Going for the 2nd baby

[momtoReaghan]

I am in the exact same situation. I have a little girl, Reaghan, who just turned 3 in November and my husband and I have been talking about baby number 2 for about a year. I was a teacher and stopped after Reaghan turned 1. It was getting too much, so I have since gotten on disability. I ask myself all the time, if I am on disability, should I be having another baby? But, my doctor's have given me go ahead, and they tell me to do it sooner than later. I was diagnosed with Mycobacterium Absessus last year, along with Psuedomonas. My entire life I have not had much trouble except for hemoptysis. That seems to be ongoing. So again faced with the question of when and if. We really want another baby but I don't want to comprise my current health and make Reaghan suffer. I am totally blessed to have her, but want her to have a sibling. I would get pregnant tomorrow if I knew things would be as great as they were the first time. I seem to cough all the time now, where I have never coughed my entire life until this past year. It truly freaks me out. I hate it. So I pray about it and I have to trust that the outcome will be God's will, not mine. Good luck to you and everyone who reads this. God Bless!

 

[momtoReaghan]

I am in the exact same situation. I have a little girl, Reaghan, who just turned 3 in November and my husband and I have been talking about baby number 2 for about a year. I was a teacher and stopped after Reaghan turned 1. It was getting too much, so I have since gotten on disability. I ask myself all the time, if I am on disability, should I be having another baby? But, my doctor's have given me go ahead, and they tell me to do it sooner than later. I was diagnosed with Mycobacterium Absessus last year, along with Psuedomonas. My entire life I have not had much trouble except for hemoptysis. That seems to be ongoing. So again faced with the question of when and if. We really want another baby but I don't want to comprise my current health and make Reaghan suffer. I am totally blessed to have her, but want her to have a sibling. I would get pregnant tomorrow if I knew things would be as great as they were the first time. I seem to cough all the time now, where I have never coughed my entire life until this past year. It truly freaks me out. I hate it. So I pray about it and I have to trust that the outcome will be God's will, not mine. Good luck to you and everyone who reads this. God Bless!

 

[momtoReaghan]

I am in the exact same situation. I have a little girl, Reaghan, who just turned 3 in November and my husband and I have been talking about baby number 2 for about a year. I was a teacher and stopped after Reaghan turned 1. It was getting too much, so I have since gotten on disability. I ask myself all the time, if I am on disability, should I be having another baby? But, my doctor's have given me go ahead, and they tell me to do it sooner than later. I was diagnosed with Mycobacterium Absessus last year, along with Psuedomonas. My entire life I have not had much trouble except for hemoptysis. That seems to be ongoing. So again faced with the question of when and if. We really want another baby but I don't want to comprise my current health and make Reaghan suffer. I am totally blessed to have her, but want her to have a sibling. I would get pregnant tomorrow if I knew things would be as great as they were the first time. I seem to cough all the time now, where I have never coughed my entire life until this past year. It truly freaks me out. I hate it. So I pray about it and I have to trust that the outcome will be God's will, not mine. Good luck to you and everyone who reads this. God Bless!

 

[momtoReaghan]

I am in the exact same situation. I have a little girl, Reaghan, who just turned 3 in November and my husband and I have been talking about baby number 2 for about a year. I was a teacher and stopped after Reaghan turned 1. It was getting too much, so I have since gotten on disability. I ask myself all the time, if I am on disability, should I be having another baby? But, my doctor's have given me go ahead, and they tell me to do it sooner than later. I was diagnosed with Mycobacterium Absessus last year, along with Psuedomonas. My entire life I have not had much trouble except for hemoptysis. That seems to be ongoing. So again faced with the question of when and if. We really want another baby but I don't want to comprise my current health and make Reaghan suffer. I am totally blessed to have her, but want her to have a sibling. I would get pregnant tomorrow if I knew things would be as great as they were the first time. I seem to cough all the time now, where I have never coughed my entire life until this past year. It truly freaks me out. I hate it. So I pray about it and I have to trust that the outcome will be God's will, not mine. Good luck to you and everyone who reads this. God Bless!

