Second child A-HA Moments

What I learned with 2 kids now that Mikkel is nearly 1 whole year old (omg)!

this is my 2012 list with my first born.
my 2013 A-HA list.

1. no two kids are alike. you can plan while #2 is in utero but they'll just throw you a curve ball
2. i love the age difference between my kids; Jan 2012 and Sept 2015. Max is an amazing helper, it's the little things that count! for example, i couldn't shower alone unless he was there as Mikkel would be bawling. so him and her would play in the play pen and i'd have peace and quiet for a reasonable shower time length
3. i must've done something right because there's been no apparent sibling jealousy since Mikkel was born
4. tip #1: buy the older one a gift and insist that it's from their new little sibling
5. tip #2: if you can, baby wear #2 so you are hands free as #1 transitions into a new normal. I found by doing this, I was never too busy for Max or trapped at home while Mikkel was having a nap
6. tip #3: give #1 a 'job,' during the transition stage
7. tip #4: give constant praise and compliments on the oldest' actions and behaviour towards #2
8. tip #5: if you have a name already for #2, introduce the name to older sibling at least 6-8 weeks before estimate due date. I read Max a becoming a big brother book and constantly mentioned Mikkel. He was accustomed to the name by the time she arrived
9. tip #6: I made up a 6 word sister song and sang it to Max all the time. sounds similar to the chorus of this song from the movie White Christmas. I also interchanged it with Brother so as if Mikkel was also singing it. kids love songs, kids love songs about Them!
10. the ERGO carrier is my absolute lifesaver and best investment. If I had to do it all over again, I would buy this first, brand new, top of the line
11. any funny responses from Mikkel towards Max is prime opportunity to remind him how much she loves him. Smiling at him when we open the door to wake him up? she loves you so much Max! Showing you some toy she's holding? she wants to share with you Max! she loves you so much!
12. i love bedsharing and room sharing, so easy
13. don't buy a crib unless you can be certain of your child's personality: cosleeper vs. independent spirit. if cosleeper, the crib will just be a space hog. we started the first month with the co-sleeper bassinet
14. i really appreciated the Graco pack and play this time around. I saw how Mikkel's sleep evolved and had a deeper understanding of her sleep needs and style while being in the same room and close to me. love portability!
15. i was all about feeding rules with Max, with Mikkel she's eating fried potato wedges at 7 months ha! it's a whatever works, fed is best, sleep is best, dressed in something is best attitude
16. motherhood is hard work, treat yo' self
17. with my children's age gap, an umbrella stroller was all I needed. thank goodness i didnt buy a twin or tandem stroller, i have no room for all that hardware in condo living
18. with #1, new clothes. with #2, hand me downs any colour will be fine. Babies don't care what they wear.
19. from 0-6.5 months, baby OXI-CLEAN is necessary to remove those blowout stains from clothes. Poop stains. stained clothes in the dryer = ruined clothes = wasted money
20. breastfeeding? formula feeding? FED IS BEST
21. best baby socks are from Old Navy, i like the knee high ones as they actually stay on 
22. button up sleepers are ok when they can't roll over, otherwise it's a fucking fight to the death to button up those snaps. zipper sleepers ONLY please
23. i love lanolin for the nipples, lanolin is necessary ladies!
24. Mojo fries or Fry wedges are a great BLW option
25. no need to get hung up on baby led weaning vs. pureed foods. there will come a time, approx 8 months old, when the kid will refuse to be spoon fed anyways and BLW is your only option until they're open to being fed with a spoon again
26. craigslist and Facebook kid swap sites are great sources for second hand baby stuff. not everything has to be brand new
27. peruse through the Amazon reviews before buying anything
28. a white noise machine is essential to cancel out other house noises; like a toddler having a tantrum in the middle of the night because OF ANYTHING! 
29. it's true, the last 10lbs are the hardest to lose. WTF metabolism!?
30. y'know how some women swear by breastfeeding as the source of their weight loss? yeah I'm not one of those women!!
31. don't fall for the girl toy and boy toy marketing, babies and kids don't give a fuck naturally. it's however the people they are surrounded by that teach them gender specific appropriateness, super frustrating.
