Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

baby bunchers take on DC

My first experience with Baby Bunching and museums was a sad attempt at the Children's Museum in Richmond shortly after Anna my second child was born. The only reason it was "manageable" was because we had four adults for the two kids. Never mind that my youngest spent the whole time in the sling. My son ran from exhibit to exhibit and I sat on a bench and nursed--thankful that I wasn't the one running after him.

My next attempt was the Natural History Museum in Stockholm. We saw a handful of dinosaurs and probably a few other exhibits. I won't mention that the three of us got stuck in the elevator (even though it was marked clearly 'no strollers.') Then as we made our way around Stockholm to various other non-children's museums, I realized everywhere we went meant a new place for my Bunch to run around and eat lunch. But beyond that, it was a change of scenery for me and a way to "see" new sights. Although, my favorite kid's museum is Junibackenwhere you actually strap your kids into a moving cart and sit through 20 minutes of Astrid Lindgren's stories. Nothing is more perfect for a Baby Buncher than having your kids actually strapped into a moving cart. I used to try to nap.

Now living in the nation's capital, I am faced with an assortment of museums--many which are free--that I feel compelled to visit and drag my kids to. Even at 5 and 4, my kids don't seem interested in spending more than an hour at any museum (unless it's Baltimore's Port Discovery) and that includes lunch.

This past weekend, Cara and I and our five children, collectively (yes, that's 5 kids under 5) ventured out to downtown DC. I ignored my own advice about public transportation and we forged ahead with a single museum visit. Want to read about how the Baby Bunchers took on DC, I've posted about it over at DC Metro Moms this week. Enjoy. Comment here at Buncher or over there.  

power to shower

There are many things we, as Baby Bunching moms, sacrifice. No longer could I wear black clothes (shirts/pants) because they were a target for smelly baby spit up. And forget about the white clothes (shirts/pants/skirts) which were a target for toddler's colored foods or chalked-up hands. I gave up trying to pee in peace because sometimes I never even got around to peeing. I gave up sitting down to eat since eating on the run or even in the car seemed easier at times.

But showering? No way could I give that up.

Showering can be more than just water and some shampoo. A shower, no matter how short it is, can be a retreat and a way to start over. (Even with kids in the bathroom with me.) There is something so wonderful about steam and sweet smelling soaps. Perhaps it's because it washes off the stench of spit up and pee. But getting a shower with two little monkeys can definitely be difficult. It was rare I actually skipped a shower mainly because as a curly-haired girl it's damn near impossible to skip too many days without a washing or I I risked looking like some scary beast. But even a shower in the early days of Baby Bunching changed the tone of the day...and still does. For some reason I function more efficiently and parent better after a shower. Yes, the shower is very powerful!  

So how do you make it happen. Here are a few configurations that might help you get the relief you need.

1) Shower before your kids get up.
2) Shower while both kids are napping.
3) Bring bouncy seat into the bathroom for baby. Put toddler in crib to play with toys/books. Or put both kids in cribs to play.
4) Put toddler in front of DVD while baby is napping.
5) While toddler is napping, bring baby into bathroom with you.
6) Bring toddler into bathroom with you (and a few toys) and while baby is napping.
7) Bring Megasaucer into bathroom with you while both kids play.
8) Use playgroup time with other moms around to quickly shower. Seriously! No one who really loves you will mind.
9) Get a mother's helper and use that time to shower. Take a long one since you're paying someone.
10) Shower at night when kids go to bed.

Feel free to share some of your tips for getting in a shower with two under two.

the loneliness of baby bunching

I have been thinking about Jen’s post from last week regarding motherhood being lonely. It actually has stuck with me and had me thinking about how motherhood has been for me on the friend front. I into parenthood at a different angle with a different perspective.

I imagine for those who have lived in one location for a many years this is a big adjustment to make. You go to school, get a job, get married, have babies and all the while keep the friends who you know and love from all stages of your life. Nothing, absolutely nothing, changes you more than parenthood. And those friends who haven’t made their entry into this new world often don’t “get” motherhood. (You can argue with me if you like, but it's true. Until you do it, you don't get it.) And those of us who are now mothers can’t figure out what we used to do with all that free time. There is a very obvious divide once the kids come.

But for me, we moved to the other side of the world exactly two weeks before I found out I was pregnant. (Yes, do the math if you must.) For me, there was nothing so isolating as being in a new world with a whole new culture and nothing as wonderful as having an excuse to make new friends: babies!  Motherhood was my way to link up with others and form a new circle of friends. So while parenthood may make you stray from old friends, it actually opens up a forum for making new ones.

