|
It’s been over three months since we welcomed another little girl into our family and it feels really good to say I feel like we have adjusted to our new life. But it’s taken the three months to get to this place.
I now realize that I had it super easy with my first baby. The first night we got home from the hospital with her she only woke up once during the night. And while we did have some sleepless nights, they were a rarity, not the norm.
Well, our new baby, Eva, gave us a taste of the sleep deprivation most parents go through. Many nights she’s been up every hour or two. And because I have a 3-year-old who no longer naps, there was no napping to be had for me. It was very tough. And I tried everything. Swaddling, fans, swing, chairs, new daytime routines … nothing seemed to help much. So, after about five weeks I asked my babysitter if I could bring my toddler two days a week to give me some relief. That really helped.
Now we’ve really turned the corner. Eva is developing a good nap routine in the day and just waking about once a night. And they will both go to bed around 8 p.m., giving me a few hours of “me time.” It’s making a world of difference and I’m enjoying my kids so much more now. Now that Eva is three months she really connects with you and smiles and grabs her toys — and makes me remember why babies are so lovable.
As I re-read a column I wrote about my fears of having another child, I’m finding some of them have come true, but most haven’t. Here is what I had worried about and what I have now realized:
- Was Ella my “easy” baby? Will this one be up all night long? — Yes! But now Eva has become much easier. And after talking to other parents of colicky babies I still have it super easy!
- Will Ella be hurt or upset and become rebellious when I can’t do things for her? — Not at first, but I think at a certain point she did get jealous and started acting out. But she’s getting better and I hope once Eva is big enough to play more, Ella will really have fun with her.
- Will Ella try to feed or sleep with the baby when I’m not looking? — Yes! Ella will try to hit, pull, bite, pinch and slap the baby so I never leave them alone. I don’t think she’s trying to be mean, but she plays way too rough with her. I really hope this will end someday soon.
- Will I ever be able to get out of the house under an hour? — Well, I can probably get all three of us ready in about 45 minutes. But that’s OK, we have time. You just get used to it.
- What if Ella runs from me in a store or somewhere while I have the baby? — I always explain to Ella that she has to ride in the cart now that we have Eva, and miraculously, she understands and does it for me. We’ve had little problems shopping.
- Will I be grumpy all the time because the house is a mess? — I’m working on this. I try to not let it make me crazy that sometimes dishes and laundry and straightening up have to wait, but sometimes is does drive me crazy!
- Are we going to be broke with two kids? — So far, no! We have a lot of clothes and baby items and I breastfeed. So right now, I feel like the only added expense is diapers, and a little more for babysitting.
Erin Doucette is the presentation editor for KPC Media Group Inc., leading design and layout for several of its publications. She and her husband, Stephen, are parents to Ella, 3, and Eva, born in December of 2009. Her blog can be read at mommatimes.com. She can be e-mailed at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
|
