First kid was hard but manageable. Second one came and I just feel empty most days. Going through the motions. The kids are fine, wife is fine, I'm fine to everyone else but inside I'm just tired. Like bone deep tired. Haven't told anyone yet because who wants to hear that from a dad right? But I'm starting to worry about what this is doing to my family.
Real talk - second kid hit me the same way. I thought I'd be more prepared since I'd done it once but honestly the emptiness you're describing is exactly what I dealt with. Are you getting any support or talking to someone? That empty feeling doesn't have to be your normal.
Going through something similar and it's brutal. The difference between kid one and kid two for me was like night and day mentally. Don't try to tough this out alone. Reached out to my therapist and it's been helping. You deserve to feel better.
That manageable feeling with the first one versus the empty feeling now is such an important thing to recognize and share. A lot of dads experience exactly this and don't talk about it. Have you considered talking to someone professional about it?
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I hear you. After kid two everything just felt heavier for me too. The exhaustion is real but what you're describing sounds like it might be more than just being tired. Have you talked to your doctor about how you're feeling? I didn't want to at first but it made a difference for me.