The intimidation factor is really starting to set in. I don’t think I felt it with Hudson until he was two weeks old, but it has started early this time.
I am already intimidated by my unborn child and his big brother! What is the matter with me?
I can remember the day my mom left. She had been here for almost a month and the second she drove away, I looked at Hudson and thought, “How am I going to take care of you without her here?”
Now when I think about Hudson and Hayes, I think about silly things that shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but I already feel like they’re ganging up on me.
Like trips to Target or the grocery store. What will I do? Do I put Hayes in his infant seat in the buggy and Hudson in the back of the buggy? Or do I wear Hayes in a Baby Bjorn or some sort of wrap and let Hudson sit in his normal seat in the buggy? Or do I wait until Hudson is at school and just attempt the grocery store with Hayes?
What if I can’t get them on the same schedule? What if Hudson decides he is opposed to having a brother and decides to start acting out?
Someone, please tell me that these fears are normal and I’m not crazy.
I reminded TC last night that those sweet little quiet days we had when we brought Hudson home from the hospital won’t be happening this time. Hudson would sleep in his bouncy seat and TC and I would lie down on the couch and nap. This time it’s going to be an entirely new experience. But at least I know that going into it, right?
Hayes will learn to sleep through Hudson’s rowdiness and maintaining a schedule with him may be harder because we’ll be so busy going to all of Hudson’s activities.
I’m just praying that God can help me be the best mommy to these two precious boys.
I am so right there with you. The thoughts about the grocery store is one of my big ones as well as getting both kids bathed and to bed at night when the hubs is still at work. Somehow we will survuve though and so will our children! 🙂
You can do it, Erin! I know you can. I think whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we somehow adapt. I find that almost 100% of the things I worry about NEVER happen. And life just works out. Not saying it won’t be challenging at times, but you are more than capable. For sure. When I find myself playing the “what if” game, I work hard to stop thinking that way and redirect my thinking. Instead of worrying about the negative, I try to think about the positives.
Honey, that’s completely normal! I was actually not at all concerned when I brought a second child into our lives and everyone else was actually worried that i wasn’t being realistic. Looking back, I think I was just in denial about how it would completely change everything about our lives. Now I’m getting ready to add a third and at just 12 weeks, I’m already starting to freak out!
You will definitely find your groove after a bit of adjustment for you all. The best advice I can give you is to carve out at least 20 minutes here and there for Hudson and Hudson only! He needs Daddy dates, Mommy dates, even just quiet time with a book before bed. The other thing is to find random times to take care of things. Grocery trip at 6 am? You may all be up anyway, so why not?
I have no doubt that you will work it out. You’re a great mother!
Yep, all normal and legit concerns! Mine are less than 16 months apart and we have no family here. I’m surviving and you will too! Try to let go of any pre-conceived notions or plans of how you think that you’ll handle things and just go with the flow. That’s about all that you can do until the baby starts sleeping through the night and you’re capable of putting a sentence together again! Lol
The whole shopping thing, as with everything else, is trial and error and just when you get it figured out, one of the kids will start a new phase and you start all over again! Lol Your life will never be boring, restful, or quiet again but somehow those sweet blessings make that ok.
I’m sure there will be an adjustment period for all of you, but you will find a new groove! You are going to be a wonderful mom for your two boys, no matter what. If wearing one baby and pushing the other is how you get it done, that’s just fine. Just make sure you are comfortable with whatever arrangements seem to work best.
I’m having the exact same anxieties you are having! I’ve enjoyed reading the comments left by other people who have been down this road too!
You are a great mother & if anybody can get used to having two kids, you certainly can!!
I look forward to reading your blog after the baby gets here. Thanks Erin!! 🙂
It’s like we’re on the same wavelength this morning! I woke up this morning feeling so much anxiety, I am having trouble shaking it. At first I thought I was nauseated because I was going into labor but I think it’s just a knot in my stomach due to all of these fears. Other people have done it so I know it’s possible! Be encouraged today and do something nice for yourself!
