The transition from one to two scared me big time so while I was pregnant I asked friends/strangers for advice on transitioning from one to two kiddos and most of the time I got a blank stare while crickets chirped in the background :). I took this as not a good sign of what was to come...
Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I thought but was still pretty rough. So before my memory of the newborn days with Kate becomes a complete blur, I thought I would write down a few tips.
1. Wake baby when your toddler wakes--You have to get out of bed anyways so you might as well wake baby. This well help your sweet newborn to be ready for bed when it is bedtime for your toddler (7 am/ 7pm etc).
2. Start baby nighttime routine at the same time as toddler's--I give Kate a bath in her bath tub on the counter while Henry takes a bath in the same bathroom. This just helps with getting them both down for the night around the same time. I treasure that 2-3 hours that I get by myself at the end of the night to veg out/recharge.
3. Take a walk outside every day--Amazing how much this helped in the beginning when I just didn't have the energy to go out a lot with them both. Kate was pretty fussy in the mornings so getting a 30 minute walk where my baby and toddler were both happy was wonderful. Sunshine is good for the baby blues too!
4. Shower before your hubby leaves for work- Get that shower or it is not going to happen. I made it a habit to get a shower before Shaun left for work, and it made such a difference to be showered and dressed to make it through the morning hours without feeling so tired.
5. Treasure the one-on-one time with your toddler- You are going to miss your toddler. As silly as that may sound as you will be with him/her all day, but it is just not the same. If you see a moment where baby is asleep and you can take your toddler to read a book in your lap etc...do it.
6. Buy a few new books that you know your toddler will love- Shaun found a book right before we had Kate for Henry that was one of those "first 1000 words books." Henry loved loved looking at that book, and it helped for him to have something to do on the couch with me while I nursed Kate. Thank goodness for that book.
7. High chair time- I only turn the TV on (with rare exceptions) when Henry is in his high chair so he loves staying in his high chair for a decent amount of time which gives me a few minutes that I don't have to worry that Kate is being sat on etc. When Kate was a tiny newborn, Henry was in his high chair probably like four or five times a day (3 meals and 2 snack times). It is survival mode so it is okay :).
8. Lay down with baby during your toddler's afternoon nap/quiet time-Oh how you will love that one on one time with your baby. You aren't going to want to do anything "productive" so don't. Seriously let the house go. Hold your baby, feed your baby and most importantly get some sleep with your baby. No guilt. You need that bonding time.
9. Do what works- Similar to above...do what works...no guilt. And there is no such thing as spoiling a baby so just enjoy your baby.
10. Never rush- I have found that the worst thing you can do with two and what will get you into all kinds of trouble is to rush. It will stress you out big time. It is okay if you are late. Just take.your.time. You are probably going to have to nurse in the parking lot of Walmart and then inside walmart, and your shopping trip might seriously take three hours but that is okay. Try not to have anything on the agenda except survival and baby/toddler hugs and kisses.
