It has been exactly 28 days since I gave birth to my second child, another baby A in the family. Few days before my scheduled C-section, I was already worrying about how in the world will I manage to make time for our older child and even squeeze in some me-time. I don’t want to jinx it but it’s been a smooth-sailing transition for my family. So how can you adjust with two kids and not be a zombie for the first few weeks? Here are some tips that actually worked for me.

Prepare.

Like in my previous post, I mentioned that we already prepped our toddler that we were going to have another baby. We told her that there’s a baby inside my growing belly and read her some books on having a sibling. Although I doubt that she understood exactly what we meant, I’m still glad we did it because it paid off.

Stick with the basics.

Pinterest was my BFF during my first pregnancy –read articles, listed down things to buy and worked on a Instagram-worthy nursery. This time around, I just went with my instinct. Didn’t buy a lot of new items because I know how fast newborns outgrow them! We bought a number of white newborn clothes and that’s about it! I also had baby showers where my friends gave essentials (wipes, clothes, body wash, pillows). Just what I wanted, basics.

Be realistic.

During the first week at home, I really wanted to have the same old routine that I had with my toddler but I realized that it’s impossible for her zombie mom to actually sing and dance in the morning when I haven’t really gotten a good night sleep. We still do some morning activities in her study area but most of the time, we just stay in her room where she plays with her toys while both of us babysit her sleeping brother. That was more realistic on my part. Afternoon naps are just heavenly where I can squeeze in some work and blogging or just go through social media and see what’s happening in the outside world.

Delegate.

Here in the Philippines, househelp are hard to find and keep but thankfully we have Daday, our trusted all around help/nanny.. I also have my MIL to thank for whenever I need extra hand to look after the kids while I fix up or have at least a decent shower time. And of course, my partner who “tries” to wake up in the middle of the night to burp baby after feeding or just get me some cold water whenever I get super thirsty (Yes, you’ll be thirsty when you exclusively breastfeed!). My parents are also happily involved in babysitting the kids. Thank God for family.

Don’t rush things.

Yes I gained a lot and I still have 15 pounds to lose. Been looking at the weighing scale every single day until there came a point when I told myself that it’s okay to see those love handles and jiggly thighs. I read that the fats accumulated in your hips, thighs and tummy are helping you build up milk supply. Yes, I wanna go back to my old body but I’m giving it some time and just really happy that I don’t look pregnant anymore! Haha!

Breathe.

I thought that having two kids will put me in house arrest but man, I was wrong. I’m not used to spending the whole day at home so taking some time off to get a haircut, do some shopping and having breakfast with friends make me feel like my old self again. I’m fortunate enough that I have enough milk supply and I was able to build a stash in our freezer so whenever I need to head out, I just ask our helper to give a bottle to my newborn. Don’t feel guilty about it because really, you need to breathe and see yourself again- the person you were before having kids. Remind yourself that you also need to recharge in order for you to take care of others- that includes you and your partner.

It’s been easy so far but let’s see the changes that will happen in the coming months. I’d also like to establish a routine for my newborn and create some activities for him in the future. Any newborn activities in mind? 

Spending as much  time as we can with this little one!

Baby Number 2! Yes, I’m officially in my third trimester and it has been a roller coaster ride for me as my hormones are constantly playing up my mood- there are days when I’ll be super productive and work on blogging, tutoring and other writing projects but some days I just want to sleep and watch Narcos or Stranger Things. But then again, I always think about the remaining time that I’ll be spending with my toddler so I force myself out of bed and create activities for her. It’s a good thing for me since it serves as my morning exercise too (picking up all the toys in the room, cleaning after her used paintbrushes and   making sure to maintain the cleanliness in our classroom)! I’m happy that I can still work and attend to my tutees every afternoon because I honestly can’t let go of work and I’m so lucky I don’t have to go through traffic every single day! Hello Manila traffic has gone from bad to worst.Writing projects (webvertorials and online articles) are also a blessing for me. It’s like the gym for my mommy brain. Keep ‘em coming! haha! Anyway, back to the topic. How did I try to prepare my tot with her new sibling? :)

Introduce the new baby as early as possible.

It’s inevitable that you’ll grow a baby bump  and everyone will notice it including your tot. I told her right away that there is a baby growing inside my tummy. I let her touch and massage it and remind her all the time to be careful and to just pat it gently. Sometimes when the play gets rough, I tell her that it’s ouchie and she should not target my belly anymore! hehe.

Read books on having another baby.

I only have two books right now and it’s okay since she likes repetition and enjoys being asked all over again about the details from the story. I’ve switched the names of the characters and turned them into our real names so she would feel as if she were part of the story. We even re-enact some parts and I guess that helps so when the real thing comes out, she’ll do it to her new sibling too!

Call her Ate or Kuya

When we found out that we’re expecting, we immediately stopped calling her baby A. Instead, we taught her the new word Ate so she can familiarise herself with her new role. Now, she would say “No, A_____ not baby”. I would often say the baby’s name to her also so that she can remember it as well. Although she doesn’t know yet what Ate really means, I think it’s best to work on the role as early as now.

Spend QTT.

And I mean lots of it. The first three months will be dedicated to your newborn. Of course, there’s a bit of guilt on your part because as much as you would like to attend to your tot and make the old routine work, you also need to get more sleep than before and rest while you can. Helpers and other family members will greatly matter during this time to make her feel loved despite your little absence.

Spend time with other kids.

As much as you’d like to keep your tot all to yourself, she needs to be interacting with kids of different ages too to make her more comfortable being with others aside from family. Interaction with other kids will help her learn that the world does not evolve around her. Sharing and compromising through play will hopefully help her understand how life works outside her comfort zone- which is your home.