It’s normal! Things will be different of course but you guys will work it out! Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your new “normal” won’t happen overnight. You will have to adjust; Hudson will have to adjust; and TC will have to adjust. You will be a wonderful mother to not one… but two little boys! I won’t lie and say it’s always easy…. but it does get easier as each days passes. This time last year I had a newborn and a 2.5 yr old….. today, a 1 yr old and a 3.5 yr old. Time flies!! So while it might be a little difficult at first, remember to cherish each and every day. It seems like time goes even faster with the second one. 🙂 I think it’s healthy to have a little fear of the unknown but before long you’ll be passing along advice to someone in your same shoes.
OMG.. I have the same fears.. My boys will only be 11 months apart and I can not fathom how I will accomplish anything with two kids under 1 year! My biggest fear is getting my kids to sleep and not being up myself for 24 hours a day! Whenever I start to freak out I try to tell myself that people have been raising kids (many more than 2) for ages. My Grandmother had 6 kids in 7 years including one set of twins and they survived. Many people these days have multiples and are taking care of many babies at once. I just want both my boys to feel equally loved and try to give them each the individual attention they deserve. Having said this I know there are many benefits to a close sibling relationship and almost everyone I know who has raised kids close together says its very challenging inthe beginning but after the first year it is way easier since the kids enterain one antoher… Good luck to you I will be eagerly checking your blog for parenting advice of two young boys.. I am sure you will rock!
You are more than normal!!!!! I remember freaking out when the dog would bark at the UPS man and wake baby # 5 . I would literally have anxiety about any deliveries or mail everyday . My husband was very supportive at this stage and suggested I stop shopping ;0
I experienced those same fears when we brought home our second child almost 5 months ago and I still fell like I’m figuring things out. My kids are 22 months apart and let me tell you it is challenging. I find I do a lot of errand running after both kids are in bed. Thank goodness Target is open until 11pm! I rarely do the grocery with both kids as it’s just faster and easier to do it alone and much less stressful for me and them! You’ll have amazingly good days where you look around and think how are we all dressed, have eaten breakfast and breakfast dishes are cleaned up already and then you’ll have awful days where things just don’t seem to go your way. My daughter is super active so that makes it challenging but I wouldn’t have her any other way and she is so sweet to her little brother (after hugging him a bit hard and even hitting him a few times at the beginning–curiousity and a bit of jealousy). Just take a deep breath each day and dive in!
Good luck and congratulations!
Totally normal thoughts and feelings…even more so because you Hayes isn’t here yet. You’re going to make a wonderful mom to 2 boys, and you will find your own balance. It’s different for every person.
I put the car seat in the back of the cart at Target and put my 2-year-old in the front until he was older…but that may not be what you find works best for you.
I’m so excited for your family.
Totally normal! A good friend of mine went through the same fears when she was pregnant with her second baby. While it did take her about 2 months to get the swing of things with two kids, she turned into a pro in no time! No worries, my dear, you can absolutely do this!!!
Erin, those are completely normal thoughts! I can tell you that the new routine is definitely a change from one child to two but its totally managable. My daughters are 22 months apart. My now 2.5 year old sleeps like a rock through any of my 10-month olds activities… I always wondered if she did since they sleep in separate rooms but we were all together in the same room over the weekend and my 2.5 year old didn’t move or change breathing patterns through a 45 minute hissy fit that my 10 month old threw at 3 a.m. What you will learn to love are the days when both are napping at the same time… no matter what, you should nap during this time!!! Trust me, it keeps you sane! Or if you don’t nap, you should be as unproductive as possible! haha
We actually didn’t see much acting out from our oldest daughter until after my youngest daughter was mobile…now I spend more time telling the oldest not to boss the youngest than I do dealing with meltdowns..but that may be a girl thing. Its certainly a different kind of sanity when you have two, but you’ll reach that place with no worries! As far as going out and running errands, I would seriously recommend doing it while Hudson is at school or when you have someone to watch over both of them…its not that you can’t get things done with both of them with you, but it will double and triple the time it takes to do it (and if you are potty training, you’ll need an extra set of hands in a store because trust me…toddlers have a radar for new bathroom experience opportunities!) Also, you can not easily do a major grocery shopping trip with two in tow…if you’ve got the baby carrier in the bottom and another spot taken with the seat, then that eliminates most of your room for items, unless you are way more coordinated than I am and can handle two buggies and two kids!
