Friday, July 1, 2011

"Winging It": The Five Things I Have Learned as a New Mom

You may have noticed that the word 'Mom' is in the title of my blog. You may also have noticed that I have yet to write a post related to my being a mom. I think the reason for this is that it's still not something that has really hit me. I see my beautiful boy every day and still wonder incredulously, wow, Sam, you're a mom? While it is still something I am trying to accustomize myself to I am happy to say that I have learned the following five things which have helped make the transition smoother:

1. Multi-tasking: I can now multi-task like it is nobody's business. At any one moment in time I am feeding baby Z a bottle with one hand, checking Twitter on my IPhone with the other and have a cup of coffee handy  to make a quick switch in duties. I am also (I sheepishly admit) watching a recorded episode of "The Real Housewives of New York City" but let's not dwell on that too much. I'm sure that will come up once Z starts therapy.



2. The Art of the 10-minute Nap: Those days of sleeping in are long gone. Regardless of what time I have gone to bed the night before I am up at the crack of dawn. Not by choice. I have to. That is precisely when babies decide that they would like their day to begin. To deal with this disruption in my sleep cycle I have perfected the art of the 10-minute nap. Throughout the day, I try to take a few of these, usually coinciding with when baby Z takes his (micro) naps. Not the healthiest thing in the world, sure, but it keeps me going.

3. "Me" Time: Before having a baby I was fiercely protective of my "me" time. After having a baby I am even more fiercely protective of my "me" time. Thankfully I have a husband who understands that Z is as much his child as mine and so "me time' is not so hard to negotiate!

4. Learn to say Yes: As a rule I hate asking people for favors. Even if someone volunteers their services I am known, by those close to me, to always (politely) refuse. Not the case anymore. I soon realized that I needed help and that I had better ask for it. If you are lucky enough to have friends and family that are offering to help you, don't refuse it. I have cashed in my fair share of babysitting offers from friends. You know who you are, love you guys!

5. Learn to Laugh At Myself: You can read as many books as you want, talk to as many doulas as you like, be as prepared as you think you will ever be, but something will always one-up you in the baby-game. That is okay.  I did not read any books or even prepare, as such. Not wanting to stress or overwhelm myself, I decided to 'wing' it and learn things on the fly. As you can imagine there have been some bumps along the way. One particular incident showcased my inability to properly position the rain canopy on my child's stroller. This resulted in my pushing a stroller around the Upper East side of Manhattan with the rain canopy perfectly plastered over my child's face. I noticed the looks from other moms and nannies and, cluelessly, figured they must be admiring my little guy's cute get-up. Shortly afterwards, horrified, I realized the error of my ways and swiftly rectified the situation. I got over my horror quickly though. For me the take-home message was that I will mess up, lots, and the only way to deal with it is to see the humor in it!

The hood needs to come out, people, in order for the rain canopy to function properly!
It has been 6 months but I am still learning, however, I am pleased to report that the learning curve is pretty steep, and the experience is actually a lot of fun!

Have a great July 4th holiday weekend!

Also, don't forget to enter my Uncle Sam Honey Almond cereal giveaway. I am accepting entries till Monday July 4th at 10pm EST from readers in the Continental US. I shall announce a winner on Tuesday July 5th.

19 comments:

Sid said...

Have a great 4th of July, Mom & Husband & Z =)

Amy B @ Second City Randomness said...

Granted, I'm not a mom, but I'm serious about my "me time". People wine and complain when I don't go out after a busy week. I tell them they wouldn't want me out if I don't get a break from people for at least a few hours!

Cameo said...

You sound like you are off to a great start! I love the stroller story.

Dori said...

I love this post! These are all really great lessons. Glad you are able to laugh at yourself in that last one. It will be a funny story for the boy when he is older!

sofia said...

though i'm not a mom, i agree with amy that me time IS important. absolutely essential, really. or maybe my insistence is a sign that i'm definitely not ready yet? hah.

love the story about the plastic hood. what a crack-up. looking forward to seeing you soon!

Ameena said...

Oh Sam...it's been 6 years and I'm still winging it! If only you knew the half of it. I think you are doing a fabulous job juggling your amazing career and your family. I can't wait to meet you in a few weeks - hopefully some of your superstardom will rub off on me. :)

Sam @ Mom at the Barre said...

Sid: Thanks! Happy 4th to you too!

Amy: Taking a breather from people is a great policy! We should all strive to have a few hours to ourselves a week. I'm with you on that one.

Sam @ Mom at the Barre said...

Cameo: Thanks! I'm trying!

Dori: I was mortified by the stroller incident! Unfortunately for this poor child there are many such funny stories for once he is older!

Sam @ Mom at the Barre said...

Sofia: Me time is incredibly important, even more so when you are 'ready'! Looking forward to planning some f-unemployment dates!

Ameena: I have a feeling I am going to be winging it for a while. So excited about meeting you soon! I am totally the one who is going to be picking YOUR brain about how you juggle it all, you rockstar! Can everyone tell we are each other's mutual fan club?

Gina; The Candid RD said...

Awww, I'm glad you wrote this post! Even though a child is not something Nick and I are planning on having for about four years, it's always good to hear tips sooner than later! The stroller incident sounds like something I would do, but hey, you live and you learn! I'm already a GREAT multi-tasker and 10-minute napper, so I'm all set?! :)
Have a great weekend!

Sam @ Mom at the Barre said...

Gina: I think you are already on to a great start! Have a great 4th!

Pink Lady said...

I love this post! The 5 "Things you Learned" can apply to anyone. I really like the stroller story in #5. Me time is very important and the only way a busy lady like you is going to get some is to take people up on on their offers. Watching someone else's child is both a huge responsibility and time commitment. In NYC, me time is a luxury. When people offer up their babysitting skills it is because they genuinely want to. Happy 4th!

Sam @ Mom at the Barre said...

Pink Lady: Thanks!:-)

Miranda @ Working Mom Works Out said...

Great lessons!

I've learned that I can't control everything. This was a very hard lesson for me.

Jenny @ Fitness Health and Food said...

Sam, it's always great to learn from new mom's experiences as we're going to be starting a family in the near future! I can only imagine the multitasking that is going on! :P

Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun said...

I have learned ALL those exact same things. I am such a multi tasker now and people better not mess with my me time. That's probably the biggest for me.

Sam @ Mom at the Barre said...

Gina: That's a good one-loss of control!

Jenny: Multi-tasking is the cornerstone of trying to maintain any and all sanity in this situation!

Tina: Tell me about it. Fangs come out if anyone tries to compromise the me time!

Anonymous said...

This was such a cute post - I'm still giggling at the stroller story.

I love that you are so dedicated to your "me" time. I really do think that's so important!

-Amber

Sam @ Mom at the Barre said...

Amber: The stroller story still cracks me up. My kid must think I'm such an idiot.

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