I'm sure you could say something here about learning to parent with your first child. The long, difficult road of learning to care for a baby and figure out your style. Are you a "stumble around in the night with bottle pieces" kinda of person or do you diligently set out a full bottle or two before going to bed?
And don't get me wrong, it's taken us a little bit to get used to our new one. She has issues. You have to hold her a certain way when you feed her or the milk just comes right back up. Or dribbles down her neck. And immediately after she finishes, you MUST move her directly to under your chin with her feet at your waist. Oh, the crazy noises she makes, but here's the thing--they don't mean anything. She's like an old man groaning and snoring. But for the most part, once you figure her out she's easy and sweet and sleeps like a champ.
The funny thing about your second one, however, is that you don't care. Your firstborn you read all the books and websites and articles and what the doctors recommend. Everything you do is specific and gentle and you never know what small detail in month 3 of life may get them into Harvard or get them a starting job with the Bears/Cubs/Hawks. By the time you have that one and a second one though it's all over.
Because you largely have given up in favor of giving them what most kids really need. Food. Shelter. Clothing. Love. Other than that, they'll live. There will be some crying and probably a great many moments of you noting how whatever you're doing is probably not approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
My job is not to be your friend, amuse you, give you everything you want, or even make you happy per se. I'm your parent and it IS my job to get you to the age of 18 with the reasonable ability to function in the adult world.
We love you. But your mom and I have travel plans.
Kidding.
We're pretty sure we know what we're doing by this point so just trust us though. As we like to say to Cole when he whines as we park the car, "when have we ever left you behind!?" We don't need a manual anymore for the most part.
But, seriously, we have things we wanna do when you leave and you won't be cute forever. Heh.
And don't get me wrong, it's taken us a little bit to get used to our new one. She has issues. You have to hold her a certain way when you feed her or the milk just comes right back up. Or dribbles down her neck. And immediately after she finishes, you MUST move her directly to under your chin with her feet at your waist. Oh, the crazy noises she makes, but here's the thing--they don't mean anything. She's like an old man groaning and snoring. But for the most part, once you figure her out she's easy and sweet and sleeps like a champ.
The funny thing about your second one, however, is that you don't care. Your firstborn you read all the books and websites and articles and what the doctors recommend. Everything you do is specific and gentle and you never know what small detail in month 3 of life may get them into Harvard or get them a starting job with the Bears/Cubs/Hawks. By the time you have that one and a second one though it's all over.
Because you largely have given up in favor of giving them what most kids really need. Food. Shelter. Clothing. Love. Other than that, they'll live. There will be some crying and probably a great many moments of you noting how whatever you're doing is probably not approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
My job is not to be your friend, amuse you, give you everything you want, or even make you happy per se. I'm your parent and it IS my job to get you to the age of 18 with the reasonable ability to function in the adult world.
We love you. But your mom and I have travel plans.
Kidding.
We're pretty sure we know what we're doing by this point so just trust us though. As we like to say to Cole when he whines as we park the car, "when have we ever left you behind!?" We don't need a manual anymore for the most part.
But, seriously, we have things we wanna do when you leave and you won't be cute forever. Heh.