 

[momtoReaghan]

I am in the exact same situation. I have a little girl, Reaghan, who just turned 3 in November and my husband and I have been talking about baby number 2 for about a year. I was a teacher and stopped after Reaghan turned 1. It was getting too much, so I have since gotten on disability. I ask myself all the time, if I am on disability, should I be having another baby? But, my doctor's have given me go ahead, and they tell me to do it sooner than later. I was diagnosed with Mycobacterium Absessus last year, along with Psuedomonas. My entire life I have not had much trouble except for hemoptysis. That seems to be ongoing. So again faced with the question of when and if. We really want another baby but I don't want to comprise my current health and make Reaghan suffer. I am totally blessed to have her, but want her to have a sibling. I would get pregnant tomorrow if I knew things would be as great as they were the first time. I seem to cough all the time now, where I have never coughed my entire life until this past year. It truly freaks me out. I hate it. So I pray about it and I have to trust that the outcome will be God's will, not mine. Good luck to you and everyone who reads this. God Bless!

 

[MamatoAlexa]

Finally, a few free minutes to sit and type. Gotta love pregnancy insomnia and this mystery cough that appears the minute I think about getting into bed for the night. I can nap in bed with no coughing, I can sleep on the couch with no coughing but night time sleep in my own bed seems impossible these days....darn cough!

I had always hoped to have 2 children but knew if I was blessed with one I would see how that went and go from there.
Alexa's pregnancy was pretty easy. I coughed more, I was tired but we made it to 34 weeks with me only taking enzymes, Pulmozyme and one cycle of Tobi around 30 weeks. After three months of pumping breast milk for Alexa she got the hang of breastfeeding and we were off and able to breastfeed for a year. I learned how hard it is to be a Mom and how much harder it is to put yourself and your health care before your child even when you know if must be done.
In my heart I felt I wanted to give Alexa a sibling. My sisters are my best friends and I wanted that for Alexa. I wanted her to have family when her parents are no longer here for her. CF aside, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. My DH is a police officer so his safety and the danger of his job played into my desire to have another child, a sibling for Alexa.

For the first year of Alexa's life there were often times I knew I would like two children but I felt fine and content with just Alexa. I could not really see going to great lengths to get pregnant again.

When Alexa turned one (Sept 2006) we started talking about another baby. Not really because there was a strong baby fever or anything but more because I felt my clock ticking. My health was great and I felt the need to do it while things were good so I could enjoy and get it over with! We did not really TTC but did not avoid at all. After about 4 months of not TTC but not TTA either, it was time for my annual. My OB asked if we would try for another. I told her that we had not been avoiding for 4 months or so. She said I could have my hormone levels checked at any point and if they were fine I could go to the RE if/when I wanted to. I had blood work done and everything was fine. I did not feel ready to go to the RE so we just did our own thing. In June I had a CF check up. My PFT's were the best (86%) they had been in the 7 years I had been attending my currant CF center.
Around that same time a lot of people around me were getting pregnant and I started to feel ready. I made an appointment with the RE. They got us in much faster than I had expected. We planned to do IUI the next month. In some ways it felt rushed and I could not believe it was happening so fast but I pushed my fears aside knowing that things work out the way they are supposed to. Our first IUI was in July and we got pg with that IUI.

So, in the end it really came down to being in a good place with my heath, knowing we wanted a second child and feeling that it was a good time healthwise for me to add another pregnancy to the mix.
My husband wanted another baby but was in no way pushy about it and would have been fine with one if my health would not allow for another.
My doctors were behind my decision to try to get pg when we did. They agreed that the timing with my health was good.

 

[MamatoAlexa]

Finally, a few free minutes to sit and type. Gotta love pregnancy insomnia and this mystery cough that appears the minute I think about getting into bed for the night. I can nap in bed with no coughing, I can sleep on the couch with no coughing but night time sleep in my own bed seems impossible these days....darn cough!

I had always hoped to have 2 children but knew if I was blessed with one I would see how that went and go from there.
Alexa's pregnancy was pretty easy. I coughed more, I was tired but we made it to 34 weeks with me only taking enzymes, Pulmozyme and one cycle of Tobi around 30 weeks. After three months of pumping breast milk for Alexa she got the hang of breastfeeding and we were off and able to breastfeed for a year. I learned how hard it is to be a Mom and how much harder it is to put yourself and your health care before your child even when you know if must be done.
In my heart I felt I wanted to give Alexa a sibling. My sisters are my best friends and I wanted that for Alexa. I wanted her to have family when her parents are no longer here for her. CF aside, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. My DH is a police officer so his safety and the danger of his job played into my desire to have another child, a sibling for Alexa.

