Life with 2

People often ask me how life is like with 2. Or what's different with the second child. The main way I answer is that it's not as bad as I predicted. I think we (Tim and I) tried to predict disaster, so that maybe we'd be pleasantly surprised. Overall, we are pleasantly surprised. There have only been 2 days that I've had tears and/or told Tim to take this baby before I freak out! Most of the time I am shocked to find my noise tolerance 100x higher than previously defined, as well as my "OMG he's having a seizure" radar is much less! (Newborns do the weirdest things! Pair that with working in a major pediatric hospital for 11 years.....Lucy had nearly every rare disease I'd ever seen. Henry hasn't had any. Thoughts have crossed my mind that he's had intusseception, yeast infection and infantile spasms....he hasn't of course, but regardless the thought did not progress to worried diagnosis!) So I feel I am calmer this time around. The down side of that is I'm less in awe of every moment. I see moments of beauty, but I'm looking forward to seeing more of his personality come to light. Right now, frankly, he's a bit of a baby acned bump on a log. A cute lump on a log.....but nonetheless!

The 2nd question people ask is how is Lucy doing as big sister. For the most part, I think she is doing great. There seem to be some overall behavioral issues, that perhaps are just coincidental, but seem to have come since Henry was born. More grabby about toys (less sharing with playmates), more demanding, and just more opinionated. But she is gentle with Henry, she is always sweetly telling him she is his big sister, or "don't worry, I'll take care of you" or telling me that he needs something (usually more milk....chocolate milk!). She puts up with his screaming pretty well. She usually responds with her own loud "Be quiet Henry" over and over, or she'll yell over him "What's wrong Henry, What's wrong Henry?" over and over till he answers her (Or i say, "shush, he's not going to answer you!"). Only once, in the car, did his crying put her over the edge, and she started screaming bloody murder. Luckily it was just as we pulled into the garage, so I was able to evacuate the two screamers safely into the home. I had to laugh (I was too tired to cry!) as I asked Lucy "Why are YOU screaming?"

Tim is very kind to tell me many nights that I have exceeded his expectations! He said the other day that all he hopes for is that we're all still alive when he gets home! The fact that most nights no one is crying, there is some form of food in preparation, and the house is no dirtier than it was with only one child....is above and beyond his hopes for us! To hear him compliment us (me) is a great encouragement.