Life after kid #2

Ever since I was approx. 7 years old I have wanted to be a mother. Not just a mother of 1 or 2 kids, more like 6-8 kids. I don't exactly know if I have my husband sold on 8 kids . . .it's a work in progress. Put in a good word for me, will ya?

Everyone told me that after baby #2 I would not want anymore. Here is what I have learned. The good, the bad, the ugly.

1) Baby #2 does a NUMBER on your body. It's not pretty ladies. I believe my hips grew 2 inches in size, I achieved 15 more stretch marks, and my pooch is never going away. It also may help not to gain 35-55 lbs per pregnancy.

2) My nuggets are 3.5 years apart, I originally wanted them close together but I am VERY glad I waited. It's nice to have only 1 pooping their pants and puking down my shirt. It is also nice to have my son step up to his role as "big brother" and help out. "Xavier, can you get me a diaper? "Xavier, can you get me a bib?" "Xavier, can you get your sisters shoes?" "Xavier, can you put your sister to bed and grab mommy a beer?" . .I kid I kid.

3) The first 3 months with a infant and bigger kid is tough, grueling work. I reccomend having a live in nanny during this time. However, if you can not afford a live in nanny like myself, make sure you have an amazing husband. These 3 months you will just be trying to adjust to life with 2 kids on different nap/eating/sleeping/playing schedules. You will not sit down, you will not sleep, you will not shower . . .somehow I always found time to eat. Shocking.

4) Sending your 2nd child to daycare while you head back to work. Is just as hard as it was with the first. This part I am guessing never gets easy. Unless you start your day with a major meltdown or diaper blow out, a this point sending kids off to daycare is easy peasy.

5) Baby number 2 will most likely be nothing like baby #1.  They will probably be polar opposites. Xavier would always listen on the one stern "No". Charlotte is the most stubborn, mischevious, impatient child in the greater Broomfield area You tell her  "no" she does what she was doing 10X as bad.

6) One child will have a melt down over not having a spiderman bike while the other is crying because you won't let her suck on keys. Each child melting down at once will happen. There will be a lot of screaming, a lot of crying, a lot of kids throwing themselves to the floors. Walk away, ignore and go have a glass of wine. They will stop eventually.

7) You will have little to no privacy or "you" time. Have to go pee? Guess what, your kid is following you in the bathroom. Have to cook dinner? Guess what, your baby will be pulling on your leg to hold her. Want a bath? Guess what, so do your 2 kids. Get use to it, you got another 18 or so years until it's "you" time.

8) Kid bedtime will be one of your best friends. Enough said

9) It's OK to ask for help. You are not a bad mom. You are not a bad wife. You are busy, you are going nuts. Ask your husband for a hand will ya?

10) Continue to find time to spend with your older child alone with no baby distraction. Make him/her feel important, like they are still your little baby. When Charlotte goes to bed there is nothing I'd rather do than cuddle Xavier and talk to him about his day.

11) Continue doing all the things you did with just 1 kid when you have that second. Like going out to dinner? GO! Get out and do things with your kids, they will love it to. It will be crazy and you may want to rip your hair out- but it does get easier, I promise!

Given all these things I have learned. I have also learned that I love the craziness of my household, I love how loud my house is, I love being busy with my kids, I love spending my time with them,  I love watching them grow, I love to love them, and I love that they have each other in this crazy life.

A second child has only made me want to fill my house with more. I was made for this. I got this.

What lessons have you learned after your 2nd child?