For the first year of Alexa's life there were often times I knew I would like two children but I felt fine and content with just Alexa. I could not really see going to great lengths to get pregnant again.

When Alexa turned one (Sept 2006) we started talking about another baby. Not really because there was a strong baby fever or anything but more because I felt my clock ticking. My health was great and I felt the need to do it while things were good so I could enjoy and get it over with! We did not really TTC but did not avoid at all. After about 4 months of not TTC but not TTA either, it was time for my annual. My OB asked if we would try for another. I told her that we had not been avoiding for 4 months or so. She said I could have my hormone levels checked at any point and if they were fine I could go to the RE if/when I wanted to. I had blood work done and everything was fine. I did not feel ready to go to the RE so we just did our own thing. In June I had a CF check up. My PFT's were the best (86%) they had been in the 7 years I had been attending my currant CF center.
Around that same time a lot of people around me were getting pregnant and I started to feel ready. I made an appointment with the RE. They got us in much faster than I had expected. We planned to do IUI the next month. In some ways it felt rushed and I could not believe it was happening so fast but I pushed my fears aside knowing that things work out the way they are supposed to. Our first IUI was in July and we got pg with that IUI.

So, in the end it really came down to being in a good place with my heath, knowing we wanted a second child and feeling that it was a good time healthwise for me to add another pregnancy to the mix.
My husband wanted another baby but was in no way pushy about it and would have been fine with one if my health would not allow for another.
My doctors were behind my decision to try to get pg when we did. They agreed that the timing with my health was good.

 

[MamatoAlexa]

Finally, a few free minutes to sit and type. Gotta love pregnancy insomnia and this mystery cough that appears the minute I think about getting into bed for the night. I can nap in bed with no coughing, I can sleep on the couch with no coughing but night time sleep in my own bed seems impossible these days....darn cough!

I had always hoped to have 2 children but knew if I was blessed with one I would see how that went and go from there.
Alexa's pregnancy was pretty easy. I coughed more, I was tired but we made it to 34 weeks with me only taking enzymes, Pulmozyme and one cycle of Tobi around 30 weeks. After three months of pumping breast milk for Alexa she got the hang of breastfeeding and we were off and able to breastfeed for a year. I learned how hard it is to be a Mom and how much harder it is to put yourself and your health care before your child even when you know if must be done.
In my heart I felt I wanted to give Alexa a sibling. My sisters are my best friends and I wanted that for Alexa. I wanted her to have family when her parents are no longer here for her. CF aside, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. My DH is a police officer so his safety and the danger of his job played into my desire to have another child, a sibling for Alexa.

For the first year of Alexa's life there were often times I knew I would like two children but I felt fine and content with just Alexa. I could not really see going to great lengths to get pregnant again.

When Alexa turned one (Sept 2006) we started talking about another baby. Not really because there was a strong baby fever or anything but more because I felt my clock ticking. My health was great and I felt the need to do it while things were good so I could enjoy and get it over with! We did not really TTC but did not avoid at all. After about 4 months of not TTC but not TTA either, it was time for my annual. My OB asked if we would try for another. I told her that we had not been avoiding for 4 months or so. She said I could have my hormone levels checked at any point and if they were fine I could go to the RE if/when I wanted to. I had blood work done and everything was fine. I did not feel ready to go to the RE so we just did our own thing. In June I had a CF check up. My PFT's were the best (86%) they had been in the 7 years I had been attending my currant CF center.
Around that same time a lot of people around me were getting pregnant and I started to feel ready. I made an appointment with the RE. They got us in much faster than I had expected. We planned to do IUI the next month. In some ways it felt rushed and I could not believe it was happening so fast but I pushed my fears aside knowing that things work out the way they are supposed to. Our first IUI was in July and we got pg with that IUI.

So, in the end it really came down to being in a good place with my heath, knowing we wanted a second child and feeling that it was a good time healthwise for me to add another pregnancy to the mix.
My husband wanted another baby but was in no way pushy about it and would have been fine with one if my health would not allow for another.
My doctors were behind my decision to try to get pg when we did. They agreed that the timing with my health was good.

