Parenting: Reading between the lines.

With baby #2 due in less than 3 weeks (eek!), I've been thinking of the sleepless nights ahead of us and how we might handle them this time around. I have to admit, we've gotten so comfortable with having our evenings to ourselves and full nights' sleep that I know our systems are in for a real shock. Also, we got lucky with Reese in the sleep department. She's always been a great sleeper from baby onwards. Going down with ease and consistently sleeping through the night (minus the random hiccup here or there) since she was 4 or 5 months old. Having said that, I'm sure this one will be the complete opposite. And knowing myself and how I handle stress under pressure (not well), I need to think about how we might cope, or more accurately, how I might cope. Afterall, I am the crazy mom who recorded feeds until Reese was 6 months old. That's right, every. single. feed.

I know there are parenting books out there aplenty and as many differing opinions on them as there are parents. We found one that we could relate to and made sense with what we thought our parenting style might be. The Secrets of a Baby Whisperer. There are mixed reviews on her methods (as with any method I guess) but we found her guide to be helpful. Using it as a guide is the big lesson, at least it was for us and something I need to keep in the forefront of my mind this time around too. I like to follow something step by step but unfortunately that just doesn't work with babies. It's all about reading between the lines and figuring out what works best for your baby specifically, remembering all babies are different. It's something I need to remind myself of often. I'm hoping to help my own sanity (and everyone else's) by stepping back and taking a deep breath and figuring things out as we go. I want to enjoy the newborn moments more this time around by being less stressed. Afterall, I know too well how fast that time goes by!