My kids didn't sleep much last night. The wind was bad, they were grouchy, and my husband and I both spent more time in our kids' bedrooms than in our own. I slept in a recliner a lot of the night... And that's no fun.
But in the midst of the little sleep I got, I spent some time thinking. And I decided something. Two is hard. One was easy. Parents outnumbered the children when only our oldest was born. We could take turns getting up at night, as our attention was only focused on one little person. I didn't feel like I was constantly forgetting what I was doing, or never eating, or always as tired as I am now. I could actually get my work done before my "deadline" most of the time.
So I started compiling a list comparing one and two.
Here's what I've come up with so far:
- With one kid, you can usually still shower about once a day. With two, I jump up and down in excitement if I get to shower once every other day.
- With one kid, you go to the park a lot. Go grocery shopping. Get out of the house often. With two, you have to strategically plan outings because you don't have an extra hand to carry an umbrella when it rains, and there is only room in the shopping cart for one child (unless you shop at Sam's Club.)
- With one kid, you can usually eat your meals when you make them. With two, you eat your food after it has been "climate controlled" for about an hour, and either chow down as quickly as possible or eat in spurts.
- With one kid, you can nap when they nap on long days to rest up. With two, you can sometimes get them to nap together, but you use that precious half hour of conjoined napping time to shower, because you don't remember when you did that last.
- With one kid, you could keep your home neat, tidy, and sink empty. With two, your goal is to make sure that the small toys aren't in reaching distance of the baby, and that means clean. You are also almost always behind on dishes.
- With one kid, you could focus your attention to them and play with them whenever they asked. With two, you have to split your attention and it inevitably makes one kid impatient and upset.
- With one kid, people were jumping to babysit your bundle of joy so you could go out with your husband. With two, you just hope you can find someone to babysit so that you can get out of the house for at least two hours once a month with him.
- With one kid, you still got to talk to your friends fairly often and spent time with them. With two, it sometimes feels like the only friends you have are the ones you are bound to by marriage/blood that live in your home.
Told you. Life gets crazy with two. But it also gets crazy awesome.
Despite the fact that life is crazier, busier, and more tiring, two is amazing. Sometimes it's hard to remember what it was like before our youngest came along.
- With two kids, you get twice the fun! The biggest loves making the littlest giggle, and you are almost guaranteed a huge laugh-fest in the middle of every day.
- With two kids, you appreciate the quiet more. You can be more productive when you are given the time to be because you know that tomorrow will begin anew with the same busy-ness.
- With two kids, you learn who the awesome babysitters are, because they continue coming back after spending the evening with your kids and are willing to deal with the multiple phases your kids go through because of the age gap.
- With two kids, you realize who the great friends are. And who the understanding ones are. Because they are okay with catching up via Facebook message while you nurse the baby to sleep because that's the only time you have to talk.
- With two kids, your heart grows in a way that you never knew it could. It would seem there is not enough room for the love you have to provide to them both, but by golly, there is.
- With two kids, you get to watch the sibling bond form, and it happens fast. Watching the littlest one's eyes light up when big brother/sister walks into a room is enough to cause little tears to form in your eyes.
- With two kids, your kids have a playmate to spend time with, to learn with, to grow with. You can watch the gears turning in their heads as they learn together.
- With two kids, you feel twice the love from the littlest sweethearts that you never knew could hold so much of your soul in their hands. Bad days melt away when those tiny fingers twirl your hair as they eat. Or when you go into their room at night after a bad dream and they hug you and whisper, "Mommy, do you want to sing with me?" in your ear.
Now... How's it gonna be with three?? I'm okay waiting a while to find out :)