 

[MamatoAlexa]

Finally, a few free minutes to sit and type. Gotta love pregnancy insomnia and this mystery cough that appears the minute I think about getting into bed for the night. I can nap in bed with no coughing, I can sleep on the couch with no coughing but night time sleep in my own bed seems impossible these days....darn cough!

I had always hoped to have 2 children but knew if I was blessed with one I would see how that went and go from there.
Alexa's pregnancy was pretty easy. I coughed more, I was tired but we made it to 34 weeks with me only taking enzymes, Pulmozyme and one cycle of Tobi around 30 weeks. After three months of pumping breast milk for Alexa she got the hang of breastfeeding and we were off and able to breastfeed for a year. I learned how hard it is to be a Mom and how much harder it is to put yourself and your health care before your child even when you know if must be done.
In my heart I felt I wanted to give Alexa a sibling. My sisters are my best friends and I wanted that for Alexa. I wanted her to have family when her parents are no longer here for her. CF aside, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. My DH is a police officer so his safety and the danger of his job played into my desire to have another child, a sibling for Alexa.

For the first year of Alexa's life there were often times I knew I would like two children but I felt fine and content with just Alexa. I could not really see going to great lengths to get pregnant again.

When Alexa turned one (Sept 2006) we started talking about another baby. Not really because there was a strong baby fever or anything but more because I felt my clock ticking. My health was great and I felt the need to do it while things were good so I could enjoy and get it over with! We did not really TTC but did not avoid at all. After about 4 months of not TTC but not TTA either, it was time for my annual. My OB asked if we would try for another. I told her that we had not been avoiding for 4 months or so. She said I could have my hormone levels checked at any point and if they were fine I could go to the RE if/when I wanted to. I had blood work done and everything was fine. I did not feel ready to go to the RE so we just did our own thing. In June I had a CF check up. My PFT's were the best (86%) they had been in the 7 years I had been attending my currant CF center.
Around that same time a lot of people around me were getting pregnant and I started to feel ready. I made an appointment with the RE. They got us in much faster than I had expected. We planned to do IUI the next month. In some ways it felt rushed and I could not believe it was happening so fast but I pushed my fears aside knowing that things work out the way they are supposed to. Our first IUI was in July and we got pg with that IUI.

So, in the end it really came down to being in a good place with my heath, knowing we wanted a second child and feeling that it was a good time healthwise for me to add another pregnancy to the mix.
My husband wanted another baby but was in no way pushy about it and would have been fine with one if my health would not allow for another.
My doctors were behind my decision to try to get pg when we did. They agreed that the timing with my health was good.

 

[MamatoAlexa]

Finally, a few free minutes to sit and type. Gotta love pregnancy insomnia and this mystery cough that appears the minute I think about getting into bed for the night. I can nap in bed with no coughing, I can sleep on the couch with no coughing but night time sleep in my own bed seems impossible these days....darn cough!

I had always hoped to have 2 children but knew if I was blessed with one I would see how that went and go from there.
Alexa's pregnancy was pretty easy. I coughed more, I was tired but we made it to 34 weeks with me only taking enzymes, Pulmozyme and one cycle of Tobi around 30 weeks. After three months of pumping breast milk for Alexa she got the hang of breastfeeding and we were off and able to breastfeed for a year. I learned how hard it is to be a Mom and how much harder it is to put yourself and your health care before your child even when you know if must be done.
In my heart I felt I wanted to give Alexa a sibling. My sisters are my best friends and I wanted that for Alexa. I wanted her to have family when her parents are no longer here for her. CF aside, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. My DH is a police officer so his safety and the danger of his job played into my desire to have another child, a sibling for Alexa.

For the first year of Alexa's life there were often times I knew I would like two children but I felt fine and content with just Alexa. I could not really see going to great lengths to get pregnant again.

