First Child vs. Second Child...

Today is my third day home with two kids. All I can say is wow. I don't even know if I can say wow. I don't think that covers it or I even have the energy to speak. I seriously can't explain how dfficult this has been. Eamonn seriously has been an absolute terror. He is at the stage where he is
learning to run away when he has something he shouldn't or when I need to change him or bathe him or do anything that requires being still for five seconds. He thinks that this is a very humorous game that he cannot get enough of. Meanwhile, my poor, poor Jack just gets tossed anywhere on the floor while I chase after Eamonn. There are some serious differences between your first child and your second child.

First Child: You count the seconds, minutes, and milaseconds to the day of their birth
Second Child: You don't even realize you are pregnant half the time because you are so so so busy trying to take care of the first child.
First Child: You rush to the hospital every contraction you feel hoping that maybe, just maybe it will be time to deliver your baby!
Second Child: You have learned your lesson after paying numerous  bills to Labor and Delivery from the last child, that you take your time until the contractions are unbearable. Plus, you have to make a thousand different arrangements for babysitting and what have you for your first child.
First Child: Every single detail of the baby's nursery has been prepared since you were eight weeks pregnant.
Second Child: You have learned that the baby doesn't even sleep in the dang nursery that you slaved over and figure that if you have too, a dresser drawer would even suffice.
First Child: You refuse to put any of your children in hand me downs or use used baby things like stollers, etc. Everything MUST be new.
Second Child: D.I. anyone? You realize that your first child has ruined all off his clothes by pooping and barfing that it really doesn't matter. Plus, he is practically naked half the time anyways because you are trying to avoid anymore stains and it is A LOT easier to shove the kid in the bathtub rather than doing thousands upon thousands of loads of laundry, trying to get popsicle, juice, poop, you name it, who know what the heck that was, stains out of clothes.
First Child: Every single thing the kid does NEEDS to be documented and saved. Look! his belly button fell off! Let's celebrate!; Yay! his fourth time taking a bath, let's document!!; Look! He's yawning, Look! He's burping! Look he puked! TAKE PICTURES!! Maternity pictures, newborn pictures, 3 mo. old pictures, 6 mo. old pictures, every single thing he does is a photo opp.
Second Child: You start going through all of your pictures and start to realize... why aren't there as many pictures of baby #2 as baby #1? Oh, maybe because I've been running around with my head cut off trying to keep up with everything. Plus, sad to say, it's not a brand new thing anymore that the baby is on tummy time in his brand new outfit so the need to take a kajillion pictures just isn't there.
First Child: You are sooo excited for every new milestone... Look he's holding his head up! He's rolling over! He's crawling! etc. You try to push him as much as you can to succeed and even dare I say it? exceed all of your friends kids. (don't judge. you all know you've done it at one point or another...) You want him crawling at four months, walking at 6 months, singing the alphabet at 10 months, and reading at a year old.
Second Child: You start to realize JUST HOW FAST YOUR BABIES GROW UP! When the doctors say, ok, make sure you give them lots of tummy time so they can start developing their muscles to crawl and roll, you think, "Psh, yah right! I want this kid to be my newborn forever!" When they start to crawl, you push them over. When they start to walk, push them over. etc. ;)
First Child: Whenever he cried, you run over to make sure he is O.K.
Second Child: Whenever he cries you run over to make sure he is O.K., but not due to the same reasons as the first child.. but BECAUSE of the first child. Who knows what that first child is doing to the poor second child!!!
First Child: You worry your guts out the entire night, scared that your child is going to die, choke, stop breathing, suffocate, etc. and are up the entire night wondering if he's hungry,scared, uncomfortable etc.
Second Child: You figure... whelp... either he dies in his sleep or he dies in the morning from mommy's lack of sleep. So instead of worrying, you turn the hair dryer on next to your bed stand so you can't hear the crying and go the maximum amount of time the dr.'s have said is ok for him to go without eating.
First Child: You make sure that everyone has on hazmat suits before they enter the house. You are constantly equipped with hand sanitizer, lysol wipes, lysol spray, binky wipes, you name it, so your kid doesn't die of swine flu. You stay in the house for months, camped out, scared of germs and illness.
Second Child: You can't afford to stay in the house due to lack of groceries and another child bouncing off the walls. You figure that as long as the baby is in his carseat with a little cover on it, he can't catch anything really, right?
First Child: When you need to set him down to do something quickly, you make sure that he is securely strapped in his swing, or nicely placed in his boppy pillow.
Second child: While trying to chase the first child to get him to do something (or most likely PREVENT him from doing something) you throw the baby onto the floor, or anywhere that he most likely won't get stepped on..
The most important thing that I have learned and actually am SO glad that I have learned from Child #1 is this:
First Child: Someone is doing something with your baby that you don't want them to do, or they are holding your baby and you want to take him out of their arms, or anything like that, you don't say anything or do anything because you are scared to offend someone, etc.
Second Child: You know that YOU ARE THE MOTHER and you have the right to say what is done with YOUR CHILD and HOW IT IS DONE. :)