All totally normal feelings. I remember taking both kids to the grocery store for the first time. I had to leave the store with my cart full of groceries because by almost 3 year old was not minding me and my newborn baby was screaming and everyone was staring. I left the store and felt like a failure and worse than that is I felt anger toward my child. Looking back all these years later, I realize it wasn’t a big deal. These things happen and it’s ok! I wish I could have a do over on so many things that I worried about. The cliche’ that hindsight is 20/20 is true. You will do great! My advice is to relax as much as you can and enjoy it, it’s over before you know it.
You already ARE the best mommy to your boys! You were specially selected for that job! 🙂 I worry about these same things, and I’m a while away from even being pregnant with number 2. What I think about most is how much I took for granted those newborn days with my first, where it was just us and so quiet, and, dare I say…easy, compared to what it will be like with 2 the next time around. And I struggle with whether or not to keep my son in his current situation (staying with grandpa while we are at work) or do I keep him home with me and new baby while on maternity leave? It IS intimidating, but I think that once Hayes arrives, and you have a little while to adjust, you’ll get your own system figured out, and the memory of feeling intimidated will be a distant one.
Everything will work out! It’s totally normal to worry about this stuff & there will be a big adjustment period, for all of you. But then you’ll have your new “normal” and your new routine and life will go on! A baby carrier is a MUST with 2 young kids. You can’t fit anything in the cart with a baby seat in the basket & a toddler in the seat. Remember, it’s always easy to take a newborn somewhere – they sleep through everything, so don’t be scared of the store until they are both crazy toddlers! Strict schedules are tough to do on the second kid but yall will settle into a routine that works for everyone. Yall are great parents & no matter what happens your kids will be loved & cared for. You can’t ask for more than that.
Your feelings are completely normal. The transition will have its bumps and bruises, but you will all be fine in the end. I HIGHLY recommend going to the grocery store or running other errands with one child instead of two. I refuse to do errands with both my boys unless absoultely necessary. I’ve learned to finagle my schedule so it’s possible (with a little trial and error!) As for keeping Hayes on a schedule? It won’t be as easy as it was with Hudson. My second one gets “toted along” to his older brother’s activities…and he’s no worse for the wear. He slept when he could (often in the car) and didn’t sleep through the night til 6 months, but now he’s almost 2 and you wouldn’t know that one was on a rigid scedule and the other, well, not so much.
First; every single thing you’re feeling is completely normal. I’m not even pregnant with my second and I worry about all of that! So maybe I’m the one who’s nutso 😉
Second; you are hands down one of the best Mother’s I’ve ever seen. Hudson is SUCH a good boy and such a joy to be around and that is largely in part to you. I have no doubt that Hayes will be the exact same.
I bet in no time, Hayes will be meshing right into your little routine. Whether in a wrap, a carseat, or what not, you’ll figure it out. And I’m sure Hudson will act out. Because that’s HIS normal. But you’ll handle it and you’ll get through it because you’re an awesome mother.
Those two boys are going to adore you. I can’t wait to see you three together 🙂
At least you’re thinking about it – my oldest two are 17 months apart and I wasn’t worried about any of that – until my daughter came along!
