I have never made a secret of the fact that despite being absolutely crazy in love with my adorable (actually, THE most adorable) little boy (21 months now), I found the first few months incredibly hard. So today, while I was driving to his grandparents to pick him up, with a screaming headache from work...and later, when I was hanging out the seemingly endless washing, I got to thinking about how tough it was in those early days, and how I thought at times it would never be any different. But it did get better!!:thumbsup: So here's a little celebration, and maybe it will help others in a similar boat. Feel free to add more...

They do actually start to sleep at night, and it is the most wonderful thing in the world. So no more dreading evenings and bedtimes down through my very soul because I'm exhausted and know I won't get enough sleep.

When I hand him over now for the day at Nursery or overnight with his grandparents, I no longer feel that I half dread picking him up again because I want just a little bit more time/sleep/sanity. I just want to get him and get a big snotty kiss and play with him and snuggle.

You get a grip on the chores. There is a bit less to do as they get older, and you get into the swing of it. I also learned to give myself a time to finish by, so I was guaranteed a sit down - and if it wasn't done by then, it was time to demand help. (Unfortunately, needing to demand help rather than just receiving it naturally doesn't seem to change - refer to Mummy is the default setting thread, lol)

Getting up in the morning is not the end of the world if you have had some sleep...particularly if you both agree beforehand that you will each get a lay-in on the weekend. And encourage the little monster to play nicely by himself in his cot when he first wakes up!

I'm sure there are more!

Your boobs revert back to being yours again.

Your boobs revert back to being yours again.

LMAO! My OH did get a tad jealous.......

Funnily enough I was just thinking about the same thing this morning. For the first time in I don't know when I actually woke up naturally. Inasmuchas I woke up at 7.55am and baby jellyfish woke at 8.05am. I had forgotten how lovely it is to just drift up into wakefulness rather than being jolted awake by a crying baby! Also I had had 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep!!

Those first few weeks were the most difficult yet rewarding time of my life...

I was wondering though - how does having a second baby compare to the first? Is it easier because you are that much more prepared after having the first? Or does having a toddler around whilst being pregnant again / having those first few weeks/ months kind of negate that?

oh my goodness! is my daughter weird? how i wish it was those first few months again, when i had time to do everything i wanted without being told to go to the park or go swimming etc. and getting her dressed took 5 minutes rather than 3 hours with a fight inbetween!

ok, so its not too bad but shes much harder work now than when she was a baby just in a different way. she's always slept through the night so i'm sure it would have been worse looking after a baby when i'd had no sleep aswell.

my auntie told me, after her second baby, its much much harder going from having one child to having two than it is from having none to having one! can't imagine having to be pregnant with a toddler, i bet thats hard!

Your boobs revert back to being yours again.

oh yes cant wait for that!!!:hihi:

Being pregnant with a Toddler isn't so bad, its running after a toddler and a newborn thats hardest

I have a 3 and 5yr old and for some reason recently am feeling broody and settled and ran away with the baby fantasty, this thread has crushed it.

I abviously fell into a dream world, and life with a baby is a fading memory, thankyou 4 reminding me, I will take my depo injection next week:thumbsup:

I have a 3 1/2 yr old and a 20 month old and its hard

I have a three year old and a nine month old and I agree ... it is hard. But it is definitely worth it. My two boys are wonderful with each other and the three year old is really good at helping - fetching toys and things for his brother. I think things will get harder again when little starts crawling (he can only go backwards at the moment), cos I will have to be on the ball.

i think with the first one it's partly cos you don't know what to expect - you think you're well prepared, but then reality hits!