So, I'm a one kid kind of girl but lately I've had the ITCH

You know, the one to make another baby? Because maybe just MAYBE Paige needs a brother or sister to play with? And MAYBE my wish for another child is so freakishly selfish because if she had a play mate she would leave me alone to read sometimes? But I also think about little newborn clothes [I was folding dresses yesterday] and little newborn smell, and being pregnant.

Help

Stop it. Just go to the mall and look at the kids having hissy fits - should cure you (works for me).

True. You know, my daughter was being such a little shit yesterday that alone should have quieted my urge to birth more beasts

think about how it'll be atleast 2-3 years before the kids start really playing together enough to let you get shit done.

also think about how old paige'll be in 9 months. she'll be more independent and possibly potty trained. do you want to start over? I think about that when I think another might not be so bad. right now we're on the fence.

No, I don't really want to start over....but than the devil side of me thinks "but wouldn't it make sense to just go for it if you DO want two kids, and get all the baby stuff out of the way for good"

To be honest, I don't even LIKE babies that much

I've been thinking more and more about adoption lately. If I don't get a job, we might start the foster-to-adopt process. That way we can have two kids, like we've always wanted, and not go through the pregnancy- child birth thing again.

I dunno though. Everything is so up in the air.

Well, if you think it would be a bad idea...just remember not the diaper changing, getting up at night, spit up, poop, blood, snot, back aches, sore boobs, mastitis stuff. Think about doing it all by yourself. Because while some husbands may be good about helping out, some also are not. And if you think to yourself, 'oh but with two, he'll see how much help I need' you are kidding yourself. You will find yourself trying to change the diaper of a screaming baby, while the other one clings to your leg also screaming about a boo boo or something.

Then you have to watch out for the older one doing stuff to the younger one...like stepping on them, whacking them with toys, feeding them stuff...

And while this phase doesn't last forever...it's long enough. And when that one is over, you have the LONG ass phase of them being bickering kids.

I'm sitting at the airport with a kid behind me running around screaching and hacking up lung cookies. I'm on a major I hate kids kick. - but the boys are being really good. I guess I don't have to put them in the luggage hold.

I'm with MttM on this one - wait until she gets near two and is just so much more capable of entertaining herself before you think about chucking the birth control. My theory is that you are so much more likely to have time to read if you've got one little reader sitting next to you on the couch than if you're constantly having to mediate between siblings fighting over something.

Mightyninja - you are right. My husband IS pretty unhelpful at times, and I can just picture him hiding out while I deal with two children....

I think I'll just adopt another pet.

It's just, this whole woman thing

I could also just rub my already round belly and PRETEND like I'm pregnant, and take long naps

Yeah, even when they're 4 and 9, they spend a lot of time trying to kill each other, rather than playing together. Then you'll have a baby that's a tyrant that derives great glee from beating her older siblings up and have to listen to the older kid screaming at the top of their lungs that the baby is hitting them.

It's your ovaries trying to control your brain. That's how I got knocked up with Peanut Pants. I chased my husband around for two weeks, multiple times a day for no good reason. At the end, even the sex fiend that he is, he said "Honey, I love you, but I just can't do it anymore. I think you broke it." And we were using birth control. My body wanted a baby and it wanted one BAD. Now my body can STFU because I ain't having any more, dammit.

Just remember that the grass is always greener when your ovaries start talking to you. They're filthy liars.

Think college tuition.....spread them out by a good 3-4 years to avoid having too many in college at any given point.

Oh if I had only thought about that before having kids 18 months apart, my stress level would be so much less.

Don't listen to what anyone is saying, you know you want another kid. And soon. Two little kids was so much fun for me and my wife that we went and added another one. And that's with a wife who's not a fan of being pregnant or the infant stage. Just picture those little outfits he or she will be wearing. And his or her little hand closing around yours. And their first smile. Ahhh.

Diggy! Bad Diggy! Not helpful! Go to time out and think about what you've done.

Sorry, I am no help at all. I am in the throes as well but we are good to go on a second kid as long as my stupid body starts regulating itself after getting off the pill! Gah! My SSIL just had her third (which is nuts cause they are all under 4!) but she is SO cute! I want one.

Sorry, not helpful!

Screw you Diggy!

I want another one so bad, but I am soooo old. I don't think it's gonna happen.

