Your clothes...
First Child: you begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your ob-gyn confirms your pregnancy.
Second Child: you wear regular clothes for as long as possible.
Third Child: your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.
The baby's name...
First Child: You pour over baby name books and practice pronouncing and writing combinations of all your favorites.
Second Child: someone has to name their kid after your great-aunt Mavis. Might as well be you.
Third Child: you open a name book, close your eyes, and see where your finger falls. Bimaldo? Perfect!
Preparing for the birth...
First Child: you practice your breathing religiously
Second Child: you don't bother practicing because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
Third Child: you ask for an epidural in your eighth month.
The layette...
First Child: you prewash your newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in baby's little bureau.
Second Child: you check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
Third Child: boys can wear pink, can't they?
Worries...
First Child: at the first sign of distress- a whimper, a frown, you pick up the baby.
Second Child: you pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
Third Child: you teach your 3 year old how to rewind the mechanical swing
Activities...
First Child: you take your infant to baby gymnastics, baby swing, and babystory hour.
Second Child: you take your infant to baby gymnastics.
Third Child: you take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.
Going out...
First Child: the first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
Second Child: just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
Third Child: you leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.
At home...
First Child: you spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
Second Child: you spend a bit of every day watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
Third Child: you spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.