1.) Pretty much whatever you learned with the first kid, throw it out the window and start over, because each kid is sooo different.
2.) So many generalizations I made with the first one, I am now eating my words about. For instance, when friends asked how I got Raegan to sleep through the night because their babies wouldn't, I would tell them they should let their kids cry it out. And when they would tell me that their kids weren't "cry it out" kids, I was very skeptical. Now I have one of those kids myself. Addison is not a "cry it out" kid. She will lay in her bed and scream and scream and never soothe herself back to sleep. So, friends, I now feel your pain.
3.) Breastfeeding is sooo hard. Raegan would not breast feed, she only wanted to take a bottle, and after pumping for a few weeks, I was done with that nonsense and just gave her formula. Addison is a breastfed baby and she will only breastfeed...aaah! She will not take a bottle. She is nine months old and she has never taken a bottle, sippy cup, or pacifier. That means I am pretty much SOL when it comes to someone else taking care of her for more than a couple of hours or to go to sleep. I really miss the freedom of a bottle.
4.) Your mommy brain gets even worse. I am so distracted all of the time with two children, I am constantly setting things down while chasing down a 3 year old or going to pick up my baby, and then I can't ever remember where I left it. Keys are the worst. Justin is constantly asking me, "You used to have such a good memory, what happened to it?" I answer..."kids."
5.) Wine does not solve all of your problems. This is because you do not have enough time to sit down and drink it. It used to solve them all before when you might have a few moments to enjoy a glass.
6.) When one child sleeps, the other will not. I think I had a very narrow window right after Addison was born, when she was sleeping all the time that I got to rest some and possibly even take a nap if Raegan was napping. Now, their nap schedules are different from each other, so it is very difficult to catch a few minutes during the day to myself. Then at night, it seems like, once Raegan finally stays in her bed and doesn't come out with excuses anymore, she has been so disruptive, that she wakes Addison up.
7.) How do women do it? Run errands with multiple kids that is. Until we moved to Texas two weeks ago, I had Raegan in school twice a week, and so I took those days to run my errands without her. Now I am getting a dose of reality and have to take them both grocery shopping and every other necessary errand. It is so exhausting. I'm ready to pull my hair out by the end of it all.
8.) They say it would happen, and I didn't believe them...I do not take as many pictures of my second child as I did the first. I truly believe it is more due to our circumstances than Addison just being the second child. We have had a lot of upheaval in our lives lately and I have just been so busy with other things. I didn't even get a picture of Addison's first Valentine's Day. I even have an outfit that Mimi bought her, so I guess I probably should take a picture of her in it. Things have just been so crazy. I promise I will get better about it.
9.) You can love the second just as strongly as the first.
10.) I always thought the second child would be more independent than the first because you had two to care for. Wrong, Addison is such a momma's girl. Even more so than Raegan was. She has not gone to other people easily from the beginning. Even Justin had a hard time breaking down her walls. And she can be satisfied for a short time playing by herself, if I am very close to her, and then she wants me again.
11.) There is never a good age when the first child is ready for a sibling to enter their lives. I know friends with children separated at all different ages. Anywhere from only being a year apart, to being 13 years apart, possibly even more. It is always difficult to have a second child interrupt the only child dynamic. It seems if you have them really close together, you still have two babies on your hands. They are both very needy and neither can do a whole lot for themselves. It is a ton of work when they are very young. If your child is older, they have become more independent, consequently, you have found more independence. You now have to start all over again. Sleepless nights, diaper changes, potty training, etc. And then there is the time frame I choose...2 1/2 years apart. Seemingly a good age gap. Not too close where they are both babies, but not too far where it has gotten easier with the older one. But then, you have an infant and a toddler all at the same time. Dum, dum, dum! Oh the terrible twos, and the even more excrutiating threes. So who is to say when the right time to add another kid is? I'm pretty sure there never is a right time.
12.) On that same note, you can plan to have another kid, and even actively try to have that kid, and then when the pregnancy stick shows up postive, you think, "Oh crap, I'm going to have another baby. Am I really ready for another one?" Well, ready or not, here they come. Why is that?
13.) All the things first time moms just had to register for with the first kid never even see the light of day with the second child. ie- wipe warmer.
14.) Sibling rivalry starts way younger than you would think. So here I am thinking, once Addison really gets mobile and in to toys, probably about the time she is walking, the girls will start playing well with each other, but also probably squabble over things at the same time. Well, I'm pretty sure the early stages of the rivalry started about, oh, the day Addison was born. HaHa. And then about the time Addison was grabbing at things, Raegan was already complaining how Addison stole her baby doll, etc. And then today, when Addison was getting her 9 month pictures taken, Raegan was so upset because she wanted to take pictures also, that I finally let her take a couple. Talk about diva!
15.) Having one makes you think, "I would really like another one." Having two makes you think, "Do I really want another one?" And you are just crazy enough, and they are just wonderful enough to do it again. =)
No comments:
Post a Comment