We are entering 6 months. Half a year. Something you never think you’ll hit when you first bring home your newborn. You don’t know if you’ll ever heal or if you’ll ever “feel” like yourself. I’m right there with ya, but here we are six months later, and some things are starting to jive. So here are six things to make the 6 month sweet spot even sweeter:
1. Ma’am, step away from the schedule
You may, like me, have lived, breathed, and died by the schedule. Basically freaking out when your son or daughter was “off schedule,” “on schedule,” “changing schedules,” “figuring the next schedule.” Whew. It’s exhausting! You are doing a great job, so give yourself some grace and allow your baby’s natural rhythms to dictate some of those naps. As your baby grows, his or her nap times will change. Now I know that Baby Boy can go about 2 good hours before he’s crashing. Observe your son or daughter (on a good day or especially on an off day) to see how they (and you) navigate nap time.
2. Find a “baby and you” outing
6 months is a great time to begin participating in some activities other than rushing to the grocery store in between nap times! Your child is up for longer stretches so now you can actually go out and do something with your child. I recently went window shopping at Target with absolutely no intention of buying anything. It was literally an outing for Baby Boy to see different sights and for me to have some adult interaction. Plus, with the sixth month sweet spot, he is able to laugh and smile with the adults as well, making your Target run that much sweeter.
We also participated in a small, intimate story time at Barnes and Noble! It was so great. Baby Boy could do tummy time on the floor while I sipped Starbucks and talked with the moms around me. It felt like a spa day for me! Public libraries also have activities that you and your little one can do as well. Invite a friend and make an outing of it!
3. Get out and do something for YOURSELF
If you haven’t found the time (or the energy) to really treat yo’ self, now is a great time to head on out with the girls for a fun outing. OR take some much needed one-on-one time with your hubby. OR get someone to watch your baby and get on out with your own bad self! However you choose to get a little bit of “you” back, remember: your life is not just you and your baby. Go out and enjoy some of those things you loved to do pre-partum (is that even a word?).
4. Let’s talk about sex, baby
It must have taken Stella AT LEAST 6 months to get her groove back. I don’t know about you, but sex has been a struuuuuggle…physically. I thought once you pushed a baby out everything down there was supposed to…ahem…really open up? Yeah, I don’t know about that one. Reading articles to say that I was supposed to be A-ok by this time was not helping matters. Anywho, maybe you’re like me and you’re finally getting your groove back! If you’re not there yet, don’t you worry, little sister; you’ll get there soon enough. No need to rush! There is no time limit on this sort of thing.
5. List at least ONE THING you are thankful for each day
It’s so easy to get bogged down with what you are NOT doing right, so now is the time to be intentional. Think of people, events, anything for which you are thankful! Turning each negative thought toward a positive one makes a bad day better…try it! And if a day has been extra intense, you can always use the same people, event, or that one thing you continue for which to be thankful. You can create a physical list so that you can look back at what you’ve written over the days and weeks or you can mentally do it. The point is to get those positive juices flowing so they become an outpouring from inside.
And finally…
6. Just enjoy
You’ve birthed, adopted, fostered this baby! Now is the time to enjoy some of the fruits of your labor. Tickle, play, and laugh with your baby! Like I’ve said before: you’ve fretted over your newborn, making sure everything is in order. Now your baby is growing stronger and may or may not be sitting up by himself! Interact with, smile, and shower your baby with your kisses! He is looking at you, and is taking his cue from you! And doesn’t it feel so good to laugh?
So there you have it. Six sweet things you can start with to celebrate the sixth month sweet spot and half a year of loving this tiny human. We made it!
