Having Children Close in Age

My children are 17 months apart. No, I didn't plan it that way. I tried for what felt like forever to get pregnant with my son. I was ecstatic when I finally found out I was pregnant. I enjoyed every bit of my pregnancy. Well, maybe not being sick all day everyday for the first three months. Everything else was good though.

When my son was just eight months old I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I was rather surprised since we weren't trying, but we weren't trying to prevent it either. I was very excited, but at the same time I wondered what we were thinking. That meant my son would only be 17 months old when my daughter was born and 17 months is still so very young. Saying I was apprehensive would be putting it mildly, but there wasn't anything we could do about it at this point.

Getting used to having a newborn and a 17 month old was not easy. Not for me at least. I'm sure some people make that transition easily, but I didn't. I think it took me two good months to adjust. Two months might not sound like a long time to some people, but it felt like forever at that point in my life. Looking back I now realize it was only a short time before I learned how to function as a mother of two small children. I did get some amusement out of it though. I look fairly young for my age and five years ago I looked even younger than I do now. The looks I got from people when carrying one child, while pushing the other in a stroller was priceless. I also would get amused when people would ask, "Are both of those kids yours?"

If you find yourself in this predicament and you are feeling overwhelmed I have only one suggestion for you. Get your children on the same schedule as soon as possible. I had a newborn that got up every two hours to nurse at night so I was getting very little sleep. Once I was able to get it so that my kids napped at the same time my life became a lot easier. That gives you a chance to actually get things done during the day. It also gives you the chance to nap if you need to.

I suppose I might have a few other suggestions as well. Join a group such as MOPS or your local Mom's Club. Joining MOPS was the best thing I ever did. I was able to get two hours to myself every other Monday. Mom's Club is also great because you'll meet many mothers who have kids of all ages. You'll join playgroups and actually be able to connect with adults, while your child is connecting with other children!