January 2025 + Postpartum Edition
It’s now been a week with Miss Maisy! A great, exhausting, joy-filled week with our last addition to the fam. She’s absolutely adorable, the cutest snuggler and snorer and everyone’s new favorite person to smooch. The bigs love her, always want to hold her and ask a lot (like a gazillion) questions all day long. Why is she sleeping? Why does she eat like that? Where is that milk coming from? When will she walk? Can I hold her? We’ve realized she needs a sisterly nickname that’s not Sis, sweet baby girl or chicky because apparently those were all taken by the first-born daughter and not allowed to be used again. Yes, of course, “Sis,” I’ll get right on that…
First, I want to shoutout my hubby, who may never see this, but has been an absolute rockstar while also being under the weather. I wasn’t even 24 hours post-partum when I received a call from school that Sis was sick. That good man has taken care of sick kids, grocery shopped, transported the kids to activites, cooked and cleaned around the house. We had a drainage issue with our upper bathtub and sink and after working tirelessly on it, he called a plumber and resolved the issue. He’s cooked for us every day and made sure the bigs are off to school and get home, all while not being 100% himself. He’s back at work today, so thank you babe!! We love you and I could not have survived this last week without you!
One more shoutout to my work crew. A few ladies threw me a baby shower a few weeks ago and I gotta say – get you a group like that. So thankful for those ladies – their kindness and their generosity towards my family! We were super blessed with a ton of diapers and wipes among other necessities for the bb.
For those of you who have more than one kid, am I the only one who thinks when you first see the bigs after having another baby that they look huge?! John grew at least 5 inches and Saralee is basically a teenager. Kidding, but not really… They’ve hit some fun milestones lately; one fun one for them and an exciting one for us as parents: self-showering and MarioKart. In August when my daughter went to Kindergarten we realized with a boy and girl we needed to nix the dual bathtime, so we’ve been using the shower head and helping them from alongside the tub. Now Saralee can shower on her own and it’s basically amazing. John likes the idea of a shower and still needs a little help, but hello no more back breaking baths or crazy amounts of water out of the tub… oh yeah, I just had another baby… at least we have 1.5 of them almost independent.
MarioKart has been a whole new level of skill, entertainment and sibling rivalry. No surprise at all that Bubs quickly caught on and could maneuver the little Switch remote pretty well his first few times. He proudly announced that he came in 12th and Sissy is quick to remind him that it’s last place and we remind her that at least he finishes with a smile and without tears of frustration because it just won’t go where she wants it and why are all those blue things spinning around her. In the beginning, Sis’ perfectionism hit hard, but she’s now thriving on the handheld screen. Dad’s patience has been tested many times as he never lets them win and doesn’t like waiting for them to finish the race once he’s done (because apparently he could play multiple tracks in the time it takes them to finish one). Alas, it’s been a fun new activity that we all like to partake in.
A few more things that have helped either on maternity leave or January as I was preparing for baby #3….
Costco for the win! I loaded up on milk, meat, eggs, some frozen meals, paper plates and bowls, paper towels and toilet paper. I also had a clicklist locked and loaded upon leaving the hospital. We have a meal train for a few days in February, but I still had an idea of what we needed for the weekend that includes fresh fruit and veggies, a few meals and fun snacks for the kids. Don’t forget to grab the oatmeal chocolate bites at Costco. They are great for breastfeeding and delicious, a family favorite!
Since it’s winter time and going outside is somewhat unpredictable, I made sure to have some new indoor activities for the kids: science project kit, paints, play-doh and puzzles. Some of these were Christmas gifts we even put away for a time such as this. When welcoming a new baby, it’s a hard balance of making sure your older kids feel loved and seen while also not spoiling them.
To close this out, every post-partum mama should have a baby cart in the common space of her home. We’re definitely a living room family and have had a baby cart with every kid. They are eventually repurposed around the house: kid books, art supplies, etc. Our baby cart includes: diapers, wipes, burb cloths, haaka, nipple crack, pacifiers, blanket, extra clothes, breastfeeding vitamins, snot suction thingy and chapstick. I nurse on the swivel chair right next to it and love everything I need to be right at arm’s length.
While yall know me and I want to be productive on maternity leave, I know I need to rest too. I have some things I want to accomplish in the next few weeks, some include this blog, others are around the house and that book list isn’t going to read itself. I already cleaned out the microwave and let me just tell you… don’t forget to clean the ceiling first… FIRST I tell you. It exists and wow, it’s dirty.
Stay tuned for some fun writing ahead…
Raising Youngins 
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