When Alexa turned one (Sept 2006) we started talking about another baby. Not really because there was a strong baby fever or anything but more because I felt my clock ticking. My health was great and I felt the need to do it while things were good so I could enjoy and get it over with! We did not really TTC but did not avoid at all. After about 4 months of not TTC but not TTA either, it was time for my annual. My OB asked if we would try for another. I told her that we had not been avoiding for 4 months or so. She said I could have my hormone levels checked at any point and if they were fine I could go to the RE if/when I wanted to. I had blood work done and everything was fine. I did not feel ready to go to the RE so we just did our own thing. In June I had a CF check up. My PFT's were the best (86%) they had been in the 7 years I had been attending my currant CF center.
Around that same time a lot of people around me were getting pregnant and I started to feel ready. I made an appointment with the RE. They got us in much faster than I had expected. We planned to do IUI the next month. In some ways it felt rushed and I could not believe it was happening so fast but I pushed my fears aside knowing that things work out the way they are supposed to. Our first IUI was in July and we got pg with that IUI.

So, in the end it really came down to being in a good place with my heath, knowing we wanted a second child and feeling that it was a good time healthwise for me to add another pregnancy to the mix.
My husband wanted another baby but was in no way pushy about it and would have been fine with one if my health would not allow for another.
My doctors were behind my decision to try to get pg when we did. They agreed that the timing with my health was good.

 

[Wendy]

When Ian was born, I said that I would not have another baby. Mostly because, like you said, I was so focused on the fact that I was lucky enough to have one and because everyone else told me that, too. I just kind of accecpted that for a while. Then, as he got older, probably about a year, I really started thinking about wanting him to have a sibling. I have 3 siblings and I just couldn't imagine not having them or Ian not getting to have one either. And, of course, there was that baby itch! So we started talking about it.

My husband did not want to chance my health at first. We had many discussions about this. My doctor was not exactly thrilled about the idea either (nor was he excited about the first one, but was supportive once I made my mind up to do it). To be fair to them, I had not always been the most compliant patient in the past, so I understood their concerns. I also had to be honest with myself and decide if I could really handle two kids. As we know, it really is the day to day of caring for them and ourselves that is the challenge of being a mother with cf. Another concern DH had was the fact that it took us a year and a half to conceive the first and he wasn't sure he was up for the disappointment roller-coaster again. He knew how much I wanted the second baby and we decided to try for one year and then know it was God's plan if it did not happen.

Originally, I had thought I wanted my kids closer together in age. My husband always said three years apart would be good (like he and his brother are), but I wanted them to be closer to two. I sure am glad someone upstairs had a different plan for us! I don't know how the age difference (4 1\2 years) will affect them growing up, but I am glad for it now. Ian is old enough to be self sufficient with a lot of things and that helps me care for the baby. He truly loves her and hasn't shown any real jealousy towards her. Since he starts kindergarten in the fall, I know I will enjoy the time I'll get to share with Isabella, just as I loved that time alone with Ian when he was a baby. While I hope my kids are close to each other as they grow up, I have learned with my siblings that age does not matter to the relationship once you're an adult. At least that hasn't been the case for me. My sister is 12 years older than me and is one of my best friends and I know she feels the same about me.

Oh my.... I have rambled! But to try and address all of your questions: I think the biggest challenges of having two are the same as all parents face. You want enough time for each child so they feel loved and special. You have to adjust your schedule to get everything done in the day, and for me personally, getting the rest I need isn't as easy as it used to be.

The biggest reward is seeing the way Isabella lights up when she sees Ian and how cute he is when he talks to her. They are building the relationship that I was afraid he would not get to experience. I know that they will always have each other, even when DH and I are no longer around.

 

[Wendy]

When Ian was born, I said that I would not have another baby. Mostly because, like you said, I was so focused on the fact that I was lucky enough to have one and because everyone else told me that, too. I just kind of accecpted that for a while. Then, as he got older, probably about a year, I really started thinking about wanting him to have a sibling. I have 3 siblings and I just couldn't imagine not having them or Ian not getting to have one either. And, of course, there was that baby itch! So we started talking about it.

My husband did not want to chance my health at first. We had many discussions about this. My doctor was not exactly thrilled about the idea either (nor was he excited about the first one, but was supportive once I made my mind up to do it). To be fair to them, I had not always been the most compliant patient in the past, so I understood their concerns. I also had to be honest with myself and decide if I could really handle two kids. As we know, it really is the day to day of caring for them and ourselves that is the challenge of being a mother with cf. Another concern DH had was the fact that it took us a year and a half to conceive the first and he wasn't sure he was up for the disappointment roller-coaster again. He knew how much I wanted the second baby and we decided to try for one year and then know it was God's plan if it did not happen.