Toting two around is not as easy as one – but it’s do-able! I was so anxiety ridden before my third was born about how I was going to manage – and in that situation, it is so much easier to do when my oldest is in school and I only have to take a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old shopping! With the two of them I usually go as soon as I drop my oldest off at school and then leave the baby in his infant seat, attach it to the “seat” part of the cart, and my Target has huge carts that also have seating for toddlers too! I grocery shop at night after the baby goes to bed, while my husband puts the two big kids down. (It’s way easier to coupon and everything without them).
awww dont be worried! i thought about all those things too and honestly its not as bad as you think it is. i have a 6 month old and a 3 yr old and i make grocery runs all the time. you just have to set a new routine and see what works best for you. i put the baby in her infant carrier in the front basket and my 3 yr old in the basket. i cant do major shopping this way but can get the bare essentials without any problem. and loading them into/out of the car was always a big worry for me but its pretty easy too. and you will have a grace period at the beginning where the baby will sleep through anything and everything. it gets harder when they dont sleep as easily when you are out and about. thats where we are at now. we had to adjust the times and types of activites we participate in so that the baby gets at least one good nap in her bed, BUT my 3 yr old gets to use of some of her energy. its a tough balance but you will figure it out. its just the fear of the unknown but you wil be just fine!
I don’t have a baby, but I think your fears are TOTALLY normal. My sister had two babies back to back (they were born 10 months apart) and she thought she’d never be able to leave the house with both of them. Now her girls are one and two years old. I spoke with my sister yesterday and she told me she was at the park with the girls. I said “Is anyone helping you?” And she said “No!” I couldn’t believe it, but she went on to say that it was hard at first, but now she’s got the hang of it. She said it’s just hard when one of them runs off in one direction and the other one runs off in the other direction.
She prefers to to run her errands (like to Target, grocery shopping, etc) later in the evening when her husband gets home and after they eat dinner. She says it giver her a chance to have some time to herself and really appreciates that time.
I don’t think you’re crazy at all! I think when we have any big life change, our minds begin to go in panic mode. We think about all the possibilities and the what ifs and it can drive us crazy. I am confident that you will be a WONDERFUL mom to not one, but two sweet boys. I’m not saying you shouldn’t feel intimidated or nervous, because I think anyone in your shoes would feel that way. What I am saying is you should feel confident that these boys will get everything they need because you ARE a fabulous mom!
Lulu’s going to put her nerd hat on here for a minute, so bear with me… I was listening to NPR last night, to an interview of the author of “Selfish Resaons To Have More Kids”. He said that what you have to remember about adding additional kids into the family is that there will never be a bigger shock to your lifestyle with children 2-x (look at me, gettin’ all fancy here with economics variables) than there was by adding child #1 into the family. Economically & logistically speaking, you’ve already done the hard part! 🙂 Now you just have to work out the smaller details like who sits where (which you will totally rock once the scenario presents itself), and you’ll be good to go. I know you’re totally going to ace the 2 child household! xoxo
I am so glad I am not the only one freaked out! Reading everyones comments are starting to calm me down. I hope they are helping you too!
Going to the grocery store with one is hard enough, I cant imagine with two! I will be praying for you the first time you venture out for that one! 🙂 I used to keep T in his weego, it made it easier for me to walk and grab stuff!
You are very normal for feeling this way! 🙂
My kids are 22 months apart, (I just had my daughter a week ago, and my son will be two in mid-May.) I had to have another c-section and have no help from family and friends. I do work full time, (when I’m not on maternity leave) so my son went to daycare last week and this week. He will stay home with me next week, once I am cleared to lift him…
Anyway, I just want to say that I had all of the same fears, and everything is working out okay so far. Sure, I am exhausted, and it is tough keeping up with two kids, but it is do-able. I really worried about how my son would react to his sister coming home, since he didn’t REALLY understand what my pregnancy meant. But he has been a great helper and very sweet to her, so far. I think this is because he is still getting plenty of attention from my husband and I, especially when the baby is sleeping. And going to “school” keeps him busy and happy, too.
My kids aren’t on the same schedule yet, but I know in time, they will be. I remember how after I had my son, I was SO tired, and I felt like he would never start sleeping through the night. Now I look back at how quickly the time has gone by, and I know it will just fly by again… I will sleep again. I will have “me” time again. I can still talk and spend time with my husband while our son is asleep, and I’m feeding the baby… And it will get easier with each day/week/month!
