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SweetHome editor Jes Watson already has her hands full with one rambunctious toddler. How will she know when to have another?
When I had a baby, I said goodbye to many things. Catching every new movie in theatres. A good night's sleep. My old pant size.
Now that I have a toddler, I'm luxuriating in reconnecting with things I used to enjoy in my pre-mom life. (Well, except for that whole old pant size thing...)
If one, tiny little baby was able to turn my entire life — and body — upside down, I can only imagine what one more tiny little baby would do. How can something so small cause so much chaos? After a year and a half, I finally feel like I'm just inching my way to being on top of things again. And you know what? It's a really, really good feeling.
But I know that I want my daughter to have a sibling. And I've been getting a little verklempt whenever I find myself around a really small baby. I look at old baby photos of my daughter and get wistful. So it's kind of inevitable that I'm going to have another. The question, really, is when.
I've heard that having your kids close together is a good thing. They won't get jealous and there's a greater bond between siblings that are closer together in age. (Plus, no one ever really says this, but you get them both out of the house in 20 years, rather than 22, or 24... Yes, I'm thinking that far ahead.)
But having them farther apart means the older child can help out with the baby (and handle small responsibilities like dressing themselves) which can make life a lot easier. And then there are daycare fees that have the ability to eat up your income if you have two really wee ones to pay for.
There's no right answer, of course. The truth is that having another baby is just as big of a step as having the first. I'm guessing that my reluctance to throw my hat in the ring (and my non-maternity wardrobe out) is a pretty good indication that I'm really not ready yet. Although if I'm contemplating it, maybe it means I am?
How did you know when to have another baby? And do you recommend having them closer together, or farther apart? Log in and let me know!
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