Second Time Mom (Six Years Later)

When my husband and I decided we wanted to try for another baby, it was kind of a huge deal.

Our decision was not only bringing another life into this world but adjusting to the almost six years we had been out of the loop with the baby stage.  It was somewhat intimidating to our nice little comfort zone we had created.

Now, it’s a year later and here we are! We made it through the first four months with having a new baby (Gracey) in the house!  It has truly been different than 6 ½ years ago.

The years prior to our first child (Shaye) we had normalized to a life that was come and go as you please.  Really, looking back we were pretty selfish.  As we transitioned into pregnancy and ultimately birth we didn’t have much experience but were eager to give it all a try.  It did seem the adjustment from come and go to responsibility caused us to live on edge most of the time. We found ourselves being over the top attentive. We picked her up at every whimper, we monitored every sniffle, we went by the book, the pacifier was always sterile and the level of stress changed with trying to get everything done.   It seems like we were always saying, “I can’t wait until she …”

This go-around has been a different story.

The joy and excitement with Gracey, has been equal with that of Shaye.

Rather it is with the experience level or maturity of the parents that we have created a much better setting.  We have taken our time and enjoyed every moment this go around.  There is no rushing or anxiety and we have magically figured out how to get everything done and still enjoy our family.   We find ourselves enjoying every little stage and wanting to keep her there as long as possible.

The list of differences could go on and on, but I couldn’t be happier for the experience I gained through having Shaye and now experiencing motherhood again six years later in a different, but equally fun way.

Did you notice a change in your parenting styles with a second child?

Stephanie Abernathy is a Mom of two in the Dallas/Fort Worth area who works at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford. She is wife to Clint Abernathy, administrative director of business optimization and ancillary services at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance.