I know I’ve been MIA the last couple of months, but I have some news…

We bought a house! We’ve been busy jumping through hoops to close, pack, and move into our new digs. After two years of searching in this market, this house fell into our laps when we weren’t even actively browsing. It needs a facelift, but I’m up for the challenge. Moving with a baby makes everything more complicated, but I’m excited to share the before-and-after pictures as we slowly renovate.

The hype has calmed down for the most part, thank goodness! But all the disorder and chaos had me completely stressed out. Add in dogs and a baby, and I couldn’t get anything done.

So, let’s talk about moving with a baby—and some tips to make it easier—so you don’t end up as stressed as I was.

Pressure To Be Settled

Just because you move in one or two days doesn’t mean your house will be fully set up in that same amount of time. I felt so overwhelmed by the long to-do list that I was losing peace in my own home—the very place I’m supposed to feel most at peace.

Why Did We Do This?

The regret of moving hits extra hard when you have a baby. Your hands and mind aren’t free to put the house back together piece by piece. Both sets of grandparents were already busy or exhausted from helping with the move. Add in not knowing where anything is and being surrounded by piles of stuff. I quickly found myself wishing we were back in our rental. At least there, we could have been relaxing with the baby, with everything in its place and organized.

Ways To Help You Move With A Baby

1. Pack and organize before moving day.

I’ve moved twice now without packing everything into labeled boxes, literally hauling things in bags and totes. While it gets the job done, I don’t recommend it. We moved a week earlier than planned, so I didn’t get to box everything up and label which room it belonged in. That turned our dining room and our son’s room into catch-all spaces to dig through later. I also wish I’d made a donate and sell pile before moving, so we weren’t hauling things we didn’t intend to keep.

2. Designate Someone To Watch the Baby

I wish I had advocated harder for this, but I was too overwhelmed in the moment to mess with it. I wanted to help move things and make sure everything was handled a certain way. I couldn’t as I was at the new house with the baby while it was all getting taken care of. That meant I didn’t get a break from the baby to help with anything. And every mama needs a break at some point. Things also ended up at the new house that shouldn’t have, simply because I wasn’t there to say otherwise.

3. The More Help, The Merrier

Many hands make light work, and it’s so true! Invite family, friends, and coworkers to help, especially if you’re moving in the blazing August heat like we did (our first move was in the freezing cold in December). With two and a half days of heavy labor, family and friends made all the difference. Plus, more cars and trailers meant we could move much faster than if it had just been the two of us with our personal vehicles.

Your Personal Pep Talk

Give yourself grace. Take a breath. Let go of the things you can’t fix right away. And if you only get one thing done today—or just take care of yourself and the baby—you’re still doing just fine, mama!

Moving is hard, motherhood is harder – The No Bull$#@! Mommy

Have a moving story with baby? Funny moments, tips, mishaps? Share in the comments