OK. I'm miserable with three and I just want someone else to feel bad, too. I'm sorry.

Oh, this urge has been steady in me since Big O was born, and it won't stop for a while. I'm still trying to convince Hbby we can do three, but until the job thing works out, I'm being squelched.

last year i thought i wanted another one. turns out i don't. honestly, it's the pregnancy thing and the diaper thing. screw that. i think i'm ok with one. i don't handle stress well and 2 would be more stress than i want to handle. sure, i would love another child as much as i love D, and the love would out weigh the stress... and a little girl would be fun... or we already have all the boy stuff... and the baby smell...

NO! NO I SAY! diapers, poop, spit up, crying, breastfeeding 150 times a day, losing my body again, swollen cankles, money, diapers, poop... no! to more babies. that's what other people's babies are for!

I wouldn't discourage anyone from having another baby, but if you truly don't want one and are just fighting the itch, here are some disincentives:

- Mine are 2.5 years apart and they still don't play together long enough to let me get much done. Although they do enjoy watching TV together...when they're not arguing over which show to watch...

- Picture those cute outfits in a more realistic context: Stained up to the back of the neck with blowout-baby-poop

- They are EXPENSIVE! Forget college, try paying for two preschools at once!

- I can't even finish this list because Little Girl is clawing her way into my lap yellng "HUGGY HOLD YOU! HUGGY HOLD YOU!"

Good luck working all this out. If you do decide to have another one, I'll think of some pros for you....

"Picture those cute outfits in a more realistic context: Stained up to the back of the neck with blowout-baby-poop"

If someone had explained this to me last year, it's possible I would be childless and well-rested right now...

(ok KIDDING I love the little monster, but enough with the poop already!)

oh and MW? Two words: Sleep deprivation.

i swear i only want one, but this city may break my resolve. i swear, there are pregnant ladies EVERYWHERE. of course, in my neighborhood, they have the dough for fancy maternity gear that actually makes them look good. i just wore the same 2 pairs of yoga pants for 3 months. and the 6-12 month phase is turning out to be so much fun!

but like floor pie said- babies cost money. we don't have any. and we sent our donor sperm back to the clinic already. so no babies for us for a while! honestly, i think i'm only wanting one because i'm going back to work soon and i don't really want to.

ellie- the grass is always greener indeed! filthy liars! you crack me up.

floor pie- is she naked? ;)

Ahhh I feel your pain. Check my most recent bout with the kid itch:
http://offsprung.com/playground/show/8701

One helpful solution was to get a bunch of friends that have newborns...for a rent a newborn situation. It appears to be a win-win. You get newborn awesomeness but get to hand them back when oh say they have a blow out or won't sleep.
:)

Diggy, I have 3, and I feel your pain. Mine are 7, 5, and 3 (26 and 29 months apart). I have been changing diapers for almost 8 straight years and am about ready to loose my mind. My 3 year old is being stubborn and has been fighting me on the whole potty training thing. And, all they do is fight. It's like a damn cage match around here. And the schedule is a nightmare, all I do is run around back and forth to bus stops and preschool, I can't get anything else done. I really wanted 3 so I figured having them close together would be great because I would get all the pregnancy and baby stuff out of the way (I hate being pregnant, I always feel like crap), but now I'm starting to realize what Capt mentioned earlier, that now I will have to figure out a way to pay for sports, college, etc. all at the same time. But, that being said, I wouldn't have it any other way because at the very least life around here is very entertaining and it keeps me on my toes!

I want one too- but some advice, wait b/c if you get knowcked up now you'll have a baby in August or September and summer sucks out loud when you're really preggo. Take it from the mother of an August 22nd baby!

i'm confused.

>And MAYBE my wish for another child is so freakishly selfish because if she had a play mate she would leave me alone to read sometimes?

you think having another baby will give you *more* time alone?

hahahahaha

Ha, kommish! No, she was fully clothed at the time. I think the colder weather is finally putting an end to the naked phase. Now she won't go outside without her hat and coat.

Two teenagers!! If you had another girl, that would be two teenage girls. That would scare the pants off me.

If you really want to change your mind, I have an extremely active 4 year old that you can hang out with for a while...

MW, if you want, you can borrow mine for a while. I've got a really cute 2 month old and you only live just over an hour away.