As you know if you read my first post, Cassidy Florence was born about 24 hours after that post was written. The entire family is doing well and three-year-old Caitlin loves having a baby sister. For now.
The first thing my wife and I noticed after Cassidy was born was how much easier this whole baby thing is when you’ve done it once before.
To be clear, I’m not saying babies are easy, so please extinguish the fire that’s coming out of your ears. I’m just saying it’s easier the second time.
When Caitlin was born, I was scared to death that I would “break” her because newborns are so delicate. To be totally honest, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. I remember calling a nurse to help me with the first diaper change because I was overwhelmed by the poop volume.
We probably would have stayed in the hospital for another week if they let us. You can read all of the books you want, but unless you care for babies on a somewhat regular basis, you’re just not prepared. It’s impossible.
With Cassidy, it was like night and day. She was born at 9:21 pm. When we woke up the next morning, we were ready to go home even though we hadn’t really slept in two days. We just wanted to bring the whole operation home and sleep in our own bed – home field advantage.
Cassidy is still delicate, but I quickly came to the realization that I won’t break her. My wife and I hand her off like a football and flip her like a burger (sort of), and I’ve mastered at least three burping positions depending on the situation.
The only thing that still makes me nervous is poking her little fingers and toes through the holes of her clothes. I’m always afraid one will get snagged. I think that’s a phobia that I won’t be able to kick.
My biggest challenge is that little Cassidy is a screamer when she cries – blood curdling shrieks that make her whole body shake. We were very spoiled because Caitlin slept through the night from very early on and hardly ever cried. Cassidy is just acting like a newborn, so I really need to suck it up and get used to it.
At the end of the day, we’ve finally got somewhat of a routine going and everyone is healthy. What more could I ask for?
