1st Child Vr. 2-3

Here are some of the ways having a second and third child differs from

having your first:

  Your Clothes

  -1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN

confirms your pregnancy.

  -2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

  -3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

  The Baby's Name

  -1st baby: You pore over baby-name books and practice pronouncing and

writing combinations of all your favorites.

  -2nd baby: Someone has to name his or her kid after your great-aunt Mavis,

right? It might as well be you.

  -3rd baby: You open a name book, close your eyes, and see where your

finger points.

  Preparing for the Birth

  -1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.

  -2nd baby: You don't bother practicing because you remember that last

time, breathing didn't do a thing.

  -3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your 8th month.

  The Layette

  -1st baby: You pre-wash your newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and

fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.

  -2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard

only the ones with the darkest stains.

  -3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

  Worries

  -1st baby: At the first sign of distress - a whimper, a frown -- you pick

up the baby.

  -2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your

firstborn.

  -3rd baby: You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

  Activities

  -1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby

Story Hour.

  -2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.

  -3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

  Going Out

  -1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home

5 times.

  -2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a

number where you can be reached.

  -3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees

blood.

  At Home

  -1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just    gazing at the baby.

  -2nd baby: You spend a bit of every day watching to    be sure your older

child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.

  -3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding    from the

children.