Friday, January 27, 2006
One Potato... Two Potato...
With the prospects of new baby on the way, I find myself a little anxious. Having a second child seems a daunting challenge. Dane is in no way a difficult child, but still requires time. It is difficult for me to imagine how it will work when number two comes along. So how do you make time to take care of an infant while keeping your 2 year old from playing in the street, catching on fire or being abducted by aliens (or worse). I have a vision of wearing goalie pads while changing diapers, using my hockey stick to keep Dane “in-play.”Maybe my goal should be to teach Dane how to change diapers or at least enlist his help. Being an only child, I don’t know what Dane is about to face. The closest thing I had to a sibling was a cousin and I saw her pretty infrequently. I’m sure there are plenty of creative techniques that parents of more than one child have employed to keep number one busy (1 through 4…whatever), while they were occupied with another, but I haven’t been made privy to them. So it will be 100% learning, with a pretty marginal rate of failure. I take that back, I have the experience of knowing what to do this time around with an infant, but still…
I’m sure I will pull it together. I’m sure it seems like the giant Rubik’s Cube (interesting analogy if your interested in hearing it), but eventually it will turn into routine.
# Proud Daddy Posting @ 7:25 PM 
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Well, FoilKid was five when I had the GaahGirl, so I can't speak to managing a two year old, but my mother, the FoilMormor had me eighteen months after having my sisters (twins)! Needless to say, they were toilet trained very quickly thereafter. We all survived. No advice -- you just figure out your own rhythm and work with it. Organization is key. Taking shameless advantage of friends who volunteer to babysit is key. Making alone time with both children (where each one gets some time alone with each and both parents) is very important. It will work out. And it will be wonderful for Dane to have a sibling. Congratulations again.
My mom and dad had three children in four years. They were good Catholics and didn't quite figure out where the babies were coming from. There's five years between me and #3...believe it or not, I was wholly planned too. They actually wanted five children originally, but they stopped at me for a variety of reasons. I know my mom just about lost her mind whenever all three of the older ones were sick (since they tended to all get sick at once), but she managed nicely otherwise. She learned some pretty cool techniques that involved giving children activities to do in the kitchen while she was baking (that's for all children over one year of age) and making the eldest feel important by giving her "tasks" that related to the others ("Rose, could you get me the diaper for Mark? Thank you, you're such a BIG helper!"). It'll all work out. There are three years between Ariana and Jared, and I managed. Mostly, I made Ariana feel important by asking her to help with little things, and then I made sure to give her "special" time when Jared was down for his morning nap and she was awake. They're fully bonded now...Ariana's eight and Jared is five, and let me tell you, it's MUCH easier these days! The first year is the worst; after that, it becomes old hat.
I second Hoss's comment!!
You'll do fine. My first two were only two years apart. Two seemed older when I planned it that way. I expected the first to be speaking in complete sentences and potty trained by the arrival of the second. I was so clueless! But it all worked out!
And my oldest, a boy, LOVED his baby sister!
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You'll do fine. My first two were only two years apart. Two seemed older when I planned it that way. I expected the first to be speaking in complete sentences and potty trained by the arrival of the second. I was so clueless! But it all worked out!
And my oldest, a boy, LOVED his baby sister!
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