10 Things That Happen After Having The Second Baby

1) You stop wanting to wear real pants. Seriously. After my first baby was born, I couldn’t wait to squeeze back into my skinny James Jeans. After Alex was born, anything with a waist has gone unworn. Two babies in under two years wreaks havoc on your body…i.e your abs literally split down the middle and have less of a chance of fusing back after the second. I can’t remember the last time I put on a pair of jeans. I’m not ashamed that my daily wardrobe consists of Lulu Lemon pants and a Lucy zip up. I know there are those who have a problem with women who wear yoga pants as clothing. To that I say, grow two humans in your body, push them out, and then talk to me about wearing real pants. Also, have you ever chased a toddler and worn a newborn across your body while wearing jeans? Good luck. Plus, flowing dresses. LOVE dresses.

2) Mommy brain is real and it becomes more severe the more children you have. You may walk out of the house without shoes. Yep, it happened to me. More than once. Being a stay at home mom, my standard footwear are my Ugg slippers and on more than one occasion, I have walked out of the house wearing said slippers, arrived at my destination and realized I wasn’t wearing real shoes. Oh, and a note about real shoes…those strappy stilettos make their way to the back of the closet and ballet flats become the norm. But mostly, slippers.

3) Mornings no longer belong to you. Remember when you used to watch the Today Show with a cup of coffee? Say goodbye to Matt, Natalie, Savannah and Al…Hello Daniel Tiger and Team Umizoomi. Oh, and by cup of coffee, I mean 4.

4) Leaving the house takes twice as long as it did with one child, which took twice as long before you had zero kids. Basically, allow at least an additional 30 minutes per child.

5) You need your mama friends more than ever. They are the ones reassuring you that you’re doing a great job when the tears start to flow in the middle of the playground. They are the ones who will push your child on the swing while you nurse your newborn, physically remove her from the playground during her temper tantrum when it’s time to get back in the car, and chase her down the sidewalk because you’re toting your other little in the front pack. These women are invaluable. And amazing.

6) Screen time = Me time and I’m not sorry about it. With the first, you were diligent about screen time and wouldn’t dare let your impressionable as a peach toddler watch more than one 30 minute educational program a day. If that. Now with your second arrival needing your attention, you depend on Peppa Pig to keep your toddler occupied so you can 1) Go to the bathroom, ALONE. 2) Nurse the newborn without the older one expressing her jealousy 3) Curb a temper tantrum that will wake the newborn from his nap…etc. The list goes on. Look. I watched Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Club as a child and I’d like to think I turned out just fine 🙂 A couple programs throughout the day isn’t going to ruin their college aspirations and abilities.

7) You stop sweating (some) of the small things. Things that you were intimidated by with one child become easier and less scary once the second one arrives. Nursing in public? No problem. Target and grocery runs? What’s one tantrum when you can have TWO! The pacifier dropped on the floor… better pick it up, wash it, microwave it and boil it before giving it back to the baby. Baby #2…a quick rinse will do the trick 🙂

8) Your body does not and will not bounce back to its original glory after the second. It just doesn’t. I lost all my baby weight and more after my first and continued wearing my teeny bikini. With my second, I’ve embraced the mommy tankini and boy short bottoms. It’s actually quite nice to not have to worry about eating too much before heading to the pool. And you know what? Who cares. Growing a baby is one of the most amazing things you can put your body through…be proud of your new shape and scars. And try not to take offense when the door to door salesman asks when your due date is 2 weeks after giving birth…Yep. Happened to me.

9) You realize that babies don’t need to wear shoes. I know, they are cute and we all fall victim to purchasing several pairs of them before our little one even enters the world. Marielle has pairs and pairs of unworn shoes from her infant years, and yes, they are still cute and perfect because they have NEVER BEEN WORN. But don’t worry. Once they start walking, they will grow out of shoes faster than you can say Zappos.

10) Your heart expands bigger than you ever thought possible. When I gave birth to my daughter, I loved her so much I couldn’t even imagine loving another little human being as much as I loved her. What I didn’t know at the time, was that a mother’s heart is meant to expand and grow with each child you create. When Alex was born, I could literally feel my heart overflow with love for him. A mother’s love is truly endless.