One of my main concerns at this point is also how I will take both of them to the store. My plan for now, for bigger shopping trips, is to go in the evening or on the weekend. I will probably take one of the kids with me, and leave the other one home with my husband. For quick trips, I will probably just put my daughter’s carseat in the front of the shopping cart, and will put my son in the main basket with the groceries.
Good luck, and I’m sure it will all work itself out!!! 🙂
You can do it girl. God will give you strength. Just remember, it gets easier! I know I only have one, but I’ve seen a million other mommies out there handling it. Plus, you have great support in TC and your family, who will be there for you.
I think these are pretty normal. I know I went through them, too. But calm your fears, Momma! It’s like riding a bike – you’ll just know how to do it. My baby is two weeks old and her big brother is 22 months old. I thought it would be complete chaos, but it really hasn’t been. We’re all in bed by 10:30 most nights. We’re all happy. We’re all adjusting, but we’re going through it together as a family and it just feels normal. I’m sure it will be the same with your family. Sending you lots of hugs and well wishes! Can’t wait to see pictures of Baby Hayes!
It will all work itself out… just relax…. You are and will be a great Mom to both Boys!!!!!
It will be different than when you brought Hudson home but there will be great joy in seeing your TWO boys together. You will fall into a routine and you will be fine. 🙂
It may not feel like it right now, but you will do all of that and much more!
I’ve been down this road…my baby just turned 6 months and I have a 3-year old. What I have been doing is only making quick trips to the store with both boys…for any “big” trips I wait until the weekend when my husband can watch them.
When I’m flying solo, though, I put the baby’s carseat in the basket of the grocery/Target cart and put my big boy in the kiddie seat at the front of the cart. Then I just tuck the groceries around the carseat and in the basket at the bottom.
My older son responds really well to bribes, so there’s usually some kind of treat in it for him if he’s a good boy and listens to mama. 🙂
Oh, and don’t sweat getting them on the same schedule. It will happen. The baby will likely adapt (or you will make him adapt!) to Hudson’s schedule, and vice versa. We stay home for the baby’s morning nap…and then they both nap at the same time in the afternoon. You’re a sleep trainer, so it shouldn’t be a problem. (Thumbs up for sleep training, by the way. It works.)
Good luck and enjoy those first weeks at home with your newborn! Don’t plan too much, just enjoy downtime with your family. It really will fly by!
I’ve read your blog for a long time, but hardly ever comment 🙂 I have to chime in on this one though! Those are completely normal feelings! I also have two boys also, and absolutely felt that way before my second was born. The important thing to keep in mind is that life IS going to change. It’s going to be wonderful though and you will have a new “normal” at your house. It will involve more preparation, planning, etc., but you will figure it out 🙂 The one thing that I really wish I understood before my second was born, is that your babies can be SO different. My first was very *easy* although I’m not sure I knew it at the time. HA! When #2 came along, he was very, VERY different, and I started to question my abilities as a mother. Turns out he just didn’t always appreciate the same approaches that my oldest did. I guess people told me that when I was pregnant, but I sure wish I had paid attention. It could have saved me a few tears! Sending prayers and blessings your way!
how this brings back such bittersweet memories from when my mom left me, standing in the driveway, with my 2.5 year daughter old waving goodbye and my 7-weeks premature son in my arms. i cried. oh boy, did i cry. i had no idea how i was going to do this. but, i did. you just sort of go and keeping going. it gets easier with time, promise.
as for running errands with two, i highly recommend an ergo. i had a bjorn with my first and was never really comfortable with it. i kept seeing moms at the park with their ergos and they swore by it. my son hated his carseat, so i needed something to carry him in. enter the ergo and, girl, it is life-changing. it stays in my car. i don’t leave home without it. my son is 13 months old now and i still use it almost every day. it is comfortable, so comfortable even with a 19 lb. baby! you barely know you have it on. this is how we grocery shop with two. this is how i push my daughter on the swings at the playground before my son was big enough for the baby swings. i cannot say enough great things about the ergo. you will wonder how you lived without it with your first child . . .