32. nothing wrong with some distracted parenting, i can't be ON in mom mode 24/7
33. skin to skin immediately after birth, get your bacteria on those babies! your hormones will be in a frenzy
34. even in an apartment setting, a baby monitor is necessary for us. I can't hear a thing when she's in the other room
35. wondering whether to start a sippy cup or straw cup first? buy one of each. Max took a straw cup only, Mikkel used a sippy and then bam one day knew how to use a straw. don't sweat it!
36. i get really worked up on things that will happen months and weeks in advance. ie. how to train her to sleep in a crib for naps. I've come to realize that I'm a last minute decision maker especially when I'm unsure about an approach. i like to get some background experiences for options, but can only decide on the multitude of options at the last minute
37. i don't feel the need to travel long distances or going to many places overnight with 0-12month olds. yes I'm lucky that my immediate family is close by, but i am also not one to steer away from night routines. if there's something i will go out of my way for, it's to carry on with night routines; same place same bed. it helps me more than anyone, travelling can wait, sleepless nights affects me for days! 
38. maternity leave is deadly for an online shopper. baby asleep? free time? shopping! no thanks to Pinterest and complete utter convenience! why is it so easy to drop $100 online but harder when in person? 
39. IKEA has plenty of pieces that make great makeshift bathtubs. after they're done with that stage, repurpose the 'tub' back to what it was meant to be used for. For example, the TORKIS basket
40. speaking of baths though, I'm still against soaps and shampoos for babies. they're not dirty. 0-6months = sponge bath, maybe every other day. 6+ months or whenever they're sitting up? = bathroom sink for play factor
41. having a daughter is a great excuse to buy expensive luxury handbags :op
42. i was really into the diaper genie but then once poop started to be once a day, i just threw the diaper in the kitchen garbage, double bagged for smell. it does stink up the house if left for long periods. those diaper genie rings add up in costs! 
43. forget those ugly nursing/breastfeeding specific shirts! Keep on trend with shirts that button up and flowy for an easy lift. Vancouver has been AMAZING for breastfeeding ANYWHERE and  EVERYWHERE (my latest has been on a moving sky train)
44. forget white shirts, any white shirt. kids will wipe themselves on you and throw things at you (not maliciously). might as well add dry clean only and shirts you love and don't want to wash every 3 days or less
45. when your child is old enough, you don't need to force them on the breast. just sit there with your breast exposed and it's like a magnet- coming at you with their mouths open wide
46. best wipes are from Costco (Kirkland) and cheapest place to buy Pampers are Walmart. I'm obsessed with pampers codes!
47. even though i do 95% of the work around here, husband's 5% of measly help is still useful in its own way. i guess ill keep him after all! 
48. she will be my last kid because another will end our marriage! see your husband 24/7? no thanks!
49. i can't keep myself organized electronically. everything has to be written out on pieces of paper, in my agenda, and oh all the ideas and wise things i think of come while breastfeeding and before I sleep where and when i don't have my agenda with me and forget within an hour of thinking of it
50. the only show i've watched while on mat leave religiously is Breakfast television. otherwise, i hate it when the TV is on. Very overstimulating when you already have 2 kids + husband + pet. Commercials, vocal ranges and volumes, flashing lights etc.. Surprisingly though, the radio hasn't irritated me. I've found entertainment in being alone, peace and quiet, my computer, and phone
51. maternity leave is expensive. there's just so many things to do when you've established a routine with the kids! buy this, eat that, go here...yay! 
52. there's nothing more exciting than going retail shopping ALONE where I can spend a healthy amount of time somewhere, try on things, think about things, go nuts buying or just window shopping. love it!

finally....

i thought i couldn't love another more than I do my #1, but now I can't imagine my family without my wonderful baby #2, Mikkel!

 

52 Moments, 52 weeks (and then some) off!