Stuff I (re)Learned Becoming a Mom Again

Yesterday Declan turned a month old! I just can't believe how quickly time as flown by. Anytime you throw something new into your routine there is a learning curve while adjusting. haha I guess being a parent a second time around that learning curve is much shorter and a bit eye opening. Things the second time around have been SO much easier. I can't even begin to express how much so in this post. I also came to realize how much extra work we put into Elliott that was futile. So much wasted energy we could have used towards sleep.

I thought I would compile a list of things I have learned becoming a parent the second time around!

1. A c-section isn't that bad as long as you are not having a panic attack on the table (even if you do throw up =P).
2. Don't force a swaddle if your baby does not like it. You are not a horrible person if your child is not mummified at all times!
3. Breastfeeding is 100x easier than bottle feeding, even if you are the only one able to feed. Especially at night.
4. Don't get out of bed during the night! Keep your bottles, boobs, wipes, diapers, pumps and whatever else you need to get through the night next to you. Yes this may mean the hubby is kicked out of the bed and has to sleep on the spare one in the nursery but it's so worth it. With Elliott we always got fully awake during each feeding and diaper change, therefore we never slept. With Declan, I don't get out of bed until Elliott wakes up. So when we are done feeding, I fall straight to sleep.
5. At night, don't have bottles premade. You just have to wait to heat them up. Make them on demand with room temperature water. Saves you 5 minutes. That's an extra 5 minutes of sleep.
6. Oh I'm gonna get in trouble for this one... It is not necessary to sanitize everything every time you wash it! Including pacifiers. We use drop-ins anyways so we never sanitize the bottles to begin with. But all that extra work in sanitizing the nipples. Give me a break. I'd rather be sleeping.
7. You never realized how little sleep you really need when you've got a screaming newborn, while pumping and a toddler running around somewhere with a crayon. And you can't do a damn thing about any of it.
8. You realize that your baby does not have to stay indoors for weeks. Hell, Declan made a trip to Target when he was 4 days old. And we have been taking him out since.
9. You let the swing do the work. You don't have to hold your baby all the time. And they won't have attachment issues later, they know you still love them.
10. Not all babies are colicky!!!! AMAZING!!! Declan eats and sleeps! I couldn't ask for more. (although we are having formula issues, but this time I know what kind to use)
11. Someone once told me breastfeeding was erotic (we were slightly inebriated). Unless you consider someone suckling on a sunburned nipple as erotic, I would have to disagree... much to my disappointment. It's quite painful, even a month later.
12. Having a toddler and newborn is much easier than being 9 months pregnant with a toddler. At least you can set down the extra weight to run after said toddler.
13. Being pregnant is the best diet program for me! I eat whatever I want for 9 months, and still come out weighing 18lbs less!!!
14. You believe formula lasts longer now then you did the first time. And not to mention how great breastmilk is at room temperature!! Pump and take it with you all day and it won't go bad! Sigh if only I had 2 working breasts.
15. You were selfish in getting a breast reduction at such a young age. I would change it now if I could so I could solely breastfeed.
16. Literally, you see every drop of breastmilk as gold. And God forbid if Declan spit it up or you spill some. Talk about a meltdown.
17. It is possible to stay showered and clean!! With Elliott, seriously guys, I would go a week without a shower (and so would he!). Now, Elliott takes a nap, I plop Declan in the bouncer on the floor in the bathroom and shower. And I don't rush =0)
18. You don't get up and make a mad dash to the baby when he starts crying. You take your time getting over there... that's of course if you are not elbow deep in a poopy diaper from your unpotty trained toddler! You just say, hold on honey I'll be right there... there's only so many hands to go around!
19. Having 2 kids in diapers is not as catastrophic as I thought. But on that note, I am working on potty training Elliott again. No holds bar this time. I refuse to buy size 6 diapers. You get so little to a box!!
20. You hate going to the store with just the baby, everyone thinks you are a new mom and proceed to tell you exactly which diaper they used for their child. Thanks, but I'm gonna go with the Luvs, I refuse to buy designer diapers.
21. Oh and touching my baby!!! STOP IT. I did not go to Wal-mart so every elderly person can stop me and touch my baby! I came here on a mission, please let me shop in peace. I have a toddler at home who stops me every time I try to do something, I don't need it in public either! Not to mention the germs.
22. On that same note, my child is not as special as people say in the store. People stop everyone with a newborn and talk about how cute they are. No matter how not cute (of course Declan is though). I get over the compliments. As I said before, I'm there on a mission not to socialize about my baby to EVERY SINGLE person. One or 2 other moms are fine. Seriously, at Target the other day I had 7 people say something to me about Declan, and I was only there for 45 minutes!
23. I have too many baby clothes. And for some reason with Elliott I never thought I had enough. In all honesty like 5 outfits is more than enough. He wears them for like 2 days anyways.
24. I used to see the TV as the enemy when it came to Elliott. HA. If it wasn't for Do Do do DORA! I may never get dinner done.
25. Minivans are essential =0) and I am in love with ours!