Are we ready for baby number two??

Alex is now almost 16 months.  The internal debate of are we ready for baby number two is on our minds.  I keep going back in forth between what is the point of working right now and trying to establish a career if I'm going to get pregnant again? And the fear of having two babies...

I joined a mommy group called the "First Time Moms" when I was pregnant.  This group has been a lifesaver in my adjustments of being a first time mom, but now our children are getting older and many of us are thinking about our second child.  We may have to rename our group.

Our friend Erin is the pioneer of our group.  She gave birth to her second child two weeks ago.  I feel like a female chimp around a mother chimp wanting to learn more.  I'm in awe of the newborn and what life could be like with a second child.  And of course, like all first time mothers, I'm afraid what the affects of having baby number 2 would have on my baby number 1.

I went to go visit Erin last week.  I was very interested to see how Alex would handle me holding a baby.  Instantly when holding baby Vin, I realized how difficult it would be to give attention to Alex.  I watched Alex to see what he would do.

Alex walked over and gently started caressing the babies head.  I was ecstatic, this may not be so bad after all.  Then something happened, which I've only seen him do a couple times, Alex kissed the baby on the forehead!  He had given me a couple open mouthed kisses on the cheek before, so it was amazing to see him being affectionate towards the newborn.  As Alex took a couple steps a way I starting to relax in the idea of having baby number 2 until Alex came back and smacked the newborn in the face.

Erin and I both screamed "NO!!"  Poor Alex got so frightened he started crying.  I felt mortified.  I was so surprised, I didn't know what to do.  Do I discipline Alex?  He's too young to really understand what he's doing?  What is Erin going to think about what just happened?  I appologized and handed her her baby back.  The nice thing about baby number 1 is... you don't have to worry about a brother smacking it around, a new element with having a second child.

Erin needed to get both kids to the newborn's 2 week doctor's appointment.  Her husband was at work and she was worried about trying to travel with both kids.  I was able to go so I offered to join her and help.  When I arrived Erin was trying to get both her kids ready for the trip.  She had to wake up the newborn to put him in the car seat.  Of course it wasn't well received and the baby started to cry.  As Erin was trying to sooth the newborn, her eldest started to cry too.  Now if anyone has been at my house when Alex starts to cry, they have experienced the three dogs who chime in and howl at the same time.  This felt very similar. (Oh God... I would have a newborn crying, Alex, and three dogs??  God help me.)  But it was amazing to watch Erin first sooth the newborn and then sooth the eldest and the balance back and forth until both boys stopped crying.

The doctors appointment went off without a hitch.  As we get back to the car to load both boys, the newborn starts crying again.  How is it that newborns have such a blood curdling scream?  Erin was wonderful and patient.  My only comforting thought was maybe it's easier when it's your own child doing the crying?  I remember how hard it was to listen to Alex cry like that all day for the first couple months.  I'm so thankful he doesn't cry like that anymore.  Am I ready to do that again?  Is my body ready?  Am I ready emotionally?  Is my sanity ready to handle not only a newborn, but two children at once??  I want to have our children close together, but there are so many pros and cons to having a second one now vs. waiting.

For the last 8 months or so we've been calling Erin's baby "Baby Yalla #2".  Well, "Baby Griffith #2" is being discussed and will make a debut sometime in the next year...

Here are some pictures of Alex as a newborn and his first venture out of the house...