From a Child to ChildREN

From this...

To this...

I'm now 4 months in and I have this mommy of two thing down packed! Well, at least I think I do! Lol! Everyone told me it would change a lot and they weren't kidding. Most days I don't even know how I get everything done and still have my sanity but somehow at the end of the day we all get tucked away in our beds to do it all over again the next day. I've learn a lot and here are some tips I think are helpful for those going from one kid to two.

Bringing baby home and visitors...
One of the best pieces of advice I got from one of my girlfriends was to never make my daughter feel left out. Remind your visitors when they are coming to visit the new baby to always acknowledge big brother or big sister first. Remember they were the center for attention for a while (for my daughter, almost 5 years) for everyone, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. so this is a big change for them as well. Make sure they always feel included so they don't resent the baby.

Sleep when baby sleeps...
I know we hear this about a thousand times when we are expecting and after we have the baby. But when you have to juggle more than one, this is critical especially those first few weeks. You not only have to take care of a newborn, but all of your other household duties still have to be completed along with caring for your older child. While your other child knows that there is a new baby in the house, they still expect the same attention. So getting your rest and adjusting to your "new" life is important.

Meal planning & Quick meals...
Any meal that is going to take me longer than 30 minutes at the end of the day, I have to plan for in advance. By the time we get home at the end of the day, I don't have much time to cook a long, complicated meal. Usually my big girl is starving the second we step foot in the door and the baby girl wants to nurse or just wants mommy to hold her while she looks around. When she was smaller (and less mobile) I would wear her in a baby carrier around the house if she just wanted to be held that way I still had my hands to get things done. Most times she would fall asleep within minutes, but now that she is getting bigger that is not the case. So I usually have to put her in her swing and if big sister isn't playing with her, I have to go back and forth from cooking to entertaining her so she doesn't flip out on me. Lol! So meal planning will make life much easier or have those visitors bring over dinner!

1 on 1 time with your big girl/boy...
This is uber important when you bring home a new baby. Your life will change and most of your time will be spent with the new baby, especially if you are nursing. Every now and then leave the baby with Daddy and grab your first baby and head out for a few hours and do something special with just the two of you. When I was about three weeks postpartum, my hubby basically forced me out of the house and told me and Amaya to go get a pedicure. She was so excited and I didn't really know how much she needed my alone time until then. So I always try to make sure we do things together with just us even if it's just little things like polishing our nails, playing uno, baking cupcakes, or even if I'm just going to the grocery store I see if she wants to tag along.

Optional: Gift from baby to big sister/brother...
Before I went into labor, I ordered a necklace for Amaya that said big sister on it and it had her name and birthstone on it. We wrapped it up and tucked it away in my hospital bag for the big day. We didn't have any visitors at the hospital until big sister was able to meet her baby sister for the first time. I felt this was important because she was so excited and asked when the baby was coming like every day for weeks (lol) and I wanted her to be able to introduce her baby sister to visitors when they came to see her. So when my husband brought her to the hospital to see the baby we gave her the gift and told her it was from her baby sister. It may be cheesy, but I wanted to get their bond started off immediately and to show her how much her baby sister loved her already. While this isn't necessary, I loved this idea so thought I would share :).

I don't know how, but as soon as you have that second baby and you couldn't imagine loving someone as much as your first, your heart just grows in that moment. Even though this was my second time around, I cried the moment I lifted her on my chest and I was overwhelmed with love. We all know babies take a lot of time and attention, but life still goes and is busy the minute we get home from the hospital. I hope these tips help make the transition a little easier. If you are already a mommy of two or more, please feel free to leave additional tips and tricks below!