I won’t bore you with all the details of making my way in non-English speaking worlds to find friends. But I will say the common denominator was always kids, which made it much easier to always connect with people. As a result I made friends with many women whom I might not have normally been friends with. 

However, as I began bopping along with my new found mom friends and our babies in tow at the mall or playground, I suddenly found myself in the ever-changing world of Baby Bunching. This can also put a strain on friendships, even the newly formed ones. So many “mom” friendships, especially with first babies, are formed with other moms whose kids are the same age. You sit around and talk about diapers, feedings and teething. You’re comforted by knowing someone else is going through the same things you are. Then….BAM! Baby #2 arrives. Unless your friends are on board with the Baby Bunching, you might find yourself alone again. (Tip: Convince your friends to go this route with you. It’s much more fun!) But if they don’t, you will find yourself stuck at home in the “nap trap” or out managing way too many kids at one time. I often felt my friend with only one kid just didn’t get how hard this was—always juggling everything, never sleeping, hands in diapers all the time, in the kitchen all day long. I felt very disconnected and very alone.

Eventually, I realized the solution was finding friends close in age to my own and finding moms with two close in age. Fortunately, I had Cara who’s kids were the same age as mine, but eventually over time, I found a few more who were at least in the same city.  I worked to keep the friends I had (because sooner or later most of them went for around round). Then we Baby Bunchers become the experts of managing two kids! Even if you’re not the playgroup-going mom or find it hard to make friends, I absolutely assure you 100% that the time investment you make in finding at least one other Baby Bunching mom friend is SO totally worth it.

Of course, we welcome all of you here as our instant Baby Bunching friends. We love to hear from you and hope to grow the community of wonderful, brave Baby Bunching moms.

recovering from baby bunching road trip

The Baby Bunching road trip proved to be fun, yet exhausting for all. Both Cara and I are recovering. Hence the no posts in a while. We'll be back today or tomorrow. We promise!

 

baby bunching road trip

The REAL reason Linda and Cara are not attending BlogHer this week(end) is that Cara is driving up with her Bunch (5.4,1) from Atlanta to see Linda in DC with her Bunch (5 and 4). More to come about our trips to the museums, White House and Zoo. We're not neglecting the blog. We promise, but Linda is frantically cleaning her house for the Fox family. Surely there will be pictures and stories.

baby bunching bests

Sorry we're a day late on these. Both Cara and I were celebrating birthdays this weekend. My youngest turned 4 on Saturday. Her middle son turned 4 on Sunday. How is that for friendship?! Best friends in the hospital having babies at the same time.

As a side note . . . are we the ONLY ones not going to BlogHer this week? Boo hoo hoo!

Jen over at Sabbatical Mom writes about one of the dangers of Baby Bunching at the doctor. Sympathy crying for brother's 5-year old shots? Nope, her daughter is upset about being 5 because of the shots.

Miche over at Coordinating Chaos provides a great morale booster for all moms. This is your baby and you're doing a great job whether you breast or bottle feed; co-sleep or not.  

Jen over at Oscarelli writes about how lonely motherhood can be. So many friendships are based on motherhood, but we often lose other friends when the babies come. Not to mention when the babies start coming in rapid succession. I thought this was a very poignant post.

Karen over at Mommy Needs a Time Out has some wonderful mommy tricks she can do, like making a bottle (from start to finish) during a red light--impressive! What can you do?

Susan over at One Year Apart is featuring other moms with kids who are one year apart. Click over there and read about Super Ninja Mom (who is about to have her fifth baby) and a few others heroes in my mind.

baby bunching stages: a whole new ballgame

The youngest of your Bunch is two. Now things really start to get fun! And for once, we're not just being sarcastic - we mean it!  The hard work is (mostly) done and now you can really start to reap the benefits of close spacing, which include:

