Repeat Offenders

[MrsTazlvr]

I looked but I didn't see a group in the group section for repeat offenders like we had on the other site. Does anyone want to start one with me? :)

[newyorkgirl]

A repeat offender for what?

[April1234]

I would! I think a couple of threads have been started before but never stuck around....maybe we could revive one or just start fresh and be organzied.:D

[MrsTazlvr]

Newyorkgirl~ More than one child. Sorry, I am so used to calling it that on the other site I forgot to explain what I meant. :o

[wagsgirl]

I'm in. Although, my youngest is now 13 months already!!! :eek: Time to start working on a 3rd I guess...;)

[portlandbride]

I'd be interested. I promise I will try to actually post. Although I'm not due with #2 until September.

[maggieb]

I'm interested and will try to post as much as I can.

[MrsTazlvr]

I'll start the group thread when I get a chance. I don't think I am going to post a list of the members, stats, etc. because I just don't have time to update it. I figure we can just use the thread to ask questions of each other and give each other advice and tips for handling life with 2 or more children.
:)

[maggieb]

I'll go ahead and start with a question...you do you deal with naps and bedtime with 2 kids?

[MrsTazlvr]

I'm going to move this thread now to the groups area. See you all there. ;) I'll be back to answer Maggie's question later. :)

[MrsTazlvr]

Maggie~ I am interesed to hear advice from the other moms, too. My little one is only 11 weeks old so naps aren't really scheduled for her yet and she goes to be about an hour after my older one.

[firefly]

subscribin'


I have 2 girls 2 years 5 mo apart. sophia is almost 4 (july) and Meg is 14 mo

megan is finally napping on a schedule. and really I think it took about this long for Sophia but i don't really remember. we phased out sophia's nap when she started school last august. before that we had the girls in seperate rooms so meg would just be put down for a nap when she was asleep and sophia went down after lunch in her room.


oh and for about the first 10 months meg went to bed after sophia. now Meg goes down and about 20 minutes later sophia goes down. strangely it has to be quiter for the baby to sleep than Sophia. we have them in the same room now. so what we do for our nighttime 'routine' is dinner at 5:30 play time from 6- 6:30 bathtime from 6:30- 6:50ish meg is in bed by 7:00 and sophia gets a story after bath and a few extra lovin's and then off to bed with her.
you just make things work

[April1234]

I am SO worried how I will handle the naps when Nolan gets here. More so with him crying in and waking Lily up.

Lily is a great scheduled sleeper and has STN since she came home from the NICU at 3 1/2 months. (yes, I lucked out in the sleep department) I am fully prepared for a newborn keeping me up all night and Im actually excite about the idea of having a newborn at home but our house is a one-level 1400 sqft.

They have seperate rooms but they are right next to eachother. Im worried that Nolan will wake Lily up in the middle of the night or durning her nap time (once a day from 1:00-4:00).

I guess my question is: Did you older DC get woken up when the newborn cried? How did you deal with that when you were by yourself?

[tray622]

Hi everyone!! I am in too... 17 months and 5 weeks.

naps I am just now transitioning my oldest to one nap. She loves to sleep and I am amazed at how long she kept 2 naps. Anyway, right now she barely makes it to 11 for her nap. I am hoping that by the time #2 is getting into a nap routine, I can time the afternoon nap around 1 for both of them. A bit optimistic do you think? :)

crying Right now the youngest is with us so she doesnt wake Zoey up but when she goes into her own room they will be next door to eachother and I am worried about the same thing!

[knzbound]

Subscribing!

Two girls, my oldest, Grainne, is 28 months, and my youngest, Sylvie, is 6 months.

naps & bedtime w/2--We still don't have Sylvie on a great nap schedule but it's getting better. The girls are in separate rooms for now, but we are in a one-floor flat (whole floor apt.), so the rooms are very close. S takes a morning nap around 8 or 9, depending on her morning wakeup time, usually for about 1.5 to 2 hours. If we have someplace we really need to go, I will sometimes open the door to her room and have G kind of "naturally" wake her up w/noise as long as she's slept an hour. As this nap gets longer and longer, I'm finding it much harder to get out and about before S needs her pm nap and/or G needs lunch & pm nap. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually looking forward to S being on just one afternoon nap. S will sometimes fall asleep in the car or stroller on the way home, in which case I usually have to wait a little while before attempting to put her down again. I put my older one down right after lunch, 1 or 1:30 and if the stars are aligned, I will sometimes get an hour or so to myself while both are napping, but I always have to keep my ears open and dash back and get whichever one wakes up first, to avoid waking up the other. :rolleyes:

