Your Clothes
First Baby:
You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
Second Baby:
You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
Third Baby:
Your maternity clothes are your regular clothes.
The Baby's Name
First Baby:
You pore over baby-name books and practice pronouncing and writing combinations of all your favorites.
Second Baby:
Someone has to name his or her kid after your great-aunt Mavis, right? It might as well be you.
Third Baby:
You open a name book, close your eyes, and see where your finger falls. Bimaldo? Perfect!
Preparing for the Birth
First Baby:
You practice your breathing religiously.
Second Baby:
You don't bother practicing because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
Third Baby:
You ask for an epidural in your 8th month.
The Layette
First Baby:
You prewash your newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
Second Baby:
You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
Third Baby:
Boys can wear pink, can't they?
Worries
First Baby:
At the first sign of distress - a whimper, a frown - you pick up the baby.
Second Baby:
You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
Third Baby:
You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.
Activities
First Baby:
You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
Second Baby:
You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
Third Baby:
You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
Going Out
First Baby:
The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home 5 times.
Second Baby:
Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
Third Baby:
You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
At Home
First Baby:
You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
Second Baby:
You spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
Third Baby:
You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.
Warmie
