To have given BIL an honest answer to the question "So, what's it like with two DCs?" [grin]

[MrsBloodyTroll]

Saw BIL at the weekend. He and his DW are expecting DC2, we've just had DC2, DC1s are about the same age (toddlers).

He asked what life was like with 2 DCs....silly boy!

So I told him. [evil grin] Make that a [hgrin].

Bless him, he really persisted with the "but you sleep when the baby sleeps...don't you?!" slightly hysterically, not believing my replies that umm, no, well, I don't because DC2 tends to sleep when I'm ferrying DC1 to wherever they need to be, and if at home then no, the self-emptying dishwasher/washing machine hasn't been invented yet, there is extra work to do because of DC1, etc. Oh, and if DC1 is awake, no, I can't really nap myself. That would be child neglect.

He was also a bit when I told him that my 2 DCs wake each other up at night when they cry. We live in a large-ish detached house, he lives in a smaller place.

Oh boy, he's going to have a shock when his DC2 arrives!

[hgrin]

I think the hardest thing moving from one to two DCs is that whereas you would have done a lot of things together with your OH with just one, such as coo-ing over DC1 together whilst you changed a nappy or did bathtime or feeding, you're now divided between the two and sorting out their individual needs and don't have that luxury any longer. Trouble is, you never recognised it as a luxury at the time!

Probably BU but then so am I. I usually tell the truth while trying not to laugh. I can't help it, honest guv.

Oh, we both work, the dishwasher gets emptied at night, but I guess if your partner is working long long hours that's a bit different!

I do remember fondly the 1-2 year old era, where DH and I would give DD a bath together, share bedtime, and use the time to chat about our day. I'm not sure why and when that stopped, really, but at least it's good practice for the divide-and-conquer of two.

Quick, someone tell me something really good about having two. I'm scared now.

They keep each other entertained.

This is why I left a 4 year gap between my DC [hgrin]

Oh dear.

I used to love snuggling up with DD1 for our 4pm nap. We'd often be alseep when DH came in from work. That's never going to happen with baby no. 2 is it?

I'm a little scared.

You should try having 3! < hollow laugh >

Ahhh you mean bugger

It really does depend though, and it is sometimes possible to wangle day time naps if you really need them

My DC2 was a good sleeper, good eater and tbh I found 2 under 2 a bit of a breeze. 3 under 4 however... (runs screaming for the hills at the memory of it)

DC6 immortal?!

I don't have horrific memories of 2 under 2 at all, though admittedly the details of those first 6 months appear to be mostly wiped from my memory rather. but I do have lovely memories of 2yo and 8mo playing together, we have photos of them seesawing and rolling around the floor laughing. It wasn't that long to wait til having 2 became a pleasure rather than just a slog.

Really? I had two under two and things were FAR more calm, organised and controlled than they were when I just had the first.

If I had to repeat either the first year of DD1's life or the first year of DD2's life I would choose DD2's, no question.

Yeah but my dd1 will be 4 so it'll be a piece of piss, right. :)

Worse than one waking the other, is when when one wakes a good half hour after the other has been settled, and you are just drifting into deep sleep.

Have a baby when you DC is at school and you can sleep all day if you want to on maternity leave.

Also in my block of flts loads of people have kids in tiny spaces and none of my friends kids wake up when the baby wakes. I think if you are used to growing up in smaller places you could leave your babies to sleep in a nightclub and they wouldnt wake up.

I found 2 easier. They entertain each other and I really notice how much more they hang on my legs when I only have one for whatever reason. There's only 15 months between them so they both had a nice long afternoon nap for ages. Which I greedily crashed most of the time. Pregnant with DC3 now and people seem so gleeful in telling me how hard it will be. Maybe it will be, maybe it wont. No point in trying to scare people is there?

Glad am not the only evil one who feels schadenfreude! I feel it when anyone is pregnant, even with their first, 'cos the first is a shock. Is cos am struggling with two so much, hopefully will not be evil forever!

It's bollocks that 3 and 4 are somehow automatically easier, the mums of 3 or 4 that I know are even more knackered than those of (unless big age gaps). Later DC are just as likely not to sleep / have colic / be ill / have SN or be challenging in whatever way as any other DC, and isn't there research suggesting that family happiness is lower in families with 3 or 4 DC?

"An honest answer would be "I only know what it is like my my two, I don't know what it will be like for you"."

True dat. I found going from one to two children a total piece of piss compared to getting used to parenthood first time round - and I'm far from a super-organised person.

[clicks watch thread to show dh later to prove we are not alone and do not have devil children, it is normal and this too will pass]

My 3rd was an utter joy. dd3 was a much more easygoing baby than dd2 though, and she was a great sleeper.

But I look at big families (we stopped at 3) and think "how lovely". I like seeing lots of kids rampaging over the place in happy chaos.

Ah, don't you just love it when someone has had two babies and think they wrote the bloody book

Glad you're not my sil!

Lalalalalala Can't hear you!!

Ds1 was/is such a handful that 2nd and subsequent dc have not seemed much trouble at all...

Can't really pronounce on this one because I didn't have your babies and you didn't have mine. Nobody swims in the same river twice and all that sort of stuff.