First Pregnancy verses Second Pregnancy

My husband and I moved from New York City to New Orleans during the third trimester of my first pregnancy, so it didn’t make sense to look for jobs while I was six months pregnant and settling into a new home. I was lucky to have been afforded the luxury of having very little responsibilities during my most physically grueling stage of pregnancy. When I wrote this, I was 36 weeks pregnant with my second child. My son was two and a half years old. I was a stay at home mom, but I worked part-time for this blog as well as a new business that my husband and I had recently launched.

first-vs-secondA Day in the Life – First Pregnancy

My days consisted of sleeping until I felt like waking up, shopping for furniture and home goods during the day, preparing the nursery, watching television, napping when I felt like it, and occasionally cooking dinner (but mostly texting my husband what to bring home for dinner).

A Day in the Life – Second Pregnancy

I wake up to the sound of B calling me, “Mama, I want some milk! Need to go to bathroom!” I roll out of bed, pee, and shuffle upstairs to bring him to the bathroom. I feel grateful that, even though we moved him from a crib to a twin bed two months ago, he still hasn’t tried to get out of bed himself.

7:15 AM :: B is settled on the sofa with milk, waffles, and an episode of Peppa Pig. I drink half a glass of water and immediately need to pee again. I still have an hour before B leaves for school. I wonder if he will notice if I snooze next to him on the sofa for a few minutes. I set my alarm for 8:00 AM just in case I fall soundly asleep.

7:30 AM :: I get bopped in the head with a sippy cup. So much for that. “Mama, wake up! I want to watch Chuggington. Please?!”

8:15 AM :: Hubby and B leave for work/school. I have three hours before I need to pick B up from school. My eyes still droopy, I consider napping for an hour before starting my day but know that I would wind up sleeping for three hours so I hop into the shower instead. In the shower, my eyes finally start to open all of the way. I stare down at my growing belly wondering how it could possibly get any bigger than this. I rub my belly, which I find myself doing a LOT lately.

8:35 AM :: Out of the shower and figuring out what to wear. Can I just put my pajamas back on? I am so tired of wearing the same things over and over again, especially since the maternity shirts that were once comfortably loose around my belly are starting to get snugger by the day/hour/minute.

8:45 AM :: Ah, the house is quiet. I turn the thermostat down to 64 degrees, an indulgence during my few hours of solitude when I don’t have to worry about others complaining of frostbite. I put my beloved daily cup of coffee into a travel mug and head to the grocery store.

11:15 AM :: How is it already time to pick B up from school. Go to kitchen to get a snack for B. Blueberries today. Lately the only time B will eat anything healthy that isn’t baked into a pastry is on the car ride home from school.

11:45 AM :: Pick B up from car pool and he immediately demands apples. Of course, he wants apples on the day I brought blueberries. Listen to a tantrum and wish I would have taken a nap instead of running errands.

12:00 PM :: Arrive home and make lunch. Peanut butter sandwich and an orange for B. A bowl of cereal for me.

1:30 PM :: Put B down for a nap. Go to the desk and work. Get up a million times to pee.

4:30 PM :: B wakes up from nap. Fix him some milk and a snack. Go outside to play with B. Push B on the swing until my arms turn into jelly. Listen to B’s tantrum after I stop pushing him on the swing. Wish I would have taken a nap instead of working while B napped.

5:30 PM :: Cook dinner for hubby and B.

6:30 PM :: Pour a bowl of cereal for me. Sit down for dinner with family.

6:32 – 6:52 PM :: Tell B approximately 1,000 times to sit back in his chair and eat his dinner.

7:00 PM :: Put on a cartoon for B and collapse onto the couch. B immediately comes and sits on my chest.

7:30 PM :: BED TIME FOR B! Sorry, kid, no bath. Begin elaborate bedtime routine.

8:30 PM :: Get into bed, but then remember we have people coming over the next day for a play date, so get out of bed to start picking up the house. Hear B calling me. Repeat portions of the bedtime routine.

8:50 PM :: Pretend not to hear B’s request for just one more song as I leave his room.

9:00 PM :: B is finally asleep. Finish cleaning up.

9:30 PM :: Get in bed with a bowl of cereal and the remote control. Relax. Remember fondly how much more relaxing the first pregnancy was. Then remember how lucky I am.

Marie
Marie is the owner of Little Hometown, a company specializing in locally themed baby swaddles and apparel. Prior to opening her business, Marie was a professional event planner turned stay-at-home mom. She spent nearly a decade living in New York City, where she met her husband, Jeff (a New England native). Early in their relationship, Marie told Jeff that New Orleans is the only place where she would want to raise her children. As soon as she got pregnant, they started shopping for houses. They moved back in December of 2012, welcomed their son in 2013 and their daughter in 2015. Marie now spends her days entertaining her kids with silly songs, desperately attempting to stay organized, and balance her life as a work-at-home mom.

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