Preggo/Mom Series: Maybe Matilda

So I can enjoy some time with Owen and get acclimated to life with a newborn, I asked some of my blog buddies to play along and answer 10 hard-hitting questions about pregnancy and motherhood.

Today, the talented Rachel from Maybe Matilda is sharing her experiences and insights. 

What did you enjoy about being pregnant?
I love feeling those sweet little baby kicks! I’ll be honest, I sort of miss feeling their movements after the little stinkers are born.

What did you NOT enjoy about being pregnant?
I was lucky enough to have fairly easy pregnancies (don’t hate me), but I was massively pregnant during the heat of summer with both kids and that was definitely not the brightest planning on my part. Being roughly hippo-sized during July and August? I would not recommend it. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson the first time around. I guess I’m not a quick learner.

What did you miss most during your pregnancy/pregnancies (booze, sushi, lifting heavy objects, being able to fit into tight spaces, etc.)?
I definitely missed being able to wear my regular clothes. Dressing a small early pregnancy belly is kind of fun, but once you look like you’re hauling a watermelon under the gigantic XXXXXXXXXL t-shirt that is the only thing you can squeeze yourself into anymore, dressing the bump starts to lose its appeal.

Any interesting pregnancy cravings?
With my first pregnancy, I could not get enough tomato sandwiches in me. Cheap white bread, a big ol’ heap of mayo, and fresh tomatoes. So, so good. With my second, I had ferocious cravings for the super-buttery, super-salty, neon yellow popcorn that they sell in those giant bags at the grocery store. I resisted as long as I could, then when I finally caved and bought myself a bag, it was empty before I even pulled into my driveway. Self-control has never been my strongest suit.

Any interesting pregnancy aversions?
Maybe I’ll sound like a jerk, but I couldn’t stand to kiss my husband while I was pregnant. Even the thought of it would make me gag. Sorry dear.

If you weren’t married to your spouse and could choose one celebrity to father your children, who would that be and why?
Nathan Fillion. Period. No explanation necessary. (But if I must: handsome. funny. charming. Firefly.)

What are the three baby products you couldn’t live without?
I’m pretty minimalistic when it comes to baby gear, but we really appreciated the baby swing a friend loaned us to pop our first baby in–we were too cheap/poor to buy our own, and it was such a lifesaver when they let us borrow theirs. It quickly became the only place our colicky little guy would sleep. (We bought our own swing for baby #2, and I think she’s sat in it 2, maybe 3 times. She doesn’t share her brother’s enthusiasm for swinging.) I also love the little bathtub hammock seat we picked up at the thrift store–I never went the baby tub route, but that tub seat made it easy to bathe the little nuggets in the regular tub. And last but far from least, I think a crib mirror is some of the best money I’ve ever spent. It keeps them distracted while they’re falling asleep, and entertains them for a bit when they wake up so I don’t have to race in to soothe an angry baby.

What’s one thing you didn’t know about babies before you had your own?
That they really are all so different! Yes, you hear that a thousand times over, but you can’t really understand that until you’ve had your own. They really do have their own unique personalities from day one, and it’s easier to just accept it and go with it than trying to fight them or mold them into the baby you thought they would/should be.

If I offered to care for your child/children for 48 hours what would do, where would you go, etc.?
Definitely definitely definitely a relaxing child-free mini-vacation. As great as kids are in so many ways, I have to admit, they are sort of vacation-ruiners. From the agony of driving or flying with an infant to the struggle of getting them to sleep in a room they aren’t familiar with to the limitations of what activities you can do to arranging all your plans around a kid’s nap schedule . . . vacationing with kids really is just not worth the struggle for me. I’d love to have a quick child-free getaway and relax by a pool with a great book, or do some boutique-shopping and eating out without the kids in tow.

Any sage mom advice you’d like to share?
Some of the best advice I ever received was to think of everything as ‘just a phase.’ The tough parts feel easier to handle if you think of them as a short-lived phase that will pass before you know it, and you’ll truly savor the sweet moments if you think of them as a phase, too. And if I may toss in a second piece of advice (slash request for sanity), seriously moms, let’s cut ourselves (and each other) some slack. You and me and that mom over there with the howling baby in the shopping cart . . . we’re all just doing our best.

You can find Rachel here:

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