Transitioning to 2 Kids, Month 2

Wow, the first 2 months with two children is crazy! Which is why this is being posted now that my newest is nearly 6mo old! It's hard, just as hard as adjusting to having one child. Everyone says that your second child will be a completely different machine than the first and the same things that worked with #1 won't with #2. I thought, "Psshhhhh, I got this. I'm a pro after having 1 already. Malarkey." The joke was definitely on me. My daughter is surely not the same species as my son. Here are the immediate differences:

1. Nursing - My son nursed for 30 minutes to an hour each time and would give me a 2-3 hour break in between. My daughter nurses from 5-20 minutes and only gives me a 1 to 1 1/2 hour break in between. Believe me, I tried all the tricks in the book to get her to nurse longer. She just clamps her little pouty mouth shut and won't have it.

2. Sleeping - My son would sleep for an hour or more each time I nursed him. My daughter, well, she takes naps for about 10-30 minutes all day and not normally syncronized with nursing, rather she makes me rock her to sleep and only sleeps a few times a day. Don't even get me started on the night time routine! Try getting a fussy newborn to sleep while a toddler is running around like a headless chicken screaming "Big foot gon get youuuuuu!" We have a huge fan that stays on to muffle the hilarity and ridiculousness that is my son before bed.

3. Poop - My son pooped every time he nursed. Baby girl only a few times a day. Yes, she was gaining plenty. She just perferred to save it all up into pooplosions of epic proportions. She set the record for number of wipes used per diaper. 11... sigh. Oh, and there was a week she decided to poop during her night time change every night...for 6 days straight. That had to be on purpose right? Thank god, I was already schooled by my son on how to tell the poop is about to horrifically squirt everywhere. So I was semi prepared in my zombie stupor and managed to keep it from getting on the sheets 5 out of 6 times at least.

4. Pee - this one is simple and a bonus to having a daughter. She can't pee like a sprinkler all over the couch and in my eye balls. I don't miss this one. :)

5. Smile - Both my children were/are early smilers. I love it. Her smile is so big you can see her gums on the bottom. My sons was a sly wide grin, hers is more of a gaping slobbery sun beam and I'll definitely get some good first tooth pictures this time because of it.

Some things were hard and I couldn't have planned for them. Like the 36 hour labor. I missed my son sooo much having only spend several hours away from him tops in the preceding months. I cried like a baby the night we spent in a hotel because home was too far to travel while in labor. I just wanted to hold him and it was so hard.

Enjoying his sister...and TV

Another was nursing while my toddler cried for me to hold him. I gave special snacks, put on lots of movies, and thank GOD I have a double wide rocking chair so I could put one arm around him while he cried and kiss him and tell him I love him. He had to learn a lot of patience and so did I! While he wanted to go outside and play and I was nursing I got lots of "Baby DOWN!" remarks as he gestured to the swing where she napped... Broke my heart a little every time. I learned to nurse with one hand, sitting outside, standing cooking, hunched over a potty training boy helping him aim and wiggle pants on/off. I have a new found love for baby wearing and it's the only way most dinners got made before bedtime!

Nursing cuteness!

It was a LOOOOOOONG first month. I spent a lot of one on one with my son, during baby's naps that I had the luxury of sleeping through the first time. He didn't immediately take to brother-dom like I had hoped. But a lot of suggestive teaching by us got him in the spirit eventually. "Awwwwe you love your baby sister don't you?! Can you give her a kiss? (insert heart swelling smackaroo) Oh what a good brother! Look at her smile!(from gas :P) See she loves you so much too!"

At 2 months old, he's starting to warm up to the idea, and forget what it was like before we had her. Paying close attention to his cues and making the most of every baby nap by doing fun things with him helps volumes. At 1 month in, I had moments that I thought we had made a mistake and Auggie wasn't ready. That maybe he'd resent her forever. But it's not the case. It's just a big adjustment and we're all gelling beautifully now. I'm sure there will be much cuteness to follow as this new little person creates memories and milestones with us all.

Oh that gummy smile!

Is it harder than transitioning to 1 child? Can you quantify something like that really? I think it's the same. It is both the most joyous thing I've ever done all over again and the hardest. It's just hard for different reasons. My advice for new parents of 2? When you have no idea how to make it work, take a deep breath...Tell yourself that both your children are alive and well(maybe tantruming, but that's OK!) You can figure it out. Deep breaths, and let the baby scream if needed. Baby Wear! If all else fails, phone a friend with 2, 3, 4 or more kids. They may chuckle and that may piss you off a bit, but its going to be one of those been there done that, had the spit up stains on my shirt but went out in public with to grocery shop anyways laughs. You'll be laughing with them in a few months, and you will be amazed at the things you championed this time that you "never could have done" last time.