• Built-in playmates for life (equalsmore time for Mommy since she doesn't have go looking for play dates to keep everyone entertained!)
• Shared toys!  Even if they are different genders, you do not need doubles of everything and toys in a million different age stages.
• Moving on to the next stage of life together!  By this, we mean that you will not have the hassle of toting a newborn to soccer practice (unless, of course, you decide to keep going, in which case don't say we didn't warn you!)
• Simplification of school and other activities, since everyone can frequently be signed up for/dropped off at the same time for activities (sometimes you can even get them on the same team!)
• The beginnings of sharing clothes, if you have the same gender - by age 4 or 5, especially, you will be able to share shorts/t-shirts/swim trunks, Halloween costumes, etc.
• Similar developmental stages - depending on how close in age your kids are, you may find that it is possible to work with them together on certain learning activities, like learning to reading or potty training.  Of course, a little competition in these situations usually helps. 
• If you've taken time off work to stay home with your Bunch, you'll find that you're able to get back into the professional mix and gradually ramp up hours as they start preschool, grow older, and become less dependent on you round-the-clock

And of course, the best benefit of all is the gift you've given your little twiblings - the gift of each other.

Somehow the positive really outweighs the negative by this point. Even such obstacles as getting everyone into the same preschool doesn't even seem that bad. The tantrums will still be there. You will still have kids running in two different directions at the same time, but now that everyone can walk, talk and negotiate, at least you have your physical strength back. The next few years you will be spending all your energy breaking up fights and getting rid of potty talk. But that's what all siblings do, only now you have double trouble in almost everything. Nothing beats a partner in crime!  

So pat yourselves on the back for making it through the hardest part and enjoy one of the things that makes your family special - that you are Baby Bunchers!

baby bunching stages: two toddlers

Once Little Baby reaches his/her first birthday, we bet you're thinking this gig is going to get easier. Yes, but not before it gets harder. Linda classifies the 12-18 month stage (or even onto 24 months) as toddler hell. Yes, they are walking and starting to talk. That IS super fun, but not when your two and a half year old is still darting into the street any chance he can get. If you thought two babies were hard, we have a surprise for you. Two toddlers are equally as hard, if not harder, since both are in fully upright and unlocked positions.

The good news is that there will be new places you can explore with both kids, like certain playgrounds, but be careful as all playgrounds are not created equal.  You will start to see some intentional, playful interaction between siblings, which is always very fun and makes it all worth it!  Your newest toddler can finally get off the sidelines and actually play.  Nap time will definitely be the new happy hour since both kids are probably napping on a schedule (if your oldest one isn't...make him!) and you can reclaim some time in the afternoon.

A few tips for this stage:

• Baby proof the crap out of your entire house, if you haven't already.  Plug every socket, gate every stair, put away every breakable, and rearrange all furniture to block potential hazards (like the fireplace).  We're talking total home renovation. Don't worry, it's only temporary, and by the time your youngest is 2 1/2 or so, you will be able to reclaim your living room.  Trust us - it will be exhausting enough to keep your Bunch safe in public.  You need your home to be a safe sanctuary for everyone to live and play safely without you having to monitor every kid every single second (which would be impossible anyway since they will likely split up just to make you crazy).
• This is a physically exhausting phase because you are literally running after both kids all the time.  Take advantage of the fact that they are likely on decent bedtime routines by now and go to bed at a reasonable hour (preferably after a bath to soak your sore muscles).  Because this was the stage --don't ask us why-- where our kids seem to have tag team sleeping issues for a variety of reasons.  Both Linda's kids started waking up in the middle of the night between 12-16 months (teething?) or waking up at 4:30 a.m. FOR THE DAY. Either way, one kid or the other was cutting into our sleepy time every single night.  Know that this time is brief and this, too, shall pass, but it sucks while it lasts.
• Transitions transitions, transitions. During this time period there will be major transitions for at least one--if not both--of your kids. We're talking about giving up bottles, pacifiers, breastfeeding, cribs, or diapers. This is a huge transition time. We're the first to admit that our kids have hung onto bottles, blankies, etc. longer than they needed to because it was easier, but transitions will still happen and with these come battles. Do what you can when the time feels right for both you AND toddler(s). Your doctor, while very important, doesn't live in your house. If the breastfeeding feels right, continue. If you can't find it in yourself to deal with potty training, wait just a bit.  Thumb sucking a problem?  Eh - permanent teeth don't come in until they're at least 5.  Cut yourself some slack on these things until things calm down a little, if it's too much.  All members of our Bunches are now weaned, potty trained, and sleeping in big beds and are no worse for the wear for having waited a little.
• Because everyone is running everywhere, have 2-3 exhausting (for your kids) activities that are lower-maintenance for you that will wear them out while you can catch your breath for a bit. If play dates/playgroups save you and run them ragged, get those established regularly. If taking them to mall to just let them roam aimlessly saves your sanity, do it. If you have a fenced-in dog kennel backyard, take advantage of it and throw and ball and RUN them like dogs every day!  Have a few tricks up your sleeve that you can pull out anytime to save you when you're running on empty and they need to blow off some steam.
• Speaking of activities, do yourself a favor and have a PLAN for each day.  There is no better way to sabotage a day with kids this age than by planning to "relax and lay low at home".  Yeah.  In case you didn't get the memo, there is no RELAX for you now.  You may be able to snag some "me" time during nap time, but you gotta wear them out to get 'em to sleep.  Each evening, sketch out your plans for the next day, knowing that you will have to be flexible and change them if needed, but at least you've got a plan/purpose.
• Which brings us to our next point, which is be flexible.  Someone will wake up extra early and that means morning nap will get pushed up.  Someone will refuse to eat breakfast and then melt down out of hunger at the playground.  It will rain.  You will forget something for dinner and have to run to the store with both kids, resulting in a late dinner hour.  All children will refuse to nap some days.  And so on and so on.  Not to be Debbie Downers, but just go ahead and plan on thing NOT going to plan, and roll with it. 
• Pick your battles.  Two talking toddlers means double the opinions (and corresponding tantrums) in your household now.  You can't win every battle, nor is every one worth fighting.  Kids this age don't understand the logic behind a bunch of rules anyway - have a few basic family rules for behavior and enforce those.  Let some of the others go a bit until your kids are old enough to reason with (around 4 or 5).