For bedtime, Sylvie goes down between 6-7, depending on when she woke up from pm nap and whether I bothered to give her a third late afternoon nap. Grainne goes down 7:30-8. If DH is home, we tag team, but if he is away for work, I let her watch an Elmo CD after dinner, while I put Sylvie down. Since their bedrooms are very close, we will often change Grainne into pjs in the living room to avoid her making too much noise.

crying--this can be a problem, moreso during the day for us. Sylvie doesn't cry very much at night but she does make noise and it does wake up Grainne occasionally but she's very good about putting herself back to sleep on her own. She also wakes her up in the morning sometimes if I am lying in bed ignoring the baby, hoping she'll go back to sleep...So, I try to run back and grab the baby if she wakes up before her older sister during the day but it doesn't always work.

[maggieb]

Naps and bedtime: Marisa still takes a morning nap, so I usually either let Helena watch Caillou in our room while I nurse/put Marisa to sleep or I let her play in her crib. She's generally quiet for those two activities and she likes them so she doesn't usually argue with me. I try to time it so that both girls go down at the same time for the afternoon nap and that usually means I have to hold Marisa off for longer than she would like. For that nap, I put M in her crib with a few toys and then I read H a couple of books and then put her down. Then I am able to nurse M to sleep. If I'm lucky both girls will sleep for a couple of hours and I get some time to myself. Marisa sometimes takes a late afternoon nap and once again I let H watch tv or play in her crib while I nurse M to sleep. DH is usually home for bedtime so he takes over H while I do M's routine.

crying: Marisa cried a lot in the early weeks and never woke up Helena. I couldn't believe it since our room and Helena's room are fairly close and we live in an old house where every little squeak echoes throughout the upstairs. Helena didn't used to wake up Marisa when she cries but is more and more. Last night for some odd reason Helena wouldn't go to sleep. We've had such a good run with her sleep, but last night she just wouldn't. So we let her cry from about 9-9:30 and it woke Marisa up and I had to nurse her back to sleep.

Helena wakes up Marisa just by playing and talking. Marisa adores her big sister adn just wants to play with her. I have to get creative during Marisa's naps and either go to the basement with Helena and play or take her to the kitchen to play. Our 'playroom' where all of H's toys are is right at the bottomof the stairs and all of the noise travels right up to M's room. I love my old house, but sometimes I fantasize about a nice, quiet, new house with carpet instead of these old creaky wood floors and stairs.

Another question: How old are your kids and how much do they play together?

[marathongirl]

I'm not due with #2 until October so I've still got six months to prep, but this pregnancy is going way too fast! The kids will be just over 2 years apart and right now, sleep is my biggest concern. DD was one of those kids who simply would not sleep - EVER! She just turned 18 months old and it has only been in the last 3 weeks that she started STTN. Before that, I would be up with her 2-4 times a night, every night. I imagine that by the time #2 arrives, DD will no longer be napping, as naps have been dwindling. :rolleyes: I'm just afraid I'll have a second kid who doesn't need sleep and this time around, I'll have to handle DD too. Any helpful hints are more than welcome!

[RosegardenC]

I am a RO, I am pg with #3, due Sept 22, but my other two are much older now. They were born 22 months apart, and are now 13 and 15. So I will read along and throw in advise if needed.

[firefly]

Playing together qotd

my girls are starting to play together but really Sophia is almost 4 and totally into all things polly pocket, barbie, kelley doll (teeny tiny pieces) , art, and dress up whereas Meg (my one year old) is just into the look it's a block it makes tap tap noises phase. so my oldest tries to con my youngest into being the mommy or the big sister for her so they can play "house":p m they're getting there though and they are both very nice to one another and for that I am truly grateful

[crazycaro]

Subscribing, second one will be here in 32 days or less with a c'section booked for 27 April.

[usafwife]

Hi. I hoping that some of you might be able to answer a few questions that I have.

Was your first child able to interact with your pregnancy? Did they understand what was going on? How did they react? Did you tell them at the beginning or once you started to get a belly? How old was your first DC (or what is the age difference between them)?

