I feel like I keep reading about how hard it is on here. I don't know too many people with two or more young children IRL yet aside from people whose kids are a bit older...but not those who are going through it now/recently.
Any positive stories? I had a rough time transitioning to parenthood...am I crazy for hoping the second time is a little easier? Fwiw I will have dh around longer.
pomegranate / 3577 posts
Watching with interest...
All I can say is, if we both get a 
this month, we'll be in it together! 
coconut / 8681 posts
For us the transition hasn't been bad at all. We have a boy and a girl, 13.5 months apart. Infanthood with DS was really rough. Since DD has been born its been the complete opposite. Obviously there are hard days/times but overall it's been completely manageable. At the beginning DH was home for a week which definitely helped DS to adjust but since then its been primarily just me. We were able to go back to DS' toddler activities when DD was just 3 weeks old and its been the same groove ever since.
As hard as the hard days are, it's seriously so amazing to see the love between siblings. They so obviously love each other- she's consistently watching him and smiling at him and she'll look around for him when he's not in the same room. And she's his favorite person- the first thing he asks for in the morning. When she cries he worries about her, etc. Its been so cool for us to see the completely unconditional love between them.
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
I can't pinpoint an exact time, but going from 1-2 is a lot easier than 0-1. Baby sis was so easy at first. Eat. Sleep. Poop. Makes you wonder why it was even hard the first time! Now she is a toddler and there is more to deal with (tantrums), but it is a lot more fun. The girls have so much fun together, too.
pineapple / 12566 posts
Mine are 3 years apart and the baby will be 5 months tomorrow. It's actually a lot easier than I expected. Granted, we have our days and moments, but overall, it's not at all what I expected. I think it helps that DS is fairly independent and can communicate well, while DD is a fairly easy baby.
pear / 1517 posts
I wonder this too! Today is my due date for number two and I'm so scared. Everyone swears this transition is so hard and with pregnancy I've been having a tough time with just one kid!! I'm so worried I'll fall apart under the stress of two but I hope that in the future my boys being a year and a half apart will be such a blessing.
grapefruit / 4120 posts
I am still in the thick of it in many ways but I can say it gets better with all those milestones... At 6 months or so when the little one can sit and distract himself a few minutes... At a year when the little one is a little more cognizant of his surroundings... Now I have an 18 months old and a three year old and I can say they do play together and I can leave them to their own devices for the most part while I make dinner, etc. I think when they're 2 and 4 things will be pretty awesome and I've heard that around 3 and 5, you're pretty much out of the woods!
squash / 13208 posts
I guess it depends on what you mean by easier.
When I was in the hospital after giving birth to my DD the nurse told me things will get easier when they are 3 and 5 - I about had a heart attack. I told my friend that and she said "yep that sounds about right"
Fast forward my kids are 3 and 5 and yes things are much easier!!!! We still have issues here and there but no more diapers, naps can be missed, traveling is easy, they both talk and communicate clearly.
Its a fun time for us!
apricot / 370 posts
I have an almost 4 YO and an 18 month old. Both girls. For me, I think it's been easier once the baby could start feeding herself (so I can eat my meals too) and started walking, and she could do more things on her own, and play with her big sister or independently. The 4 YO is slowly getting there, less tantrums (still lots of whining though) and becoming more independent, and communicates with us easily. You can see the girls really can entertain each other (for a little while) and that's enough for me to get dinner cooked or do a quick chore. Definitely definitely more work than 1 kid, as when my in-laws sometimes takes the older 1 out, we just take care of the baby and it's just soooo much easier minding 1 kid. So much work with 2, finding breaks are hard, it's just nonstop until they are napping or down for the night. BUT when the 2 girls get together, you can see how much fun they have with each other, and it's pretty cool. I can't wait for the 3 and 5 stage.
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
It hasn't been too hard yet. There was an adjustment period but it became a routine.