You’ll make it! It might be tough for a bit, but everyone will fall in line. When my sister had her second baby I wasn’t sure how she’d do it. She already had a four year old who was beyond crazy. The plan was for the two boys to share a room which I thought would never work. Turns out, works fine and has even helped both boys get on the same schedule. Last weekend I was babysitting and the baby wouldn’t go down and I let him cry until he fell asleep after several attempts. The next morning, the five year old said he didn’t even hear his brother. They just tune each other out!
You’ll be great and having two crazy boys running around will make life that much more entertaining. Best wishes!
The first time we left the house with both boys in tow (they are 19 months apart) we swore we were NEVER going to be able to make it out again – it was SUCH a hassle! But it’s amazing what you can get used to and now that we have 4, going out with just 2 is a BREEZE! It’ll be an adjustment, but nothing you can’t handle.
And don’t worry about jealousy…I predict they will be fast friends. 🙂
Oh, and to Laura’s point above….LOVE LOVE LOVE the Ergo! I also had a Bjorn and hardly ever used it because it was so uncomfortable. I only got the Ergo with my 4th baby and almost want to have 10 more kids just so I can keep using it. It made a WORLD of difference! GET ONE!
I am worried about this, too! I get anxious thinking about taking my 3yr old shopping! THe past few wks he has been such a bear, acting out and completely impossible to deal with in the store. I know it is a phase, but it makes me feel like a terrible mother. I just pray that God will give me patience, wisdom, and confidence to do this with 2! I have many friends who go shopping at night after the kids are asleep. I should prob do this, too, but I am always too tired plus I don’t get to see my husband if I do. (It takes 20 min just to get to the store where I live so). I recommend that though if it doesn’t take long to get where you are going. It really does take an enormous amount of addtl time and energy to take my toddler shopping so if you cut that out, it will almost be like getting a little break for yourself(almost). I am sure things will be just fine though, as others have said, millions of women have done this with even more kids so we can do it, too!
OT- did you find out the cause of your pain last week?
Did you write this or did I write this, b/c you KNOW this is exactly what I’m feeling these days! What I’m figuring out is no amount of worrying helps, no matter how many times you tell Hudson you love him, you’ll feel its not enough, and Hayes will sleep through everything! C just slammed a door and M didn’t budge. I’m here for you friend! xo
Totally normal but the quiet days are over! 🙂 Life as a Mommy of two is crazy fun. You can do it!!
I have 4. Going from 1 to 2 is most definitely the most challenging. But SO doable. You are NOT crazy. You are just perfectly normal mom of almost 2 trying to work out in your head just how exactly it all works. Here’s the thing: It just does. You will figure out by trial and error what works best for you and it might look very different from what you thought or from what it looks like for your best friend or neighbor or sister (i don’t even know if you have a sister….). I try not to go to the store with all 4 of my kids, but I almost always have the youngest 2 with me. When the baby was tiny, she was in a wrap or bjorn & the 20 month old was in the seat in the buggy. Now she’s in the seat & he sits in the cart. You will adjust as they get bigger. And you will make mistakes and they will forgive you. They will receive love in different ways and you’ll figure out how to make sure they each feel loved. HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING!! Try not to be intimidated, try to enjoy the last bit of time you have with Hudson and as a family of 3, it all goes too fast. Blessings to you….
You will do just fine! My children are 11.5 months apart (now 8 and 7) and I was very anxious about all of the logistics. Just take it one day at a time and be flexible…what works one day may not work next week. Have fun!
I don’t have any wisdom to share, but I do know that you’ll figure it out. I’m sure it will come naturally once you have both those precious boys there. And I’m sure Hudson will be an amazing big brother and he’ll be a big help to you.
I don’t have children, but I know these fears are completely normal. It just shows what an amazing mother you are to be thinking this much about everything!
When I was a Nanny and I grocery shopped with the baby and toddler I did the baby in the infant seat and toddler in the back. She liked to “help” pull stuff off the shelves and I would give her a “list” of things(that she could recognize) to get for me. That way she was involved and wasn’t concentrating on standing, trying to get out of the cart, etc.