We could go on and on but we're tired and we're already late getting this post up today, so chime in, dear readers!

baby bunching stages: baby on the move

New Baby is approaching the six-month mark and has started to fall into a predictable sleeping pattern.  No longer a wrinkly, red-faced, humorless, tyrannical newborn, he has likely grown into a chubby, bubbly, ball of fun that now provides the cooing and gurgling positive reinforcement that all parents crave.  Plus, now that you're getting a little sleep, the old brain cells have started working again and you're starting to feel like you've got a handle on things. 

Careful, old girl - isn't this about that stage where you found yourself pregnant again on the last go-round?

Yes, things have gotten easier, but don't get too comfortable because they are about to get harder than ever.  When we told you about the challenges of having two babies, we forgot to mention that one of the BENEFITS of having two babies in the beginning is that the youngest is, in some ways, much like a potted plant.  Largely content to stay in one place and await the next feeding and watering session, New Baby will always be right where you left him if you dare to leave the room for half a millisecond and come back. 

But now he has started to notice that there is a big, wide world out there and Big Baby seems to get to do a whole lot more exploring than he does.  He begins trying to keep up with Big Baby - creeping, crawling, pulling up, taking Big Baby's toys - even attempting to scale items such as coffee tables and stairways.  As if wanting to be on the go weren't enough, he now has an opinion.  Even the most laid-back, go-with-the-flow ("chill", in our house) babies start to realize around the six-month mark that if they want their opinion to be heard in the funny farm of a family in which they've landed, they'd better express it loudly and frequently. 

If this sounds familiar, it's because you likely already have one of these in your family, and his name is Big Baby.  Really, there is very little point in bothering to take down the baby gates or cribs, which will be permanent fixtures in your house until your kids graduate from college, it seems.  A little on what to expect at this stage:

