Preparing for #2

Number one is such a handful (love him like crazy, but still a handful), we’re not sure what to expect with the second. I’m hoping she shares her brother’s intelligence, inquisitiveness, and general all-around pleasant demeanor, and I’m hoping she doesn’t share his disdain for all things sleep-related and general all-around inability to stop. Ever. Of course, being a toddler that hasn’t been beaten down by the world yet, I expect him to have more energy than I do, but good grief, can’t we just sit for a little while?

I think we feel more prepared with this one, due in no small part to the fact that we already had our guinea pig to kinda figure out how this whole parenting thing works (no, a four-month old shouldn’t stay up to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve – you’re welcome for that tip). Being a firstborn myself, I can relate to those kinks being worked out 🙂 We already have most of the stuff that babies need. Minus lots of pink clothes.

Of course, C is the wild card (emphasis on “wild”). For the past six months, every day, quite literally, we’ve fought at least one, usually two, battles a day to get him to sleep. Sure, on a few rare occasions, he’s skipped naps and been so wiped out that he actually stays in bed when we put him there, but by and large, that doesn’t happen. Throw a newborn into the mix, and I’ll bet neither one of us will be willing or able to fight him for 30-60 minutes every afternoon, so he may be done with naps. Maybe he’ll surprise me. We’re also in the middle of potty-training – he performs admirably when we put him there, but thus far, he doesn’t seem to care enough about his overall cleanliness to let us know when he’s ready. I’m fully expecting, based on anecdotal evidence, that he’ll exhibit some sort of jealousy issues – how and how intensely that will be projected remains to be seen.

So basically, in the age-old debate of “just get it all over with at once” or “space them out so they’re more grown up”, we went with the former. I’d rather just do all the bottles, diapers, and terrrible-toddlerness in one fell swoop. That just seems less painful than letting your kid get to be five or six, then starting all over. Not that this way is any easier, just different. Maybe it is asking for more trouble, I don’t know. But I suppose it’ll all be worth it. Guess we’ll find out in a few days… No take backs. (And just in case it sounds like I have any regrets, I don’t – I love my children dearly. Being a parent is just a lot of work!)