. in my prematurely swollen belly at a little over twelve weeks. Baby Couture number two arrives in August. The excitement, the exhaustion, and expectation daunts me as I run after my very active almost two year old and try to entice him towards the toilet. As I balance online teaching, housework, and toddler time while living as a walking baby incubator, I lack the time to worry about the adjustment to caring for a newborn and my already birthed sour-patch tot (sour, sweet, gone!). Instead, I seek fulfilling my newest stolen slogan: "DO LESS, GOD BLESS!"
THE THREE R's TO SAVE THE PLANET AND YOUR SANTITY AS AN EXPECTING MOM WITH LITTLES
1. REDUCE: Reduce by cutting back whenever possible! My body , physically slowed down due to the heaviest feeling two-inch life-form ever, lacks the capability to do. My home-keeping chore schedule greatly reduced to less done and less thorough (quick sprays and wipes, and vacuuming only once a month, so watch out germaphobes!). Furthermore, I reduced my online teaching hours from 5:00am- 8:00am to 5:30am-8:00am , to allow for 30 minutes more of precious sleep and a shot at the unheard of sleeping seven consecutive hours! Yes to reduce means less cleanliness and money for my family, but an increase in my energies concentrated on both our little ones.
2. REUSE: Reuse established relationships in critical times of the day! Though I absolutely fail at communication about ninety percent of the time and stubbornly stick to my independent working habits, I've learned to cry out "SOS!" Especially in the evenings when my energy decreases and my son's restlessness increases, I call in reinforcements and my husband steps up to cook and entertain our child. Also, frequent meetings with our neighbor friends and my parents, grant a much needed break for this tired momma. Friends and family, my rescue operation for my toddler as I grow another.
3. RECYCLE: Recycle your momma confidence! As Pocahontas sings, "You never step in the same river twice, the water's always moving, always flowing", yes every pregnancy, birth and child differs. However, your capabilities of a mother grows with your family. Though the waters change, I've already took a dip with keeping an infant fed, alive and thriving! My small map of what to expect allows me to enter into the turbulence of birth, breast feeding, and baby scheduling with a bit more assurance than the first time. So I recycle my experiences to curb any anxieties about starting the white-water-rapid- rafting journey of raising little ones.
So my globe-belly mommas, care for your little planets by REDUCING your load, REUSING your village, and RECYCLING that already established momma intuition! After all, your children are "arrows" in the hands of the mighty momma warriors who takes aim and fires with confidence!
Comments