it's been a while, hasn't it? it's Erica, by the way. :)
i haven't written since before Aubrey existed, so just wanted to get back on here and play catch up.
things i've learned since becoming a mama of 2
you do more worrying about baby #1
seriously.
Before we left the hospital, our nurse gave me once bit of knowledge: your 2nd won't remember having to wait 5 minutes, but your 1st will. Which makes total sense, right?? So from the minute we brought Aubrey home, i've made it a point not to make him wait any longer than he used to before Aubrey was born. Of course, there were exceptions, such as when Aubrey was nursing or screaming her head off, but Derek knew that at those moments, his patience was greatly appreciated.
But back to the point. Having a 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) child doesn't diminish the love you have for the first. I've found myself worrying that he'd feel like his importance has been cut or that he'd think we loved him less. The beauty of all the worrying, however, is that you're extra aware of that possibility, and do what you can to prevent it.
you discover the value of taking turns
When you have two kids, everyone is taking turns. EVERYONE. Your kids take turns for your attention, you and your husband take turns eating, napping, changing diapers, getting up in the middle of the night, etc. Derek came up with "taking turns" very early on. He'd always be very attentive to when I was busy with Aubrey. As soon as I would get up to lay her down, he'd run over and ask, "Is it Derek's turn??" It always put a smile on my face and I was thankful for his patience and the reminder to shower him with my attention.
coordinating naptimes is NOT easy.
Can we say SABOTAGE??
holy moly. my biggest challenge was getting one kid down to nap without the other sabotaging my efforts. For the most part, it was Derek waking up Aubrey everytime I would put her down to nap. Just when she'd fall asleep and i'd go to put her down, Derek would pick that exact moment to dump a bin of mega bloks or run up to me and yell, "IS IT DEREK'S TURN??".
Aubrey got her revenge a couple times though. Right when Derek's eyes would start to close, she'd start crying, then his eyes would pop open. And once Derek's eyes have opened, all hopes for a nap are gone, gone, gone. Then there went my two quiet afternoon hours of peace and quiet. And while I was out on maternity leave, boy did I look forward to those two hours.
taking care of the 2nd is just like riding a bike.
SO MUCH EASIER!! i definitely knew what i was doing this time around, which made things a lot more efficient. the major new thing to learn was how to keep Derek involved and used to having Aubrey around.
Derek is a loving big brother. Very attentive and patient. I couldn't ask for more. Both kids are amazing, Aubrey slept through the night very early on, and life is great. I've been back to work since the end of April, and I still miss my babies every day.
Now i'm gonna leave you with some fun videos!
Derek holding Aubrey at 1 month old (I think):
Derek flying a kite (sometime around May 20th):
Aubrey rolling over!! (May 22nd):
Aubrey and Derek switching toys (June 18th):
and a fun one featuring the S-B men (June 26th):
Happy 4th everyone!!
