Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Life with 2 Kids at 18 Months


I love hearing from other moms how things work in their house from eating habits, bedtime and even the ins and outs of a daily routine.

Life with two kids is still a bit crazy but it has calmed down tremendously. It's interesting to see how my kids have shifted roles as I read back on previous posts at the one year mark and from when Henry was born

Henry has always been laid-back and chill while Evie has been more emotional and talkative. That's not the case anymore, Evie is easier now and Henry is a bit more difficult.

18 months is a tough age for me as a mom. I remember feeling this way when Evie was about this age too. It must be hard for the baby too because communication is difficult which makes everything harder for everyone. Sometimes, I miss the baby days when Henry slept a lot and was unable to move from room to room at the speed of light. 

Henry is beginning to talk more and he sure uses a lot of gestures to make his point along with a few temper tantrums. He takes me by the hand to the cup cabinet when he is thirsty and points to his diaper when he needs a fresh diaper.

Henry is so much easier to take out and about than Evie was at his age. He's just more difficult at home. He has had a rough month with ear infections and then tubes so maybe things will settle down again. Henry has broken numerous ornaments, dipped his toothbrush in the toilet, prefers standing in a chair for mealtime and refuses to obey on occasion. Just normal toddler stuff, it will be over soon!

Evie has finally become more independent and will play in her room for about an hour or watch a movie without requesting two hundred different things from me. She can pick out her own snacks, get her own cup from the fridge and cleans up fairly well after herself. Of course, there is some sass involved but overall this age is much easier for me!

I still find the hardest part of having two kids is when they both need me at once. It's rare to have them both crying but when it happens- look out because it can get wild around here.

I am sure Henry and Evie will continue to flip-flop roles just as we have figured out an action plan that works. Both of our children are delightful even on the hard days. It has been so wonderful watching them learn to love each other. Evie is so nurturing to her brother when she is not yanking her toy back. Henry passes out kisses quite freely until Evie pins him down for more.

Those hard days can feel really long but at the end of the day there is nothing better than snuggling with my kiddos under a warm, cozy blanket with a pile of books. I love their slobbery kisses, sweet smiles and all of the crazy things they do that make me laugh. Being a motherhood is harder than I ever imagined but it's also the most worthwhile experience of my life.

At least, 18 months does not last forever and I am pretty sure that all of this will look like a cake walk in just a few short years.

5 comments:

  1. oh, jennifer!! i could have written this entire post!!! this is my life exactly! :)
    laney is....a handful. :) and libbi has mellowed out considerably.
    i think that laney grabs my hand at least 100 times a day and says, "GO!" or "'NACK!" (snack). sitting down is not an option when laney is around.
    i agree that 18 months is HARD. i think 18-22 months is the hardest baby stage (for me at least). it's difficult too, because their patience is non existent. at least libbi now knows that when i say, "just a minute" or "wait" that she can wait and i will get it done eventually - ha! but laney has no concept of the term "wait." it makes for very busy days, that's for sure!

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  2. I love these posts since I am following a similar path as you. We already think Avery was a tougher baby and that Sam will be the busier toddler. Avery has been pretty easy after age 1 or so, so I know we have it coming! I love to see differences and wonder if it's the boy/girl, first/second child, or just different child differences.

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  3. AMEN! And I love this kind of post, too. Was Evie as um, busy at this age? Some of the stuff with Graves is similar- like Amy said the lack of patience and like you said the communication struggles. But some is SO different. He's just so active. I think part of it is just their personalities- but I think some of it is a boy thing. He just wears me out!

    Oh, and in response from your comment HeyTell is this app where you leave messages for people that use it. It's obviously quicker than texting, but unlike voicemail you respond back and forth. I still don't quite see how it's better than just making a phone call- I guess because you can answer at your convenience like a text? And yes, I love the League but SO busy.

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  4. You described my little guy, Jackson, EXACTLY.....those are our days {sometimes, not always}. J is 18 months as well and it made me feel a lot better to read this coming from a 2nd time mama! Every stage is fun in its own way, but this one has been difficult just because of the sudden shift from an always, always happy baby to a toddler who so badly wants to communicate! I'm learning as I go and loving the great days and trying my very best to be patient on the not-so-lovely days! Happy Friday.....so glad I read your post this morning. :)

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  5. I LOVE this post! So great to see how things go, my youngest is 7 months now & I still totally freak out when they both cry!

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