Don’t make your toddler wait.

I read an article that really hit me and it’s about not making her wait. The newborn will go through the sleep-feed-poop phase and that’s all that matters. Baby will not remember the times you changed his nappies but the toddler will remember when you refused to play with her or look at her latest drawings. She will remember those moments you spent with the newborn while saying no when she tags you to come and play with her luto-lutuan set. The problem is that she might resent her new sibling and it’s the last thing you would want to deal with at this point. Just remember that as much as you can, pay attention, play with her and involve her in taking care of the newborn. That way, she will really feel like an Ate. It’s a win-win situation for the both of you.

It’s so easy to write about all these now but I’m pretty sure it’ll be hard to deal with the situation once the baby’s here at home. Goodluck to me! For moms with two kids or more, how did you prepare your child or children for the new baby? Any tips? :)

Schedules are clearly important to keep one's day running smoothly and effectively. Likewise, routines should be introduced to children as early as possible. It doesn't have to be strictly followed but at least they get a sense of what they'll be doing for the day. Here's a very simple schedule I made for my toddler:

Looks like there's a lot going on but trust me, no matter how much I plan her day and load it with activities, it seems like we still have an entire afternoon to ourselves and her energy keeps her up until late evening. The main reason why I created this type of schedule is because I'd like to limit screen time. When I was still working full time, her guardians resorted to giving her the tablet since they need to do household chores too. I noticed how much time she spent online and how irritated she was when the Youtube video was taking too long to load. With so much guilt on my part, I promised to make her days more productive as I shifted to a part time job and business. It was the best decision I made! She did not have a hard time adjusting to the routine and she even loves having one. She knows when it's time to play, eat, shower and nap. She is even more madaldal now that she gained more experiences and was exposed to different objects instead of just watching online videos. Hay regrets.

The best part is that we've bonded so much that she calls Mama! Mama! every  five minutes to show me what she's doing or ask me to get something for her. It drives me crazy at times especially when I have to work online or even when I'm just going to the bathroom. But I wouldn't trade it for anything else! :)

There are many benefits of having a schedule for children but it may vary depending on how you want to train your child and the whole household (tell guardians not to bend the schedule, okay?) How about you, care to share your child's daily schedule? I'd love to hear some suggestions.

Water has been one of my top choices when thinking about an activity that will grab the attention of my students, even my own child. Growing up, I used to play inside a timba (tub) while holding our garden hose. I'd spent hours inside it and it felt like swimming in the ocean with my water toys. And now, a lot of inflatable pools and toys are readily available in toy stores that come in different shapes and sizes making it more fun and more safe for your kids!

Some parents are hesitant to let children play with water for too long. Why? kids might get sick and let's face it, it's hard to clean up the messy and wet area right after. But consider doing this once in a while, maybe once a week for 30minutes to an hour. You'll see the wonderful benefits of engaging in water play, not just for tots, but for all ages!

Think outside of the box...errrr tub.

With just the tub and plain toys that are water-resistant, children will begin to use them in so many ways. It can act as a ship, a shark, or whatever it is they have in mind. Just keep in mind that the toys are not too small for them to swallow.

Stronger immune system

I like doing this activity in our garden. Aside from its easier to clean afterwards, my child enjoys running around with the hose with her feet touching the grass. I believe its important for kids to be exposed once in a while to breathe in natural air and be more familiar with their surroundings. She enjoys creating a puddle of mud and likes watering the plants as part of her play routine. Take note, she’s also wearing her favorite bathing suit!

Different concepts are introduced

Water can be used in many ways and concepts from Science, Math and Art can be taught. For Science on freezing to melting, you can show a bucket full of ice and then leave it under direct sunlight until it melts. Or mix few drops of different food coloring and see how colours change when asking about colours. For Math on measuring, bring our different sizes of cups and see how much you can put on each then compare. You can also do transferring of water from one container to another. For Art, place tempera paint on clean canvas and throw some water balloons on it to make your art piece. Easy and super fun!

It takes a while to prepare water activities for children. But on days when you just wanna have fun, a tub, water hose and some toys will be just fine. How about you, whats your favorite water play activity with your kids? :)

My father would always invite me and my daughter to an afternoon at Kidzoona Nuvali which is near his house. But because of my mommy brain, I always end up not bringing any socks for both of us so I always just insist on checking out new restos to try instead.

Anyway, we had the chance to have a play date during the weekend at their Shangri-la branch. It was a Sunday so I expected that there will be lots of babies, toddlers, moms and ates around.Baby A was super excited to go inside. It's nice that they have this electronic gate so that no kids will just go out or come in whenever they want to.

I loved the pretend play section. If only I can make some of these toys for my school. Hmm..

Also, I wanna purchase their manipulatives! Wooden toys and this magnetic tiles are my must-haves!

Baby A spent most of her time in this wooden doll house with two hand stitched dolls.I think she liked it because it's quite similar to the interior of our house.

Sand area. Baby A didn't like it that much maybe she felt too "sandy" that she kept wiping the excess sand on her dress. Yikes!

The ball pit of course! WE, yes we enjoyed this part so much!

She also liked riding bikes even she's not yet ready for it.

The entrance fee is 300 for 90 mins (child and guardian) plus 100 for another adult and P400 for 3 hours.

It was a tiring 90min play time with baby A but definitely worth it since there were different stations to choose from; they're all educational and all areas were created to develop certain skills. It was still okay for me even it was a Sunday where baby A was able to interact with kids of different ages so it was an instant playdate for her. Hooray for this trip. ;)