So much to do...

Most people assume that bringing a second baby into your home is going to be an easier experience than the first. That there is less to prepare for. You have done it before, you have had another baby and all the things that baby's require... how much more different and difficult can it be?

I have to admit, I thought this way.

In discussing having a second baby with my husband these were many of my key points. It won't be too expensive, we already have everything we need, we'll keep them close together in age and they can share everything...

As my due date is drawing closer and closer I am beginning to see that those words do not necessarily ring true for all aspects of a second child. Sure, my kiddos will be close in age - 22 months apart if all goes according to plan. This is definitely a plus, in my eyes, in the years ahead. However, I'm realizing that my baby, my toddler, is still using many of the things that her little brother or sister will be needing in just a couple of months. Oy!

I've been organizing and rearranging in order to be most frugal when it comes to almost everything. We bought secondhand furniture for Little Miss and we're going to share those items between the two bedrooms. Really, do either of them need two dressers at this point anyways? And thankfully we purchased a second changing table that will double as storage in our new nursery.

What about the crib, the rocking chair... we still are using those with Little Miss and now we need then for baby number two. Sigh.

We're going to make the transition to a toddler bed in the next week. It's being delivered soon and we'll break down the crib and move it into the new nursery in anticipation of our newest Little Tike. It's definitely a transition I'm more than nervous about. Along with the freedom of getting up at any hour, I've discovered Little Miss can definitely open her bedroom door and make a break for it if we're not prepared. Time to finally invest in a baby gate to keep her from tumbling down the staircase at 3 in the morning. Darn those things are expensive! And perhaps a toilet lock... wouldn't want to find her playing in there either... oh my, what if she opens the door into the nursery and wakes the baby! Lots to think through...

I also moved the rocking chair into the nursery just the other day. We still are using it on a daily basis with our oldest because we read to her all of the time. Fortunately her room was outgrowing it, but it's really hard to lose that piece of furniture that we've come to use more than regularly. We're going to have to figure out another alternative... the floor isn't the best option when you're 7.5 months pregnant.

And then there are the little things... the things I really dislike the idea of buying a second one... but we do still sort of need at this point for both kiddos. A diaper champ (having two in diapers is becoming more and more daunting when I think about this from every point of view), a baby monitor (couldn't hear Little Miss downstairs without it - and if she's going to be up playing in the middle of the night... I guess I'd like to know about it)... just to name a couple.

Oh, and how about the things I realize after having one kid would be nice when I have two to wrangle every day... an infant sling, a breastfeeding cover, a second baby bouncer for upstairs, a bigger diaper bag, a double stroller, a leash... okay, maybe not necessarily the last one.

It's just becoming more and more daunting as the weeks pass to realize that my list is not getting any shorter and I'm finding more and more things to add. Fortunately though I know it will all work out. We will make it through this change that is about to hit our doorstep. We will thrive and our family will grow no matter how prepared or unprepared we truly are. I'm looking forward to it more than I can say!