• With New Baby falling into regular sleep patterns, you've likely found yourself stuck in the nap trap (we didn't coin it, but we love it!).  NOW is the time when you can start looking at sleep schedules and trying to tweak them to achieve the Holy Grail of Baby Bunching - overlapping naps.
• Since you likely spend a good part of your day in the kitchen feeding everyone, do yourself a favor and move the toys somewhere where you can see/hear the kids playing from the kitchen.  No, you won't host the next 20 Christmas dinners on a Leap Frog activity table instead of your grandmother's gorgeous dining set, but considering moving things around a little for a few years to accommodate your current daily reality.  We promise that you will be able to take back your living room in a few years and the convenience you gain in the meantime will be totally worth it.
• This stage is where we're a big fan of pre-packaged convenience foods  Generally speaking, we are opposed to these for both expense and environmental (wasteful packaging) reasons, but you need all the help you can get during this stage when you are busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest.  Not that "convenience" means junky -- string cheese, applesauce cups, graham cracker sticks, pretzels, fruit leathers provide healthy options that you can grab-n-go quickly when you need to stash your diaper bag for an outing or even make lunch on the fly.
• Speaking of food, don't forget about mom.  This was the stage where Cara (never a waif-like girl) noticed that clothing from HIGH SCHOOL was hanging loosely on her (why she even still owned high school clothes is another post).  That's because you will find yourself so busy that it seems impossible to take time to feed and water yourself.  Cara started drinking Slim Fast or Carnation Instant Breakfast in the morning, otherwise it would be mid-afternoon and she'd realize she had fed her body not one thing besides 5 cups of coffee.  We're not saying liquid diet is ideal or a long-term solution, but it's a bridge one - supplement with a banana and a granola bar and take your vitamins every day and you could almost call it a meal.
• This stage will be your first glimpse into sibling rivalry. When your little one can finally get himself to the puzzles, Little People, blocks, etc., Big Baby gets a fast lesson into what's "mine is yours." This is when the real action starts. Be ready for it.
• The double stroller becomes critical here.  Some hard-core baby wearers tote their kids in slings successfully until they start kindergarten, but this was the stage where it became uncomfortable for us.  The sling that had been our link to sanity in the earlier months suddenly became too heavy to haul around as baby approached the 15-20 lb mark.  Now's the time to get a double stroller if you don't already have one - you gotta have a way to pin everyone down in public.
• Speaking of strollers, realize that your outing M.O. will change here. What once worked when New Baby was unable to crawl, cruise or walk, will change. Chances are baby just hanging out in the stroller while your toddler conquers the mall play area will not be OK. You will now have two to watch and keep out of trouble. This is where the fun really starts! Getting in and out of the car will change as well since your New Baby will likely be pushing his way out of the infant carseat. (Tip: Keep baby in there as long as you can.)
• You've already got your momtourage lined up, right?  If not, GET ON IT.  You need them now more than ever to help you keep your sanity.  Bonus points if they will come to you and help turn the nap trap into a series of play dates.  Double bonus points if they will bring wine when they come.
• Per our last post, give up on your house.  Really.  If you haven't already, LET IT GO.  Certainly, keep it clean enough that you're not appalled when your babies crawl on the floor, but do not think that just because you are stuck at home all day while babies are napping that you will get jack shit done.  If you are a stay-at-home mom, you might as well be working an 80-hour week outside the home, for all your house looks like. In fact, working moms probably have cleaner houses at this stage of the game.  All that to say, it doesn't matter.  Don't kill yourself trying to be freaking Donna Reed - it's not possible and you will make yourself (and your kids) crazy trying.  We both found it so frustrating to be surrounded by mess that we couldn't control, coupled with an irrepressible urge to try to control it and be productive, that we finally ended up leaving the house whenever our kids weren't sleeping.  Out of sight, out of mind, as they say.
• Just so the child welfare authorities don't come knocking on your door and you don't end up in the loony bin, we do recommend a "re-set" each night.  AFTER (this part is key) your kids go to bed, clean the kitchen, sweep all toys into a basket, tidy your "hot spots" (mail center/desk/dining room table) if you have the energy, and throw in a quick load of laundry.  It's amazing what starting the day with just a clean living room and kitchen can do for your sanity.  Please, do not be tempted to straighten or deep clean any other rooms in your house - it is an exercise in futility, take our word for it.
• Finally, shipping Big Baby off even one morning a week to a Parent's Morning Out is nice at this stage.  Ask your momtourage for recommendations and find a good program that you feel comfortable with if you haven't already.

If you're starting to notice some themes here (get a good support system, find a good Parent's Morning Out, cut yourself some slack on the house), it's because we know our stuff, and we learned it the hard way.  Trust us.

baby bunching novice: infant + toddler

We're breaking this period into the time when your infant makes his way into this world until about four to six months.  After five children, we have realized that this is about the time frame that babies start to fall into a regular schedule. 

Linda would like to summarize the hospital in a few simple words - send your baby to the nursery at LEAST one night. Many of you may be huffing and puffing about this, but keep in mind that when you get home from the hospital there will none of this "sleeping when the baby sleeps" (which is about 20 hours a day, just not the same 20 hours that his sibling is sleeping). No, you have a toddler who hasn't seen you much in the past 48 hours and you're going to have to be ON for him too. So send baby to the nursery so you can at least get caught up on a little sleep before you have to go home and parent two kids. Please, please,  Note:  Cara dissents on this - could never quite bring herself to do it, but encourages all moms to exercise their rights to do so if it strikes their fancy - you need all the rest you can get!

