@laeced you'll do great mama! I have a friend with 4 under 6! (they may actually all be under 5). She handles it with grace.
I've never been there but I'm going to suggest planning lots of play dates for your oldest and a few for the middle when the new baby comes for the first several weeks. If you don't have many friends with kids that age you could even plan zoo trips with grandma, pizza dates with his favorite teacher... anything fun to get your oldest out of the house for you to just need to juggle two instead of three until you master it. :-)
I will have four under 5 and I'm freaking out!! Just thinking about the logistics of preschool drop off with a four year old, two year old and newborn twins is giving me panic attacks. I've started making my two year old walk more (I usually carry her everywhere) so she's used to it when the babies come. I'm seriously contemplating one of those boards that attaches to your stroller in the back that she can stand on though for when she does get tired.
My oldest two are only 18 months apart. So I have been there done that. As hard as it may be at first and through the pregnancy especially they eventually become each others playmate. It gets easier and fast.
I'm going to have 3 under 2...and I have no idea how anything is going to work, or if I'll ever sleep again! It's good to hear that others have survived this!!!
Married since Jan 2013 Sweet DD born at 41 weeks Feb 2015 *Diagnosed with lean PCOS* TWINS due 11/22/2016
Mine have all been less than two years apart, 1 & 2 are 23 months apart, 2 & 3 are 19 months, and 3 & baby are 19 months. So I'll have 4 under 6(baby due around 7 weeks after oldest turns 5). I always say give yourself at least 3-4 months to get back to life after the second. I baby wore a lot, our double is fantastic for narrow doorways/aisles (Phil & Ted's dot). I was in a total panic with first two, I promise you'll make it work. Right now I'm really trying to get my 2 & 4 year old to work together (dumb stuff like holding hands in the parking lot.)
And there is a lot of delegating. I don't run to the store for 1-2 items, my husband does all of that stuff, it's easier to wait than get two+ kids in the car to buy milk.
I will have 2 under 2 come November as well. My youngest is 10 months and was pretty devastated when I found out about this one. I have four already. from 15 years to 10 months. The last one was unexpected so I'm not looking forward to telling people about this one either. But it was another medical issue that happened and I ended up pregnant. So my youngest will be 16 months when this one comes November 1st. My older two are 28 months apart and it wasn't so bad, but I was also much younger and a stay at home mom. I work full time now. We'll get through it!
I will have 2 under 2 for about 2 weeks. I did not want kids close together as my sister and I were 11 months apart, and we did not get along from 7 years through 18 years. lol. Apart from that, I loved getting to know my older daughter for 4 years before having a second, and we have a perfect transition to two kids. My current 18 month old is great, she is about to be potty trained, has been sleeping through the night since 1 month old, and she will say when she wants to sleep. She is very expressive and independent, so that helps. I am very attached to her and felt very prepared when I was pregnant with her. With this baby, I worry almost every day that I won't know how to handle a 2 year old and a newborn. We definitely didn't think we would get pregnant the one day we decided not to prevent it. lol.
Random question for you mamas with younger toddlers - do you feel like they can sense a change in you? We have told my 17 mo that he is going to be a big brother and that there is a baby growing in mommy, and while I don't think he understands those words completely, I think he knows something is up. He is extra cuddly and has started to lift my shirt and lay on my stomach. Not sure if that's just a coincidence or if he knows there is something different with me now?
DS1: 12/17/2014 DS2: born sleeping at 26 weeks on 8/8/2016 due to chromosomal deletion Pregnant with baby 3 - EDD 9/14/2017
This will be baby number four for us. My oldest will be 3 1/2. And then I will have two-year-old twins when this baby is born. It's a lot. And bound to be crazy. But I love that our kids are close in age. There's no right or wrong spacing with kids. You just adapt to what your family is. Keeping a sense of humor is key!
I am a ftm, but my mother was a mom of a 4yo, a 2yo, and newborns (my twin and I). She did a lot on her own when raising us, so I'm saying this to be encouraging! I believe in all of you!
my son and baby #2 have the SAME DUE DATE but a year apart (November 10th) I have already tried to start "prepping" my son for the new baby... I have transitioned him from the bassinet in our room to his crib and he's started falling asleep on his own in there now which has been a huge accomplishment for us and a big weight lifted since I was so worried how I would handle getting him to sleep while having a newborn. I let him hold his own bottle and eat on the floor (I still hold him some times) so he will be used to eating on his own. he's already crawling and that's what I'm most worried about at this point because he's so mischievous I have to get up every 2 mins to go get him from somewhere he shouldn't be or something he shouldn't be doing... how am I supposed to be running after a 1 yr old while having a newborn breastfeeding?!?!? I need to work that part out. and also the leaving the house alone with two is intimidating...
Re: 2 Under 2 in November
@laeced you'll do great mama! I have a friend with 4 under 6! (they may actually all be under 5). She handles it with grace.
I've never been there but I'm going to suggest planning lots of play dates for your oldest and a few for the middle when the new baby comes for the first several weeks. If you don't have many friends with kids that age you could even plan zoo trips with grandma, pizza dates with his favorite teacher... anything fun to get your oldest out of the house for you to just need to juggle two instead of three until you master it. :-)
Georgia 3/15/2012 Matilda 6/12/2014 TWINS!! Babies 3&4 EDD 11/22/2016
Sweet DD born at 41 weeks Feb 2015
*Diagnosed with lean PCOS*
TWINS due 11/22/2016
And there is a lot of delegating. I don't run to the store for 1-2 items, my husband does all of that stuff, it's easier to wait than get two+ kids in the car to buy milk.
Mother of 4 beautiful babies - soon to be 5!
Elsie - 07/08/2015
DS1: 12/17/2014
DS2: born sleeping at 26 weeks on 8/8/2016 due to chromosomal deletion
Pregnant with baby 3 - EDD 9/14/2017
my son and baby #2 have the SAME DUE DATE but a year apart (November 10th) I have already tried to start "prepping" my son for the new baby... I have transitioned him from the bassinet in our room to his crib and he's started falling asleep on his own in there now which has been a huge accomplishment for us and a big weight lifted since I was so worried how I would handle getting him to sleep while having a newborn. I let him hold his own bottle and eat on the floor (I still hold him some times) so he will be used to eating on his own. he's already crawling and that's what I'm most worried about at this point because he's so mischievous I have to get up every 2 mins to go get him from somewhere he shouldn't be or something he shouldn't be doing... how am I supposed to be running after a 1 yr old while having a newborn breastfeeding?!?!? I need to work that part out. and also the leaving the house alone with two is intimidating...