"Are You Ready"

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been asked the same question from multiple people “Are you ready – in regards to having a second child. The truth is, yes and no.

I’m so over being pregnant, for someone who has had a relatively easy pregnancy, I’m the most miserable pregnant person. I’m just not one of those girls who “loves being pregnant”. I didn’t love it last time either and I’m not sad that this will be my last pregnancy. So in THAT regard, yes I’m so ready for this to be over, obviously when ABS is done cooking and ready to come, as much as I want this to be over, I want her to be healthy! I can’t wait to meet my little ABS and finally hold her in my arms!

Now what I’m not really ready for… actually having two children. And I know this goes hand in hand with the pregnancy being over, but I’d be lying to say I wasn’t nervous. G will begin traveling again after his 1 week paternity leave is over after ABS is born, which means after the 1^st week (2-3 days which will be at the hospital) I’ll be “on my own” with a newborn and an almost 2 year old, 4 days a week. EMS was SUCH an easy baby, and is SUCH an easy toddler, BUT she’s a total Mommy’s Girl so I’m worried how she’ll react to having another person taking a lot of the attention away from her. She’s been around a bunch of other babies and seems to do well with me holding and loving on them, but it’s only ever for a short period of time, this will be full time. Granted, we will be keeping her on her schedule of going to day care during the week, so that should help keep some “normalcy” in her days. Which is another thing that scares me, how am I going to get her and a newborn out the door for daycare drop off? I know I’ll manage and will eventually find a routine that works for us, but I know it’s not going to be easy. But at the end of the day, she’s still just a “baby” herself who needs Mommy and Daddy and love and cuddles (and diaper changes!).  I guess it doesn’t help that I have a feeling AB is not going to be as easy of a baby as EM was. There is no way I’ll get lucky twice!

Overall though, I’m more ready than not, as I know I’ll figure it out quickly, Just hope these next 5ish weeks go by quickly!

Any advice from Moms (and Dads) of 2 young ones close in age (they will be approx. 23 months apart)?? How did you find the balance of caring for both? Any suggestions for helping the older one adapt to having a new baby around?

EM playing with her little buddy Scott (he's 6 months old)