First Child, Second Child, Third

How Motherhood Progresses as the Family Increases

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 regular clothes ARE your maternity 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 their kid after 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 falls. Bimaldo? Sounds good to me!

Preparing for birth

1st baby:	You practice your breathing regularly.
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 the 8th month.

Clothing

1st baby:	You prewash your newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby:	You check to make sure the clothes are clean and discard only those 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 up the baby when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby:	You teach your 3 yr old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Activities

1st baby:	You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swim and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby:	Your take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby:	You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

Going Out

1st baby:	The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby:	Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave 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. Unattributed If anyone knows who wrote this story contact Modern Housewife so we can properly credit the story.

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