Sleep

Sleep is very different with a second child. Something my mama never could tell me about, since she only had 1.
With the first child, you hear, "sleep when the baby sleeps", well with the second one, it's more like sleep.....um....when you can?!?!?! Because the baby might be sleeping, but the older child isn't.
Sleep is better for the second child though, in the way that, you know how to get the baby better sleep, naps, and night time routines come much easier with the second. It can still seems like it takes forever, but that's because you know what a routine looks like, and you want to get into it as soon as possible.

Parenting Styles

There are goups that form in your life. At one time you were in a high school group. Then college. Then newlyweds. Once you ahve kids all those newlywed friends either start joining you, or you make other friends and slowly shift into another group of young moms. That's where I find myself right now.
One reason you move into a new group is you start talking about what is going on in your life. As a young mom, (or mom of young kids), you talk with other moms about the way to parent your child. For a newborn it's different than a toddler.
For example Carter gets timeouts, talked to, knows and understands me, and helps make meals, bedtime and naps are very different for him than his brother Chase.
Chase on the other hand is a newborn, and there are many different ways to parent a newborn:

Attachement Parenting
Baby Wise
Cry it Out
Soothe
Nothing
Swaddel not to Swaddel
Paci or thumb
In your bed, in your room, or get that kid out of here and in their own room
rock or not to rock
hold or let play
etc.

I have come to learn (mostly with haveing Carter, my first) that parentling styles of a newborn fall into the controvercial categories much like religion and politics. There are just some things that you don't talk about with others if you don't want to be told you're wrong, or you shouln't do that. I know there are times.....(I am going to say it, and I know people might think ill of me, but I don't care anymore.) .....I have slept with Carter in our bed. Do I share a bed all the time. NO. Is that my parenting style, No. Did it ruin my marriage, NO!!!!! But if you do it. Good for you!!!!!!! If you don't think people should, that's okay too. But this is one thing you don't bring up with friends I have learned.
In the end I was summing it up, the debates are only about:
where your baby sleeps
how he sleeps
what gets him to sleep
when he eats
how much he eats
what you feed him.
Are these really issues that are that big of a deal..... NO!
By the age of 1, most every kids is on a similar schedule, eats people food, and goes down for bed and naps just fine. (So it doesn't matter how a parents gets there.)

If you really want my opinion:

Do what is the least stressful for your personality, what give you and your family the most sleep, and feels the mos comfortable. Who cares what your friends do. (I am a born again Christian, and to me, all I think is important is that my kids learn about Jesus through me and others.) Who cares where they sleep, what they eats, how they fall asleep etc.

P.S.
I love the swing, I hate pacifiers, my kids will always sleep in my room for the first few months, I will do everything I can to breastfeed them, I swaddel them, I hold them while they sleep sometimes, I rock them, I sing to them, I use diapers that will inhabbit the planet forever, etc. Do I appologize for any of this. NO! Neither should you. You do what you do. It's your kids.
Just Love on 'em!

Thanks

Registry

My mom never took me to register for a baby. (Not because she didn't want to be part of it.) It just seemed like something couples do together.
Chris and I registered for our first child at Target and Babies-R-Us.
What an overwhelming experience when you have no clue what a baby needs yet, what it's like to be a parent. All you know if I will need more stuff.
Have you looked down the bottle section.....oh my goodness. That was enough to make us go crazy.
There are so many things to pick from.

Here's some tips about registering:
1-whatever you don't get as a gift, you can usually get 10% off of after. So register for diapers, and essentials.
2-know what you want before you go.
3-keep things specific on registery. Know what you want. (ask your friends)
4- tell people where you are registered.

For our second time around registering. We knew exactly what we would need, so here's some help for those who might need some more info.

diapers
poly-visol (infant vitamins recommended by most doctors)
tylenol (off brand right now, since there's a recal)
Motrin (for later, after 6 months)
q-tips, (to clean belly button, where ambilical cord is still attached)
hydrogen peroxid (see q-tips)
gauze (for boys with circumsision)
vasaline (see gauze)
nail clippers (you'll be using them lots)
nose sucker (don't bother, get the one from the hospital, ask for an extra. Those are the only ones that actually work)
Little Noses (saline drops, incase of a runny nose)
sun block (still register even though you shouldn't use till 6 months)
baby toothbrush/paste
baby wash, all in one is easy for newborns
baby towel
pacifiers (also ask for an extra from the hospital)
wipes
formula, even if you plan on breast feeding, sometimes you may need to suplement
bottle, I'd say either glass, or playtex drop ins. (helps narrow it down, since there are so many to pick from)
breast pads (lansinoh, the best, won't leave fuzzies on your nipple, all others do)
breast pump (have to go with Medela, all are similarly priced, but these are the best, every hospital recommends them)
nursing cover
boppy pilow
socks
onesies

These are just a few of the actually practical things you should have on your registry. If you don't get them as a gift, you will get a discount card in the mail from the place you registered from. it usually will give you an additional 10% off. So make sure the things you need, or doctor will recommend are on the registry. It all adds up.

Nearing The End

As I am nearing the end of my pregnancy, I am finding more and more things that are different this pregnancy than my first pregnancy. That's one thing my mama could never tell me about. I am an only child. So there are many things different with being pregnant and having another one to take care of.
Keeping appointments and dates is one thing that doesn't always happen. I was supposed to update by the 15th, (my mama did tell me that), but Carter had gotten a cat bite, and life kept going by while I tried to do my own thing.


For those who are mother's of more than one, how was the second, third or fourth pregnancies different than the first?

Working on Outline

Check back on April 15th, TAX day, for another daily question.
Until then I am going to be working on my book's outline.
Thanks for reading.

About Pregnancy

So I guess the first step in having a baby is getting pregnant, (I'll skip that chapter since I am sure many people may not share those funny stories.)
However, once you are pregnant.

What are some things that no one ever told you?

Here's a list of some things I came up with: (yes, they might be embarassing, but hey if I don't tell y'all, who will?)


You'd be gassy
You'd have to go potty all the time, but sometimes you'd think, "that's it?"
You'd have squirts
You can't roll the same in bed
Forget sleeping on your tummy
You'd find BM's to be different
You'll answer the same 3-4 questions to everyone who notices you're pregnant,
"how are you feeling?"
"when are you due?"
"do you know what you're having?" and "do you have a name picked out?"
Everyone will feel it's okay to now touch you
You're hair grows thicker, everywhere
What is okay and not okay to eat
Cravings are not what you think
Being naseated is not like being on the ocean, I'd much rather be there

What else? I know there are a lot of embarassing things. If you don't feel comfortable commenting here, email me at
joleneknapp@hotmail.com

About Baby's

Last December Chris and I lost everything on our computer. I had started to write a humorous book about labor/delivery and having a newborn, and the things that noone evey tells you. Either becuase they don't want to scare you, or it's too gross, embarassing, or taboo. My mother is also in the generation where you just don't really talk about those things. So I was left by myself to figure it all out. I am a very open person, I am not afraid to share things, or ask things of people, I do try to stay in line, but I know that there are so many thing I wish I would have known about before going through it, that I have decided to write a book. I will post questions and discussions and I would LOVE to have lots of participation.
I know I am not the best writter, but I love to tell story's, so don't worry, someone else will be doing the editing.
Thank you
Jolene