Second child- when does it all feel fun again?

[Goinonabearhuntt]

Have a 2 year old and 4 week old. Everything is fine but wondering when it all feels fun again. With my 2 year old I love hanging out with him and enjoy his company - he communicates well and is up for anything and has even coped well with his new baby sister. Think I’m just sleep deprived, breasts constantly tender/too full if baby’s having a long sleep/nipples a bit sore if she’s been cluster feeding.
Feel a bit like we’re just getting through each day of feeding, making sure the 2 year old doesn’t get overexcited and hit her, and constant changing of nappies. When does it all start to feel a bit more like normal life again? (If ever?!)

I think from about 4 months on it starts to be more fun - when the little one has more awake time and is doing more, and is a bit more predictable with naps too. My youngest is 11 months now and i feel like both mine get cuter every day ;-) The newborn days are hard but for me went so quick the second time round!

Mine are 8m and 4 now and it is lots of fun. DS2 was quite an easy newborn (except for lots of trouble with feeding) so I just used to bundle him into the sling and get on with what DS1 wanted to do, almost as if it was still just the two of us. Now he can crawl he can get more involved which is fun, but he is also more "present" so probably impacts on DS1 more. I think the relationship will just keep changing.

I think probably closer to 8-12 weeks. I remember taking my older one (5) bowling and out to lunch over Easter holidays when baby was about 8 weeks and it was easier (if a military operation). I’m pretty sure the first 6-8 weeks are not really fun no matter how many you have. It’s one long day. Mine is 8 months now though and it’s fun and very manageable, so definitely will get better. Hang in there.

From memory, about 6-8 weeks there's an improvement (baby smiles at you, feeding settles down and becomes easier), then again at about 4 months (baby can sit in a bouncy chair and smile and laugh at eldest being an idiot), then once baby starts crawling it's better again.
At 4 weeks it's all still a fog of sleeplessness, screaming and struggling to latch.

Mine are 4 years and 4 months, and it's starting to get better! DD is at school (I miss her!), and DS is getting a bit more "independent" (in that he'll sit in his bouncer for ten minutes rather than wanting to be held all the time). DD adores her brother which is a relief!

The hardest part is the balancing of attention. DS has me all day, so when DD gets home I do my best to focus on her, but obviously the baby needs me just as much, if not more. It's hard some days. But PP is right, once the baby starts getting more involved in every day life, can sit up, can play a bit, then it'll get easier.

Best of luck OP, and congrats!

Thanks, this all makes me feel better! And comforting to know that a lot of people find these early days hard- some people seem to love the newborn phase and I’m trying to enjoy it as she will probably be our last baby but I keep fast forwarding in my head to when she’s not so fragile and tiny and when we can all do stuff together.
She’s started to get quite fussy and often cries when feeding too so looking forward to feeding not being such an issue. I think the other problem is that I’ve had quite a lot of help- partner off work and family close by so I’ve been lazy- maybe when I start embracing it all more and doing more stuff on my own with the 2 dcs it will start to fall into place.

I was also going to say 4 months. But do enjoy it, they are so tiny and cute. I saw a pair of my 9 months socks the other day 0-3 months- made me go all sentimental

Mine are just over two years apart, and I won't lie, the first 9 months were really hard with a very sensitive baby and an oblivious toddler. However it did get more fun when my eldest could make his brother laugh etc. They are the best of friends now (8 & 10) and I wouldn't change the age gap, it makes everything really easy in terms of having fun together as they have so much in common still.

4 months.

My DC2 is 18 wo and definitely the past week/10 days I've started feeling like I've got some control and routine back in place.

I wouldn't say it's 'fun' but it doesn't feel completely unrelenting any more.