When we visited UC Davis recently, one of the nurses asked me how life is with two little ones, did I have any advice for her. She is expecting and her son will be two and a half when his new sibling arrives.
I looked her square in the eye, and with a completely straight face, I said, "I have no advice. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. They will drive you crazy. You will love them, but they will drive you crazy."
I believe in honesty, even if a bit melodramatic. Hopefully I didn't scare her too much.
I feel like I have to send out a disclaimer that I love my children, and I love being a stay at home mom (although there is very little "staying" involved). I wouldn't want things any other way.
BUT, these girls are exhausting. And each time I think I've got a handle on things, they grow a little, learn new things, and change a lot, and I'm challenged with finding new ways to occupy them while making dinner and trying to get stuff done.
There was a time in my life where I imagined having a small herd of children, a "the more the merrier" kind of idea. I can't say if we are done having children or not, but I do know the thought of a herd of children is a little daunting. I know some awesome ladies out there with 4, 5, 6 kiddos and they seem to keep it together, so I know it is possible, but, frankly, I don't know how they do it.
Before Mia was born, I imagined two sweet sisters who would have their differences and argue, but would also play together and at least LIKE each other. At this point, the liking is uni-directional, in that Mia likes Laci, but Laci would probably rather have a dog than a sister. I have been assured by many that their relationship will develop over time, but I'm still waiting for signs that Laci might someday accept her sister as the awesome little person she is.
So, to sum up life with two little ones, I say, "Crazy." Without fail, there will be serial diaper changing, both babies will want to sit with you at the same time, they will melt into a puddle of tears simultaneously, and they will only rarely nap at the same time. As with all things in life, this stage will pass, and I will probably miss it, and life will get...different. My mom always says, "Raising children never gets easier. It just changes." I suppose she's right.
Everything you said is true. BUT, it's actually not super hard with a lot of kids. The only hard part is that the tiredness continues and doesn't end with a certain stage. You know what I'm saying? When I had 2, I thought 1 was a piece of cake, 2 is soooo stinkin' hard! Then I had 3 and thought, 2 was a piece of cake and 3 is sooo hard! And so on and so on. It's weird that when you have each one, you just learn to do it and make it work out and it's all good. But 2 was just as hard for me as 5 is. Does that make sense? I'm too tired right now to try to make sense. haha! We need to hang out soon!
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