Any way you do it, it will be fine!
I should add that she couldn’t read the list. I printed out a picture book of certain things like bananas, grapes, bread, etc that she would be able to easily recognize on the shelf and “match” to the ones in her picture book. It was a game for her and easier shopping for me!
Don’t worry. Things will go as they go. Hope for the worst so that when you exit the store and only one child is having a tantrum or screaming fit, then it was a success. Kidding aside, you’ll somehow figure out what works for you, just like you learned when Hudson came into your lives. You just go on and don’t worry about all the little things.
My husband stays at home w/ our girls on Sunday while I go to Kroger. Believe it or not (and as much as I dislike grocery shopping) it’s wonderful! Sad, but true. I can move at my speed, check out labels and not have to worry about a toddler’s attention span rushing me into getting out of the store and forgetting something.
Don’t let others get to you. Most people can empathize with a mother in the store with her children. I seem to think it’s a lot more amusing when it’s someone else’s child and not my own. I smile, maybe even giggle a little, and move on.
Erin-I have no advice on this subject but just wanted to say I know you can do it!! You’ll be showing moms how to juggle 2 in no time!
I have a 2 1/2 and a 6 month old. I was TERRIFIED of two! It’s actually pretty great tho- getting easier every day. They entertain each other these days. How to go out with two – put the little one in a sling or Bjorn. Big one in a stroller or walking while holding your hand (We prefer walking and sling). Super easy and doable. Basically it’s like you do everything like you do now and just sick the baby in your pocket! Also, go to the store alone in the evenings after your husband is home when you can. He needs to bond and you need to get out of the house!
I posted the same thing today! PLEASE go by and read it-we can discuss together! http://www.theedwardsedition.blogspot.com
I am getting really anxious about number two because I know what’s about to happen!
God CAN and God WILL help you. You’ll grow into it. It’s funny really. When we have our first child we don’t understand how we could ever have problems getting things done and time managing. Then when the second child comes along (so I’ve heard – I’m not there yet) we all wonder how we could ever have a hard time coping with one child, and so on… You’ll get the hang of it and if the do follow similar schedules then good and if not you’ll find a way of doing things anyway. It IS possible to nurse one child while helping the other child go to the bathroom et.c. Moms are super at multi tasking.
So even if it seems overwhelming right now it will work out for you just fine. There might be a few tears in the process especially through the hormonal changes in the beginning after Hayes is born but that’s perfectly normal and ok. You are not the first woman to have two kids close in age – others have worked it out before you and so will you.
I hope you will feel peace in your heart about this through these last few weeks of pregnancy. Good luck and God bless you. 🙂
Your fears are perfectly normal. The grocery store is a bit tricky. I’ve tried all the ways. Putting the baby in the the seat in the car seat and the bigger kid in the basket leaves more room for groceries. If you put the carseat down in the basket, you can’t even fit in a gallon of milk! At least not at our grocery store. I’ve also tried the Baby Bjorn, but that was after the baby was older. She loved facing her brother while we shopped. It worked really well, but the Baby Bjorn hurts my back, so I couldn’t do it on a long shopping trip. You’ll figure out what works for you. I don’t decide what I’m going to do until I get there!! As far as schedule, we were very strict with our first one, probably a lot like ya’ll. The second one…not so much, but she pretty much put herself on her own schedule and is doing awesome! She sleeps through anything unlike her brother did and she’s more flexible. For some reason, we were way more relaxed with the second one and I think she could sense it because she is more relaxed too. I won’t lie and say that 2 under 2 is easy. Honestly the first 3 months are torture!! But then you get used to it and get some sleep and it’s so much fun! Don’t worry, no matter how crazy you think your worries are, someone else has had them too. You’ll figure everything out, it just takes time and A LOT of patience. But is so worth it!
One thing I know for certain: no matter what challenges that having two children will bring, you will handle them with absolute grace and all the love you have. Because that’s just who you are. Praying for you in these final days. I am SO excited for your new adventure. XOXO