Originally, I had thought I wanted my kids closer together in age. My husband always said three years apart would be good (like he and his brother are), but I wanted them to be closer to two. I sure am glad someone upstairs had a different plan for us! I don't know how the age difference (4 1\2 years) will affect them growing up, but I am glad for it now. Ian is old enough to be self sufficient with a lot of things and that helps me care for the baby. He truly loves her and hasn't shown any real jealousy towards her. Since he starts kindergarten in the fall, I know I will enjoy the time I'll get to share with Isabella, just as I loved that time alone with Ian when he was a baby. While I hope my kids are close to each other as they grow up, I have learned with my siblings that age does not matter to the relationship once you're an adult. At least that hasn't been the case for me. My sister is 12 years older than me and is one of my best friends and I know she feels the same about me.

Oh my.... I have rambled! But to try and address all of your questions: I think the biggest challenges of having two are the same as all parents face. You want enough time for each child so they feel loved and special. You have to adjust your schedule to get everything done in the day, and for me personally, getting the rest I need isn't as easy as it used to be.

The biggest reward is seeing the way Isabella lights up when she sees Ian and how cute he is when he talks to her. They are building the relationship that I was afraid he would not get to experience. I know that they will always have each other, even when DH and I are no longer around.

 

[Wendy]

When Ian was born, I said that I would not have another baby. Mostly because, like you said, I was so focused on the fact that I was lucky enough to have one and because everyone else told me that, too. I just kind of accecpted that for a while. Then, as he got older, probably about a year, I really started thinking about wanting him to have a sibling. I have 3 siblings and I just couldn't imagine not having them or Ian not getting to have one either. And, of course, there was that baby itch! So we started talking about it.

My husband did not want to chance my health at first. We had many discussions about this. My doctor was not exactly thrilled about the idea either (nor was he excited about the first one, but was supportive once I made my mind up to do it). To be fair to them, I had not always been the most compliant patient in the past, so I understood their concerns. I also had to be honest with myself and decide if I could really handle two kids. As we know, it really is the day to day of caring for them and ourselves that is the challenge of being a mother with cf. Another concern DH had was the fact that it took us a year and a half to conceive the first and he wasn't sure he was up for the disappointment roller-coaster again. He knew how much I wanted the second baby and we decided to try for one year and then know it was God's plan if it did not happen.

Originally, I had thought I wanted my kids closer together in age. My husband always said three years apart would be good (like he and his brother are), but I wanted them to be closer to two. I sure am glad someone upstairs had a different plan for us! I don't know how the age difference (4 1\2 years) will affect them growing up, but I am glad for it now. Ian is old enough to be self sufficient with a lot of things and that helps me care for the baby. He truly loves her and hasn't shown any real jealousy towards her. Since he starts kindergarten in the fall, I know I will enjoy the time I'll get to share with Isabella, just as I loved that time alone with Ian when he was a baby. While I hope my kids are close to each other as they grow up, I have learned with my siblings that age does not matter to the relationship once you're an adult. At least that hasn't been the case for me. My sister is 12 years older than me and is one of my best friends and I know she feels the same about me.

Oh my.... I have rambled! But to try and address all of your questions: I think the biggest challenges of having two are the same as all parents face. You want enough time for each child so they feel loved and special. You have to adjust your schedule to get everything done in the day, and for me personally, getting the rest I need isn't as easy as it used to be.

The biggest reward is seeing the way Isabella lights up when she sees Ian and how cute he is when he talks to her. They are building the relationship that I was afraid he would not get to experience. I know that they will always have each other, even when DH and I are no longer around.

 

[Wendy]

When Ian was born, I said that I would not have another baby. Mostly because, like you said, I was so focused on the fact that I was lucky enough to have one and because everyone else told me that, too. I just kind of accecpted that for a while. Then, as he got older, probably about a year, I really started thinking about wanting him to have a sibling. I have 3 siblings and I just couldn't imagine not having them or Ian not getting to have one either. And, of course, there was that baby itch! So we started talking about it.