If you had morning sickness the first time, did you have it as bad the next time? I had it pretty bad (on several different meds and when one would stop working then we'd have to go on to another or do a combination of pills, couldn't leave the house and if I did I had to have something with me at all times, couldn't drive myself, couldn't cook, etc.). This is one of the things that worries me the most, being too sick to take care of DD, myself, the house, and our animals (we have a few animals that I do the primary care for because DH is really busy with work).

How did your older child react to the news of a sibling? And how did they act once the baby was born?

How much of an adjustment was to go to from one to two?

Any regrets? (i.e. should have waited longer, wish first was older, etc.)

I'd like for DD to be able to understand that a new baby would be coming, like for her to be able to take belly pictures (if we do that with the next pregnancy), and realize that she would be getting a brother or sister.

[1_mommy]

[
Was your first child able to interact with your pregnancy? Did they understand what was going on? How did they react? Did you tell them at the beginning or once you started to get a belly? How old was your first DC (or what is the age difference between them)?
/QUOTE]
dd was 16 mo when i got pg, and then 25 mo when ds came along
she really didn't understand what was happening, she understood a little more once my belly started growing, she knew there was a baby inside mommys tummy and she would give kisses, and then sometimes she thought she had a baby in her tummy too. so i don't think she really got it.
we told her from the beginning that she was going to have a brother or sister.
[QUOTE]If you had morning sickness the first time, did you have it as bad the next time? I had it pretty bad (on several different meds and when one would stop working then we'd have to go on to another or do a combination of pills, couldn't leave the house and if I did I had to have something with me at all times, couldn't drive myself, couldn't cook, etc.). This is one of the things that worries me the most, being too sick to take care of DD, myself, the house, and our animals (we have a few animals that I do the primary care for because DH is really busy with work).


i didn't have m/s as bad the second time. thank goodness. i had it pretty bad with my dd.
i was only sick for about 3 weeks. and i ate all.the.time. with my dd. i couldn't stand food
How did your older child react to the news of a sibling? And how did they act once the baby was born?


we brought dd in by herself about 1 hr after ds was born. she LOVED him, and just wanted to hold and kiss him. although she didn't understand softly, but she had very good intentions. ds is 6 months old, and only in the last month or so dd has really started to regress. she tries to get so much atenttion now, and not in the right ways. she sees ds crying, and we go to him, so she thinks if she acts like him, that she can get attention too. so now we are trying to make it a point once a month to make a "kaimi day" where my dh and i just take her somewhere for the day all by herself, fo rsome quality mommy and daddy time. and i am finding that she is acting out and wanting more attention from me.
How much of an adjustment was to go to from one to two?
i am not going to lie. for me it was tough. dd was just barley 2, and still needed so much. i would end up in tears some days because i felt so horrible that i wasnj't able to give her all the attention she was used to.
after a couple of months, i started to get into a routine, and things now are so much easier
Any regrets? (i.e. should have waited longer, wish first was older, etc.)


the first couple of weeks i was thinking that maybe i should have waited a little longer. but i quickly got over it. no regrets now. my dd absolutly adores her brother, and my ds really gets a kick out of watching his sister

we bought dd some books about being a big sister, and would talk to her about babies and that a baby would be coming to live in our house, and how much fun it is going to be. i really don't think she got it untill we brought him home.

[neenbean]

Joining to lurk... DD is nearly 13 months and baby #2 is on the way! :D EDD 11/30-ish.

Of course, I have a question... I am curious if anyone has 2 kids sharing one room? How old were they when you transitioned them?

We will be moving when baby #2 is 7 months to a larger home, but currently live in a 2 bedroom townhouse now. We plan to have the baby with us for at least 3 months, but would prefer to move our kids into the same room at that point- even just temporarily. Is this a mistake? DD sleeps really well and through the night and we definitely do not want to ruin this great habit.

[wagsgirl]

neenbean-First off...CONGRATS!!!!

My DD is 3 1/2 and DS is 14 months. They've been sharing a room for about a month. DS was in our room, in his crib, until that point. I/We wanted to make sure he was sleeping well through the night until the transition was made. He's been STTN since about 3 months, but he'd have night wakings with crying. We wanted that done with, so as not to wake DD.

