Now that I'm 12ish days away from having another baby, I think I'm a chief authority on the subject of surviving summer pregnancies. This one was a little different since I had another child to take care of this time around... But finding things to do, and switching it up daily really helped to make the days go by faster, and for me to be as comfortable as possible while carrying a nine pound baby. PS who wants to take votes on whether the doctors are right on this being a nine pound baby. I'm calling a bluff.
1. Swimming at the Pool
My little guy is at this fabulous stage where he loves to sit on the steps of the pool and splash. Which is perfect for me since I get to swim in the water and feel weightless for a couple hours, and he's happy as can be. We also just purchased this life jacket at Target a couple weeks ago, and he loves it!
2. Library Story Times
Finding indoor activities is crucial. I faint and get over heated really easily, so toddler story time at our local library happens a couple times a week. Check your local libraries to see what events they do for toddlers, I'm sure they have some!
3. Music Makers
A bunch of ladies at our church do a program called music makers every Monday in our church building. You could start this on a smaller scale in your home with a couple other moms, and the kids love it. Here's the link to the official blog where you can get the finger plays, songs, and everything else!
4. Discounted Summer Movies
All of the movie theaters in my area have special discounts Monday-Thursday for the 10am show. Sometimes parents get in free and you pay $2 per kid, sometimes completely free. Check what's available in your area. Obviously watching movies all the time isn't ideal, but getting out of the house, and sitting in AC for a couple hours might just be worth it.
5. Mall Play Areas
I've been loving taking Jay to the mall and just letting him play in the kids area. It's enclosed, you get to talk to other moms, and your kid is entertained for at least a couple hours.
6. Bubbles Inside
This one can be kind of messy, but Jay knows that he doesn't touch the bubble wand only mom and dad. And if anything, our carpet gets a couple drops of clean soap on it every now and then. Carpet cleaning, and toddler entertainment in one?
7. Gymnastic Gyms
All of the local gymnastics gyms around here have a preschool open play for kids 18 months and up. It's super fun, and only cost $5! We don't do this too often, but when we do, Jay loves it!
8. Find Friends Their Age
I've been super lucky this pregnancy to have a friend with a toddler who is the same age as Jay. They're the best of friends and we try to get together a couple times a week. The kids play together freely and I get an entire morning of talking to another adult for a couple hours!
9. Let Them Play by Themselves
I used to feel really guilty if I wasn't on the floor building blocks or reading stories with Jay. I thought I had to be hands on 24/7. This got to be pretty exhausting as you can imagine. He's now super content to play with his toys on his own for an hour or so while I recuperate from piggy back rides on the couch.
10. Play on the Patio
We're lucky to have a fenced in patio connected to our apartment. Jay loves playing out there with chalk and balls and I get to sit outside and relax for a little bit. Or sometimes I just sit inside and watch him from the window.
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