Baby will come home in some kind of outfit, probably one you bought a week before you went into labor when you realized you didn't have your "coming home" outfit (we bet you bought that by month 5 at the latest with the first baby).  Remember to take some pictures.  Great news is that this time, you don't have to remember to take pictures of the dog "welcoming" New Baby home because you now have two children and your dog has become just that - a dog.

The first few weeks after baby comes home you will find yourself in what we call the quiet period. We've touched on this before, but it's the time frame when your baby sleeps all the freaking time and you think life is just so perfect. Uh huh! Enjoy it. Embrace it. Love it. Don't get used to it. But do use it to catch up on sleep and cuddle your oldest.

The first four months or so of the Baby Bunching gig we'll call the Trial and Error period. You will try. You will make errors. You will readjust. You might even wonder if life will ever be the same. Babies can be hard to manage in the beginning with nonstop feedings, colic, reflux, sleeping issues, etc. It's even harder when you're navigating that route with a toddler who can neither express what he wants (for baby to LEAVE!) nor sit still long enough to watch an Elmo video let you catch your breath. Don't expect your Big Baby to be a big help. He may be capable of fetching you a diaper, but chances are he is more likely to get waylaid and be found in the corner, (very quietly) pulling wipes out of the container......one.....by......one.

Not to bore you with all the stories we have (believe us, you will have your own), here are a few things to keep in mind during the novice days.

• For the first few months, our biggest tip is to forget about putting New Baby on a schedule.  Really.  You will truly make yourself crazy.  Stick to Big Baby's schedule/routine, which is MUCH more important during this time of transition, and worry about integrating New Baby when you start to see some regularity in his sleep/wake/eat patterns (around 4-6 months, as we mentioned earlier - and typically not earlier than that.  Really.)
• If you are nursing, get an electric pump.  Even if you were the neighborhood milky cow last time around and a hand pump did you just fine, we promise that you will encounter supply issues this time.  An electric pump will help get you over the hump.
• If you can't keep up with nursing, don't beat yourself up.  Read some of our old posts about our personal battles and some expert's tips for success.  But if it doesn't work out, LET IT GO.
• Get a sling.  Your Big Baby is likely constantly on the move and into dangerous stuff.  A sling will keep your hands free while you dash around keeping Big Baby out of trouble.
• If someone offers to help you, let them.  Let them take Big Baby off your hands for a few hours.  Let them make you dinner.  Let them babysit while you escape to a neighborhood restaurant for a quick dinner with hubby.  Parenting is a marathon, not a sprint.  No need to be a martyr about it.  Likewise, cut yourself some slack.  You house won't be a pit and you won't be wearing
• Watch Big Baby like a hawk.  Even if he "loves" New Baby, he is not even two years old and he likely has his own unique, age-appropriate brands of loving, many of which would violate the Geneva Conventions.  Do not leave the babies alone together unsupervised.  Period.  
• Cut yourself some slack.  Your house will not look like a pigsty forever and and you will not be wearing the same spit-up and poop stained outfit when your youngest graduates from high school.  The first two years of Baby Bunching will pass quickly and you'll find yourself getting your groove back soon enough - we promise!
• The days will drag on, but the weeks will fly by.  Capture a few minutes here and there to take video, photos, write in a journal, scrapbook, blog, or whatever is easiest for your to capture the antics of your ever-changing children.  Linda (an avid scrapbooker) made Cara a beautiful "Baby's First Year" calendar that included spaces to write in milestones and glue pictures.  Hallmark makes a similar (but not nearly as beautiful) version.  The first year of Baby Bunching will be a blur - when it's over, you want to have something to remember it by.  It doesn't seem possible, but it turns out that time really does heal all wounds and you will remember your Baby Bunching days with a rosy glow.
• Finally, the most important thing to bring home from the hospital (aside from New Baby) is a sense of humor.  Everything you can possibly imagine can and will go wrong during the first few months. You will mix things up. Get the timing wrong. Give someone the wrong pacifier. Put the diaper on the wrong kid. Find yourself shoving Cheerios into a 3 week-old's mouth.  Wear your underwear inside out all day long.  Laugh it off. This is why we suggest forming a great momtourage of Baby Bunching friends before you have Baby #2. You will need the laughs to keep you going. But hopefully your hubby is around enough to help you get through this with a few giggles.