Written by: Sheri November 09 2010
This pregnancy has taken its toll on me this time around, no doubt.But I would venture to say it’s been nearly as hard on my husband.
He’s the one who takes over childcare duties for our 2-year-old the moment he walks in from work on those days when I feel the sickest.He figures out what we’re having for dinner on the nights when I'm too nauseous to cook.And he has definitely taken over my share of the dish washing.
Basically, when I feel sick or exhausted, he makes sure I can get the rest that I need.It’s a lot of extra work for him, but I actually think it is good practice for when the baby arrives.I have this theory (and he agrees) that the second child creates a more challenging adjustment for the dad than it does for the mom.
The way I see it, I have already made some major changes in my life to accommodate having kids.I have left full-time work and rearranged my days.I’m used to scheduling my “alone time” in advance – either getting a babysitter or asking my husband to cover for me.Sure, life will be more challenging with two.(I still haven’t figured out what you’re supposed to do when they both need something at the same time.)But my days won’t fundamentally change. Paul, on the other hand, will most likely pick up more of the duties of taking care of Aaron while I’m managing a newborn.I’m thinking of a divide-and-conquer approach to parenting. There are already more father-son outings in our weekends so I can grab an extra little nap or put my feet up for a while. He often gets Aaron dinner, gives him a bath, and puts him to bed.I’m guessing that will become part of our regular routine, especially after I’ve been home all day with two little ones.Yikes!
The great thing is Paul and Aaron are clicking better than ever before.Anyone who already has kids knows that they have a lot of different stages.For parents, some of those stages are more fun than others.Ever since Aaron starting talking (in his simple, little sentences of two-year-olds), those two are stuck like glue.They have conversations about the weather, or the truck that drove past our house or Paul’s latest music crush. Aaron asks for his dad first thing in the morning and at bedtime.For me, that’s great news.It’s even greater that I have a husband who makes the effort to be so involved in parenting. I feel like a very lucky mama.
