Second Time Around!

Zachary at 14 months

Last night when I was rocking Zachary to sleep, I made sure to enjoy holding him, rocking him, and cuddling him just a little longer!  He is 14 months old today, and it is wonderful and horrible all at the same time.

It really is funny how different you are as a parent with the first one then the second one.  We all hear people say it is different, but you really just never understand these things till you are in it yourself!

I was so up tight with everything the first time around.  I had to do everything the "right" way.  I had to register for all those things that parents told me not to get.  They said I wouldn't need them, and they were right.  I didn't use a lot of things, or Mackenzie simply did not like other things.  Then, there was the whole thing about what to feed her, and when she was old enough to have certain things.  The first time she had any sugar was her first birthday cake! 

Now Zach on the other hand has been completely different.  There are baby items that never got unpacked for him.  He just needed the basics.  It became a much more laid back enviornment all around the Taylor house hold.  I found myself slipping him a bite of chocolate or cookies just to see if he liked it.  He even had a peanut butter sandwich just to see if he was able to eat nuts. I know that one made a few first time parents gasp, while those with more then two are probably thinking that is nothing!

Running away with a cookie!

Mackenzie was never allowed to just cry it out, and Zach was crying it out all the time.  Now he didn't sleep as well at night as she did, but there were also those times when I had to do something for her and couldn't go pick him up right away.

I was always encouraging Mackenzie to learn something new or to start sitting, walking, or talking.  I wanted to always get to the next stage to experience it!  This is for me where the biggest difference has come into play with the second child!  I don't want Zach to move to any new stages.  He will walk when he is ready, right?  I want to keep him as little as possible, for as long as possible.  I know the time will come soon enough for him to become that big boy.  I am already starting to see it in so many ways and I try to ignore it and just see my little baby!

Along with trying to keep him as little as possible, I have savored every minute I can with him.  I really have tried to stop the craziness around us, and just take it one day at a time.  So yet again tonight, when I was rocking him to sleep, we cuddled a little longer!