I know no one can tell you when the right time to have baby#2, but just wondering how you felt after you had #2 (since I can't go there then come back from it! )
DD is still young, IMO, to have another child now. I feel like I would "neglect" one of time or something. It just sounds so exhausting to me & I would have to dig out all that "baby" stuff again!
Thanks for your advice/insight.
Re: What is it like going from 1 to 2?
I didn't think it was hard at all going from 1 to 2.
I worried before DD was born that DS would feel neglected, or that I wouldn't have enough love/time for him and the new baby. I was wrong, though. I have more love for DS now that DD was born, and I still have enough time to handle both of them!!!! I love watching how they interact. When DD smiles at DS or when DS kisses DD it makes my heart melt.
For me not hard at all. I was still in the mode (even though #2 was early at 33 weeks) luckily everything turned out fine and we'll moving along nicely. They get long great and I'm blessed with good sleepers.
Now the ugly...I don't get out much with both of them by myself. Not so much because of the baby...because of my son. He's at an age that you never know when he'll have a meltdown.
Actually its the second who gets a little neglected, but there are times the first is either sleeping or playing and that's when you devote all your time to #2. It all works out and they wind up being best buddies
#1 is 2. #2 is 12 weeks.
#2 is entirely neglected. No matter how much attention I want to give #2, #1 always wins the attention. Next time I wouldnt have kids 2 yrs apart. It will need to be further apart otherwise the new kid doesnt get the attention he deserves.
DD is 3 and DS is just 3 weeks. Granted that DD was a very high needs newborn (really colicky) but so far it is so much easier going from 1 to 2. With DD life stopped, but now because we have 1 already, life just goes on. I think there's a lot less shock because your life already revolves around a child, unlike the first time when you are not used to suddenly putting another person first 100% of the time. And you know what to expect. The lack of sleep is terrible, but at least you know what's coming. Also you have a network of friends with kids that can commiserate with you (I didn't have any friends with kids when #1 was born). And in my case dd is in school 5 mornings a week, so I have quality time with #1.
For me the hardest part is dealing with my dd. I'm not able to spend nearly as much time with her (when she's home) as I did before which is hard on both of us. But in the end having a sibling will be worth it.
Ditto most of the pp's..especially LiltteMama as our kids are the same age gaps. It wasn't bad at all for us. So much easier the 2nd time around. I enjoyed DS so muhc more as a newborn than with DD. I was just a lot more confident and easy going.
Obviously, the first few months are challenging but it's wodnerful now. They play together and are buds now. It got 10 times easier when I got them both on the same schedules.
I think a lot of it has to do with the individual kids though. DS is a dream baby so that always helps.
The baby stuff was easier b/c it wasn't new. But, it took a huge toll on our marriage b/c we had much less time for each other and to do our own thing. The first year was very rough. As tired as I was with one child, I was more tired with two. Just when I got one sleeping well, the other would wake up at night. If one gets sick, the other gets it right after the first is over it. That kind of stuff exhausted us.
Things are MUCH better now, so it was worth it to power through a tough year to get where we are now. But, if we have a 3rd, it won't be until DD is 3 y/o. I can' t do two really little ones again. I'm glad they're close in age and there were a lot of good things about having them that close, but it is hard and I can't handle it with 2 other kids in the house.