Double The Fun

When I was pregnant, I got a lot of advice and opinions from people who already have multiple children. Unfortunately, most of the opinions were exactly the opposite of one another. For example, some people warned me that having two was more than twice the work of having one. Others said that once you had one, the second was barely any additional work or stress. My guess is that the experience of having multiple children varies a lot depending on what kind of kids you get and who you are and how much help you have.

For me, it has so far not been anywhere near twice the work and stress of one child. Part of it is that I already had one child so I'm way more laid back about caring for a newborn. The challenge has been helping the three-year-old still feel like she is getting enough attention and love and helping her adjust to having a baby in the house. Although she doesn't always like putting her desires on the back-burner so that I can feed the baby or change his diaper, she understands why it has to be done and has been adjusting to the new world order. There have only been a few real difficulties. For example, she got very upset and jealous when I sang her favorite song ("Twinkle Twinkle") to Daegan.

I am feeling much recovered from the C-section. My scar hardly hurts at all and I've been walking almost every day. I'm not allowed to start running or lifting weights until six weeks postpartum, but I'm looking forward to getting back in shape. I've lost a few more pounds and now I'm about 10 pounds above where I started at. I love this period where I can eat like a pig and still lose tons of weight. But that time is coming to a close and my resolution is to start seriously improving what I'm eating with the new years and shed the last 10 pounds, plus the 10 additional pounds I had wanted to get rid of before I got pregnant. In the past it has worked really well for me to spend a few minutes at night planning what I'm going to eat the next day and then to write down what I do eat as the day goes on (or in my case, type it in at The Daily Plate, a website that calculates the calories and nutritional information) - so that's the strategy I intend to use beginning in January.

And I hate to be gushy, but can I say that my newborn has to be the sweetest, cutest thing in the world (tied with his sister, of course)? He is so adorable and huggable, and smells so delicious. There is something so wonderful and addictive about the way my babies smell. I know it has to be hormones that make it so compelling, but knowing that doesn't make it any less wonderful. I just can't help but sniff and snuggle him every time I see him. It really makes the times he is fussy entirely bearable.