GOLD / grapefruit / 4555 posts
For me, my two are 13 months, 3 days apart. I think it's taken at least that long - yes, 13 months, 3 days, give or take a day - for them to become 'fun'. They're fun individually but it wasn't until they started having more ... natural fun together that it's gotten fun all the time. Before we used to encourage them to play. Now they're actively playing together. This is the best it's been so far and also the hardest just because they're such different personalities! But they're great 
pineapple / 12234 posts
@Andrea: that's been my experience too.
I think it was much, much harder to go from 0-1 than 1-2. Sometimes, it feels like double the work when I'm out in public alone (holding hands, carrying my toddler and diaper bag) but for the most part it hasn't been more difficult.
Also, my second wants to do what my oldest does and I feel like she's growing up faster than he did, without my help! They entertain each other and play really well (most of the time).
pomegranate / 3980 posts
Thankfully we haven't had too bad of a time yet but dd#1 was 3 1/2 when dd#2 was born so she was older and actually rather helpful. I agree that the transition from 1-2 was way easier than 0-1! I absolutely adore the bond that they have and their hugs totally make up for all the bickering
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
The transition from 1-2 was much easier for us than going from 0-1. They are 26 months apart, and so much fun! It started to get more fun after DS turned 6 months because he was more mobile and interactive. But with that came a few more fights too - there was one point when we had to keep DD away from DS because she wasn't used to him getting into all her things and would tell him to "stop it" and tell us to rescue her. But that was a short-lived phase, and now she's just used to him, and sometimes just sighs and goes, "Oh Jaren! You're such a beast!" (haha, she got that term from us).
She is a great big sister, and he just LIGHTS UP whenever she's around. It's so much easier getting things done or getting dinner on the table (than when I just had one) when they're preoccupied with each other. Sometimes they just want someone else around, and its nice not having to give them my full attention at all times because they have each other.
I imagine it'll get more fun now that they're both toddlers. It was actually pretty easy for us with this age gap to sync up their naptimes, have them bathe together, eat together, etc. The good thing about two is that I can easily influence one of them to do something just by saying that the other one is doing it too. Having DS has really opened DD up too because he is so social, fearless, and rambunctious. It's made her more open and more bold. It's funny how even though she's the older one, sometimes she'll copy what he's doing!
grapefruit / 4823 posts
My 2 are 15 months apart, and I agree, that 1-2 was way easier than 0-1. They are currently 2(in 3 days) and 9 months. Sure some days and things are harder than others, but I wouldn't change it at all. 3 months is when I started to feel like I was managing things, but it's getting much easier now, like second nature.
grapefruit / 4649 posts
I have been a nanny for a wide variety of ages/stages and sibling spacing and consistently for me it is far easier and way more fun when the youngest hits 18 months or so. They are on one nap, it is easier to get food while we are out so I don't have to pack tons of stuff if our plans are flexible, they enjoy everything and the bigger kids (even 2/5 year olds) often enjoy showing them new things because they have such cool reactions. Plus, it's easier to keep everyone amused at that point, the park is easier, the pool is easier, going to museums... the list goes on and on! Needless to say I am a huge fan of toddlerhood!
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
@Espion: 
@Running Elley: Your children are so sweet...and you make it look so easy! The second paragraph you posted is what I am SO looking forward to. Dd has a table and two chairs at grandma's house and I just started looking at that second chair and feeling something was missing from her life.. (I know, cheesy, but true!)
@Andrea: @HLK208: @Mrs. High Heels: @GrapeCrush: @cyndistar3: THANK YOU so much for saying that 0-1 is harder than 1-2! I keep reading that 1 feels so easy after having 2 and I guess that is intimidating to me.. but I keep thinking that it just can't be as hard as 0-1 especially if I either don't get ppd or I get treated earlier next time. Glad that this was your experience!
@Beyond2: Hope you have a quick and safe delivery!! So exciting!
@lamariniere: @mamimami: @Mamaof2: @kakimochi: @NaturallyCathy: @Cole: Thanks for all the stories! Knowing a little bit about what to anticipate hopefully will help ease the stress early on!
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