Mama, You Got This

We’re currently in the newborn phase, and I have to say, I really love it. (Though, you’ll soon learn that I feel this way about every phase my kids are in!) LALA is 21 months old now, and it’s such a joy to watch her reach new developmental milestones—like putting two words together and starting to learn how to be helpful. Meanwhile, MJ is about 2 1/2 months old, and she’s beginning to give us those sweet social smiles. She’s so close to laughing, and every little moment like that makes my mama heart so happy!

Some people like to call this time of having two under two—a toddler and a newborn—the “survival phase.” But what I’ve found is that, this time around postpartum, I’m actually doing better than I did the first time. I’m much more present with both girls, and I’ve learned how to juggle their needs in a way that feels more natural. I’ll play with LALA while nursing MJ, or we’ll read a book (sometimes over and over again) with both girls in my lap. Before MJ arrived, I was really worried about how I’d manage being a mom of two, but now, I feel like my mama skills are improving every day. I’m learning how to make the most of my two hands, trying to do as much as I can, and just soaking in the beauty of these busy, busy days.

Now, I will say this is definitely a “survival phase” for MJ. LALA loves to be helpful with her “Baby Doll” and will come running at the first sign of distress—well, her beckoning cry… I mean, call! If MJ is in her bassinet and starts to get fussy, LALA is on it. She’ll take off running to the bedroom, where our bed is low to the ground, making it easy for her to use her impressive climbing skills to reach the bassinet. She’ll grab the binky, test it with her mouth, and shove it into MJ’s mouth (often a little too forcefully). If MJ has spit up, LALA’s next move is to grab a burp cloth and, with all the gentleness a toddler can muster, swipe it across her face. It’s really sweet, even though MJ tends to protest just about everything she tries to do in her little “helpful” way. It’s a delicate balance between a desire to help and a not-so-thrilled reaction, but it’s also a reminder of just how much LALA is learning to care for MJ—even if her methods need a little fine-tuning!

Alright, I have to share a moment from just yesterday that perfectly captures how quickly chaos can occur. I woke up around 8 am and heard LALA in her room, playing and ready to start her day. MJ was peacefully sleeping in her bassinet, so I got up and went to get LALA. The moment she saw me, she said, “Baby doll!” and ran straight to my room. MJ wasn’t crying, just peacefully sleeping, but I wanted to quickly call a friend about the playdate we had planned. As soon as I dialed, LALA went over to MJ and gave her a very sweet (but, let’s be honest, hard) kiss on the head. This startled MJ, and she immediately woke up crying.

As I bent down to pick her up and take her out of the bedroom, LALA, in a rush to follow me, crawled off the foot of the bed and flipped over herself, just barely missing the laundry basket and landed on the floor. Of course, my friend picked up the phone just seconds before all this chaos unfolded. So, as I scrambled to calm both crying babies—MJ back in the bassinet and LALA in my arms crying because she scared herself—I greeted my friend with a frantic “Oh crap!” instead of a nice hello.

But, within about 20 seconds, LALA had stopped crying and was already back on her feet, ready to help me change MJ’s diaper. It was a perfect reminder that sometimes, everything happens at once—both babies crying, a phone call, a tumble—but in the end, mama’s got it. It might not always go smoothly, but we roll with it, and somehow, it all works out!