My husband did not want to chance my health at first. We had many discussions about this. My doctor was not exactly thrilled about the idea either (nor was he excited about the first one, but was supportive once I made my mind up to do it). To be fair to them, I had not always been the most compliant patient in the past, so I understood their concerns. I also had to be honest with myself and decide if I could really handle two kids. As we know, it really is the day to day of caring for them and ourselves that is the challenge of being a mother with cf. Another concern DH had was the fact that it took us a year and a half to conceive the first and he wasn't sure he was up for the disappointment roller-coaster again. He knew how much I wanted the second baby and we decided to try for one year and then know it was God's plan if it did not happen.

Originally, I had thought I wanted my kids closer together in age. My husband always said three years apart would be good (like he and his brother are), but I wanted them to be closer to two. I sure am glad someone upstairs had a different plan for us! I don't know how the age difference (4 1\2 years) will affect them growing up, but I am glad for it now. Ian is old enough to be self sufficient with a lot of things and that helps me care for the baby. He truly loves her and hasn't shown any real jealousy towards her. Since he starts kindergarten in the fall, I know I will enjoy the time I'll get to share with Isabella, just as I loved that time alone with Ian when he was a baby. While I hope my kids are close to each other as they grow up, I have learned with my siblings that age does not matter to the relationship once you're an adult. At least that hasn't been the case for me. My sister is 12 years older than me and is one of my best friends and I know she feels the same about me.

Oh my.... I have rambled! But to try and address all of your questions: I think the biggest challenges of having two are the same as all parents face. You want enough time for each child so they feel loved and special. You have to adjust your schedule to get everything done in the day, and for me personally, getting the rest I need isn't as easy as it used to be.

The biggest reward is seeing the way Isabella lights up when she sees Ian and how cute he is when he talks to her. They are building the relationship that I was afraid he would not get to experience. I know that they will always have each other, even when DH and I are no longer around.

 

[Wendy]

When Ian was born, I said that I would not have another baby. Mostly because, like you said, I was so focused on the fact that I was lucky enough to have one and because everyone else told me that, too. I just kind of accecpted that for a while. Then, as he got older, probably about a year, I really started thinking about wanting him to have a sibling. I have 3 siblings and I just couldn't imagine not having them or Ian not getting to have one either. And, of course, there was that baby itch! So we started talking about it.

My husband did not want to chance my health at first. We had many discussions about this. My doctor was not exactly thrilled about the idea either (nor was he excited about the first one, but was supportive once I made my mind up to do it). To be fair to them, I had not always been the most compliant patient in the past, so I understood their concerns. I also had to be honest with myself and decide if I could really handle two kids. As we know, it really is the day to day of caring for them and ourselves that is the challenge of being a mother with cf. Another concern DH had was the fact that it took us a year and a half to conceive the first and he wasn't sure he was up for the disappointment roller-coaster again. He knew how much I wanted the second baby and we decided to try for one year and then know it was God's plan if it did not happen.

Originally, I had thought I wanted my kids closer together in age. My husband always said three years apart would be good (like he and his brother are), but I wanted them to be closer to two. I sure am glad someone upstairs had a different plan for us! I don't know how the age difference (4 1\2 years) will affect them growing up, but I am glad for it now. Ian is old enough to be self sufficient with a lot of things and that helps me care for the baby. He truly loves her and hasn't shown any real jealousy towards her. Since he starts kindergarten in the fall, I know I will enjoy the time I'll get to share with Isabella, just as I loved that time alone with Ian when he was a baby. While I hope my kids are close to each other as they grow up, I have learned with my siblings that age does not matter to the relationship once you're an adult. At least that hasn't been the case for me. My sister is 12 years older than me and is one of my best friends and I know she feels the same about me.

Oh my.... I have rambled! But to try and address all of your questions: I think the biggest challenges of having two are the same as all parents face. You want enough time for each child so they feel loved and special. You have to adjust your schedule to get everything done in the day, and for me personally, getting the rest I need isn't as easy as it used to be.

The biggest reward is seeing the way Isabella lights up when she sees Ian and how cute he is when he talks to her. They are building the relationship that I was afraid he would not get to experience. I know that they will always have each other, even when DH and I are no longer around.