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Here are some other things I've learned...
- The second baby is hard. Harder than I thought and harder than anyone told me. I just thank the high heavens that my boys are the age difference that they are. I would much rather have a tantrum-y toddler + infant than an infant + infant. That sounds worse than...well I'm too tired to think of a comparison. But it sounds awful.
- I must, must, must get out of the house. As in at least once a day. I didn't do this enough when Gabriel was little and have since learned my lesson. Cooping up a toddler is not cool. You will go crazy and so will they. And then you'll lose your ish and it won't be pretty.
- All of those rules I had or tried to enforce with the first child...out. the. window. Never say never. Even if it worked with the first one, it might not work with the second. Gabriel knows I'm easy now. Sometimes he gets to watch an extra show because I need a little break. Okay, sometimes I let him have a drink of soda because I just don't want to deal with the meltdown. And yes, they both can sleep in our bed if they want because sometimes it's not even worth the fight. Rules are meant to be broken, especially when there's a crying baby/crazy toddler in the mix.
- Jonas will live if he has to have a bottle every now and then and gasp! formula! I never gave Gabriel formula. He was exclusively breastfed, and rarely bottlefed, for 12 looong months. That's not to say I didn't want to, but by the time I convinced myself to offer him both the bottle and formula, it was already too late. Now, if I want to have a little fun or take a couple of hours away from him, it's all good in the hood. And I don't feel guilty. Mostly.
- I'm not so great at coordinating the whole stay at home mom/stay at home wife thing. I'm kind of a shoddy housekeeper, especially with two kids now. I'm not really sure how my mom does it, but she puts me to shame with the way she spoils my dad and she had FOUR. Maybe it's because she spoiled me. What she really did was spoil any chance of Adrian having breakfast, an ironed shirt, underwear and socks waiting for him every morning.
What have you second-time-arounders learned?
What things scare you, you no-kids-yet-ers?
Believe me, I've learned a little more about this whole thing.
To be continued...
To be continued...
lol Brandon and I literally had this conversation yesterday. With Anthony if a paci so much as touched the couch IT GOT BOILED. I've never, not even once, boiled one of Noahs paci's. Those suckers rarely even get rinsed off. Fell in the dirt? Rub in on my shirt, stick it in my mouth... CLEAN. OMG ANTHONY HAS A BUMP ON HIM. CALL THE DR!! Noah's got a bump? Meh, he's fine. Noah faceplanted trying to crawl on the tile? Is he bleeding? No? He's fine. hahaha
ReplyDeleteWe're SO MUCH more casual with Noah than we were with Anthony. Everything had to be perfect, everything was a big deal, we spent hours researching and reading. With Noah we're just causal. Its not a big deal. If he's screaming his face off in the living room while i'm trying to sort laundry I let him. I know now its not a catastrophy to let him cry a little. I just think its amazing how much more non-chalont we are with Noah compared to Anthony
Isn't that funny? We're the same way, nothing is as dramatic as it was with Gabriel. I think in the long run, it will be better for Jonas though because I'm not hovering so much and letting him be his own little person, you know?
DeleteI only have one and I can't keep the house clean! Found your blog via Mommy Brain Mixer and I'm your newest follower. Check out my blog if ya get a chance =)
ReplyDeleteSarah @ Our Family of Three
woodsfamilyofthree.blogspot.com
My sons were as different as night and day when they were infants! You're right that you just cannot apply the same rules! Thanks for linking this to the Mommy Brain Mixer!!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because my second was SOOO much easier than the first, but the whole time I was pregnant I was preparing for utter chaos and possible single motherhood. No, seriously. I thought my whole life was going to come untangled! And then he turned out to be such an easy baby. My husband stepped up his game x100. I realized that worrying and nit-picking was useless. I SLEPT WHEN THE BABY SLEPT! My 4yo turned out to be an adoring big brother... everything was just peachy keen!
ReplyDeleteNow of course, they're 2 and 6 and wrestling and tearing the house apart. But when he was *just born* yeah... that was way easier than I thought it'd be.