[lorbo]

Was your first child able to interact with your pregnancy? Did they understand what was going on? How did they react? Did you tell them at the beginning or once you started to get a belly? How old was your first DC (or what is the age difference between them)?
DD was a 1 1/2. i think she understood somewhat and would also say she had a baby in her belly. we didn't mention the pregnancy in the beginning because i had just lost a pregnancy and had a d&e and also had a bleeding episode with DS at 6 weeks. i don't know that DD understood all the complications and all the time that mommy had to be at the perinat. drs and the hospitalization...and DS's long stay in the NICU. DD and DS are 4 days shy of being 2 years apart.
If you had morning sickness the first time, did you have it as bad the next time? i'd say it was about the same.
How did your older child react to the news of a sibling? And how did they act once the baby was born?)we told DD she had a brother...but unfortunately, she wasn't able to meet him until he was 5 weeks old and he was being discharged from the hospital-it was RSV season and he was almost 8 weeks premature due to rh problems. she'd talk about her brother...but i think he was more of an idea-even with the pictures and the video of him. when DS came home...we went thru a week of DD waking up screaming and screaming she wanted me when i had DS in my arms.
How much of an adjustment was to go to from one to two?)
it's hard...no time to nap-being that DD hasn't napped in almost 2 years. the hardest is when they're both miserable-either hungry or tired.
Any regrets? (i.e. should have waited longer, wish first was older, etc.))no regrets...i love my little girl, however precocious she is, and my little guy who's such a momma's boy and whose smile(so infrequent to strangers and family members who we rarely see!) just lights up the room. DD is the greatest big sister-she mostly watches out for him, will bring things for me when i'm changing him and just loves the heck out of him! my only regret is that this little guy had deal with rh disease and DD didn't get to interact with him sooner than 5 weeks old...but that wasn't our fault!

[tray622]

Was your first child able to interact with your pregnancy? Did they understand what was going on? How did they react? Did you tell them at the beginning or once you started to get a belly? How old was your first DC (or what is the age difference between them)?
Zoey was about 8 months old when I found out I was pregnant. She had no clue what was going on. My last month of pregnancy, she learned the word baby and began pointing to my belly (and everyone elses!). She accepted the baby being around right away and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that she was so young (16 months when Jocelyn was born).

If you had morning sickness the first time, did you have it as bad the next time? I never had horrible morning sickness... just average I would say. It was a bit better with #2. I can relate to handling health issues with another child though since I had PIH and bedrest with both. It is hard managing your own health and being a mommy, but doable!

How did your older child react to the news of a sibling? And how did they act once the baby was born? When Jocelyn was born she was pretty impartial and would just point and say "baby." She would push her off me the same way she pushes away my laptop ;) Now, 2 months later, Zoey showers her with kisses and loves to hold her. Jocelyn cries a lot and it doesnt faze Zoey at all.

How much of an adjustment was to go to from one to two? Honestly, for me it has been incredibly tough. DD #2 is considered colicky (#1 was a dream) and has had some fairly minor health issues. This is at the same time that #1 is entering the early 2's and is pretty needy. I seriously think that I will never have another one but each day gets easier. I see so much hope and am so excited about the future with my two girls so close in age though. I definitely think the beginning has the potential to be extremely rough but that is so short-term and long-term it will be fabulous :)

Any regrets? (i.e. should have waited longer, wish first was older, etc.)
This depends on the day! I sometimes wish we would have waited until #1 was preschool aged since it would make the household adjustment easier having the older one entertained for specific time periods. On the other hand, they will grow up so close and I am getting it all done at once :)

[tsmom]

I'm in !

Mine are 23 months (well almost) apart.

DD is 25 months and DS is 12 weeks.

I will be back to answer qotd when I get a chance :)

[usafwife]

Thanks for answering the questions ladies.

We found out we are expecting baby #2 next year. It's a little earlier than we expected (we had wanted our DD to be 22/23 months old when baby #2 was born but will be 19 months old) but I think we'll be able to handle it. I'm sure this thread will be helpful to me.

[tray622]

Congrats on #2!! It will be challenging but AWESOME :) Good luck!

ETA: I am amazed looking at my answers I wrote 3 months ago! Things rock so much more now and I dont even have the slightest twinge of regret having them so close :D

[usafwife]

Congrats on #2!! It will be challenging but AWESOME :) Good luck!

ETA: I am amazed looking at my answers I wrote 3 months ago! Things rock so much more now and I dont even have the slightest twinge of regret having them so close :D

Thanks. I know it will be challenging (I'm already dealing with a bad enough case of m/s again and a medical condition that makes fatigue much more common) but I'm greatful that we are expecting baby #2 (we had a m/c earlier this year even though we weren't trying at the time. That was hard to deal with so this makes it bittersweet because the baby is due within days of when I m/c).