Finding your inner mantra, you know that inner dialogue you tell yourself so you can survive the day. Put some pep back in your step, encourage yourself to accomplish the unimaginable. When is the last time you checked the kind of thoughts you were filling yourself with through out the day? Especially on those particularly rough days of parenting multiples. The days where your jaw is just hitting the floor, and you arent quite sure how to juggle baby A, with baby B, with a household, and oh yes, yourself to take care of. You could quite possibly have a toddler screaming at you to come wipe his butt from the bathroom, or maybe you are a First Time Mom and you are just wondering what on earth you are doing (don’t worry, none of us truly know.) Whatever Situation you maybe in, I want you to take a deep breath, and tell yourself something positive. Something that makes you feel good inside. Something that brings your focus, and steadies those nerves.
“One, at a time. One, at a time.” This was and still is my inner mantra. Now this seems like an obvious statement but when you have 2+ screaming babies, you are severely sleep deprived, and elbows deep in life this truly helped me pause, and breathe. I welcomed identical twins into the world 2 weeks after my first born turned 2. All I could think was how was I ever, on earth, going to get through what was ahead of me. Looking back as my boys are 3.5 and 1.5 years old now I can without a doubt let you know the first year was an absolute blur. There were a lot of tears, a lot of learning, a lot of growing, and a lot of adjusting for all parties. But as mothers we know we will get through the impossible. The love we feel for the tiny humans we have created lets us know in some sense everything is going to be alright.
We are only human beings, and Mommas of Multiples you truly are super-heroes. The definition of selfless. To feel your heart torn in 2+ directions, to navigate the ups and the downs of twin pregnancies, twin deliveries, and caring for twins takes so much strength and courage. We got through each pregnancy mile stone 1 day, 1 week, 1 month at a time. We got through each twin delivery milestone 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month at a time. Now with Motherhood upon us that is exactly how we will get through this season.
So when you find yourself scatter-brained from screaming babies, you arent quite sure which baby to grab first, or which need to tend to please tell your self “One, at a time. One. At. A. Time.” That’s all you can do and Momma that is enough. Don’t trick yourself into thinking otherwise. Find that inner mantra!
Photo Credit: Megan Simpson Photography