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Below Snezana Markoski shares seven things she has learnt about herself since becoming a mum again for the second time.
1. How much I’ve missed it
Not just the cute stuff. The vomit, the dirty nappies, the sleepless nights… I genuinely have missed it all. I’m honestly loving every single moment that Willow and I are spending together.
2. I will always be a Macedonian Mama Bear
I’m extremely protective of my family. Whether it’s interviewing a crazy amount of babysitters until I found the right one, explaining to Sam that Willow will be sleeping in her cot next to our bed beyond the sixth-month mark or expecting her first word to be Macedonian, I am and always will be a Macedonian mama bear.
3. I’m an ‘old school’ mum.
It has been thirteen years since Eve was born and there’s lots of new information out there so I thought perhaps this time around I would be a little bit more new aged…. it turns out it’s just not what comes naturally. Like my mum and my nonna, I like to keep things simple where I can so no fancy sterilizers – boiling water is good with me.
4. I need to write things down
Baby brain really is ‘a thing’. I-calendars don’t work for me. I need a classic physical diary with pages I can touch, smell and write in (sure, I may not be able to read what I wrote because my handwriting is far from legible…).
5. It’s been harder to shift the weight second time round.
This was something I was kind of expecting but didn’t really understand properly until it came down to it. I definitely had less energy and wasn’t as intrinsically motivated as I was before. This is all something I’m ok with though. Your body goes through so many incredible changes to have a baby so I never put any pressure on myself to try and ‘bounce back’. I knew that I wanted to start feeling fit and strong again so I just used that as my motivation. I’ve definitely focused a lot more on what I’m eating the second time around and this is helping but I’m really in no rush.
6. I love having a teenager & a new-born. I thought it would be hard but I love it.
Eve is the most incredible help and big sister. From holding Willow so I can take a quick shower, playing with her on the bed and laughing for hours or rocking her in the pram when she’s a little restless, the littlest things make such a difference.
7. I spend 70% of my day doing laundry.
Literally. This is not an exaggeration. With little Willow attached to my hip like a koala, we navigate our way through a pile that never seems to end. Again, being Macedonian we refuse to get help in this department and Sam is useless in this area!
