Deep Thoughts on Kids

Ok – so now that I’m almost five months into having two kids – I am close to conceding that having two is actually double the work. I would like to formally submit my complaint against spring break or school really ever ending. Yes, I know teachers deserve a break – but so do us parents – and school is how we get it! I have never been happier to pull up into the school parking lot as I was this week. That being said, after almost five months of 14 hour days with barely a break in the day, I am pretty tired. I am not complaining, I love love love having two kids and cannot imagine a day without them. (well, I can, but you know what i mean).

Through all of this though, my one real observation is about temperament. I really truly believe you have a really hard go the first time and are traumatized – so the second one is a breeze, or you have it pretty easy the first time and secretly think everyone else is making it up, and then your second comes around and you are blindsided. I also believe and know there are those unlucky ones out there who have it really rough both times (read: colic) and if there is someone out there who has an easy baby sleeping through the night more than once and really don’t suffer through endless tantrums in the 2s and 3s, then keep that to yourselves because the rest of us hate you and might pillage your house.

I mean – the number of people who want to discuss this theory with me – fascinates me. Even our construction guys love dishing on this with me – instead of working on my basement – and it’s fun to gab with them. Our guy downstairs right now falls in the camp of easy first one, blindsided by the second. Avid KT fans know where I fall – blindsided the first time and easy street this second time. So far. I really think the hard work doesn’t actually start until they are 2 anyway.

My conclusion is this – I am happy to have been through the ringer and back over and over and over again with DD1 since she was born because well – it was such a shock to the system that I didn’t realize life could be any other way. I feel like parents who have the easier baby first time are so blindsided and so shocked when the second comes out more challenging. I don’t know if they thought the rest of us were making all the drama up – or maybe you just know what you know – and then suddenly what you know dumps a bucket of cold water on you – and it sucks – who knows – but we all get it. No one comes away unscathed.

So now where does this leave a third? Considering how simple life has been with DD2, for us, I have found myself considering a third on several occasions. But here’s the deal – I can’t get a guarantee that the third will come out this easy. So – maybe I should just quit while I’m ahead.