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A New Baby — First Time vs. Second Time

in Family

First Time:

Breastfeeding is done in the privacy of my bedroom – complete with a perfectly-placed My Brest Friend pillow, a brand new pink Bravado nursing tank and an online breastfeeding log.

Second Time:

Breastfeeding is done at my kitchen table – baby is in a one-armed cradle hold while I eat a Chipotle Carnitas bowl while donning a ratty, stained tee pulled up to my shoulders.

First Time:

A week after delivery, I’m physically feeling a little pep in my step.

Second Time:

A week after delivery, I feel as though my pelvic floor will fall out of my body if I so much as sneeze.

First Time:

Completely sleep deprived and exhausted.

Second Time:

Completely sleep deprived and exhausted with a three-year-old who is most decidedly NOT sleep deprived and exhausted.

First Time:

Could spend hours staring at my sweet, sleeping baby.

Second Time:

Yeah. That one pretty much hasn’t changed.

(Looking at Wito’s newborn photos, it’s uncanny how much these two resemble each other. Siblings FTW!)

What about you? What am I forgetting, first time/second time-wise?

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44 comments

  1. newmom

    July 5, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    Beautiful! Thank you for this. I am about to embark on this journey for a second time and it’s reassuring to read your blog (sleep deprivation and all). All the best to you and good luck with the pelvic floor muscles. I remember that from last time. UGH!

  2. Danielle

    July 5, 2010 at 3:33 pm

    She really is gorgeous. The second time around, I remember looking back at myself with a newborn the first time and thinking, YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS HARD? TAKING CARE OF A NEWBORN IS EASY! WHO IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THE 2yo HOOLIGAN RUNNING AMOK IN HERE?

    Y’all hang in there; as with everything, it gets easier.

  3. Annika

    July 5, 2010 at 4:02 pm

    Awww, baby.
    .-= Annika´s last blog ..Decide My Future- =-.

  4. Ashley

    July 5, 2010 at 5:42 pm

    First time – jumping at every sneeze, sigh or snort (if your children snorted as mine do) second time – waiting as long as possible to go into the room, in hopes of a child falling dreamlessly back to sleep….then getting up anyways just to be sure
    .-= Ashley´s last blog ..Its a Wobbling Giveaway- =-.

  5. verdemama

    July 5, 2010 at 9:16 pm

    I only have one so far so I can’t add to the first/second comparison, but I do know that I was SCARED SH!TLESS with my first one, and I *hope* that’s different with the second one. (Please, please tell me it’s different with the second one.)

    Those are some beautiful babes you have there. :)
    .-= verdemama´s last blog ..July 4 =-.

  6. Annie

    July 5, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    First time: coming home and getting to be the “patient.”

    Second time: lifting the toddler into his crib despite the fact that there are other adults there and also despite the fact that you had major surgery just a few days before…all because you’re the mommy and “mommy” trumps “patient” every time.

    Third time: “you were in the hospital? Welcome back, now can we have some lunch?”
    .-= Annie´s last blog ..I have 30 seconds Lets see how fast I can type =-.

  7. HollyLynne

    July 5, 2010 at 10:44 pm

    Oh, wait . . . I was supposed to wait for the second to nurse and eat at the same time? Oops :)
    Both of your babies are just gorgeous!
    .-= HollyLynne´s last blog ..I Still Exist- =-.

  8. Lori

    July 5, 2010 at 11:16 pm

    1st time: My Mom came for 7 days and we waved happily as her plane took off.
    2nd time: Newborn, plus 20-month-old. Mom came for 2.5 weeks and I cried when she left.

  9. Natalie

    July 6, 2010 at 2:51 am

    Aww the quilt tucked over your bub in the last photo has such a cool pattern on it! Where did it come from?

    Is D helping with the newborn and Wito?

  10. Ninabi

    July 6, 2010 at 6:10 am

    21 years ago I had a newborn and a 2.5 year old, in a circle military spouses who all gave birth to their second child within days (or even minutes) of each other.

    I remember not getting enough sleep. I do recall a cheap umbrella stroller I could pop open with one hand- the toddler would jump in on her own and the new baby was worn tied to my front in a carrier that seemed like a pregnancy reenactment and off we’d go. We’d meet, those other new mothers and me, and try to remember, Did we ever have careers? Or take a few hours to get a fresh hairstyle?

    But we were delighted to have our little ones and we’ve all kept in close touch no matter how many moves and miles apart we are. I’m glad no only for my children, but for the friends I made because of their very being.

    Wito seems like a dear little boy- that he adores his little sister is wonderful! (I remember a distinctly opposite response in my daughter, complete with toilet training regression the day I walked in the door with the new baby).

    I think in some ways (sleep aside) it is easier- there’s less worry over the small things, more confidence in holding an infant. A bit more time and work to get back into shape.

    A few years from now you’ll be looking back on this magical time and wondering, How did I do it….?

    Enjoy your two absolutely beautiful children. They really, really are.

  11. anie

    July 6, 2010 at 9:08 am

    first time: laundry got done while baby slept
    second time: laundry got done one load at a time, on what seemed like one load a month schedule

    first time: meals could still be healthy~going to the grocery store wasn’t too much of a chore as I was taking my sweet baby out and showing her off to the world
    second time: realizing we can’t have mac & cheese again or else CPS was going to show up and haul me away. had to drag out an actual cookbook to see what to make in 100 degree weather that would be healthy. and all those meals I so lovingly prepared and bought a chest freezer to store them in? See note on 100 degree weather, add a colicky baby and subtract any chance of air conditioning magically installing itself in our home. Turn on the oven to bake a lasagna? Not happening! Maybe that mac & cheese can go one more round???
    .-= anie´s last blog ..showgirlship =-.

  12. tasha mulligan

    July 6, 2010 at 10:01 am

    the second time around requires somes pelvic floor exercises to get yourself back without the feeling of “the bottom falling out”. I have found great information at a site called hab-it.com. Fantastic!

  13. calee

    July 6, 2010 at 11:29 am

    1st time: New outfit with ever diaper change (or at least 2x a day)
    2nd time: This doesn’t smell yet, right? And who knows the last time he got a bath. Friday?

    That may be the girl vs boy difference playing out too.

  14. am'ti b

    July 6, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    very sweet.

  15. Suniverse

    July 6, 2010 at 7:08 pm

    I just have the one, which was plenty for me, but oh, my god, how cute are your babies! And this from someone who is not a fan of babies. Nice work.