First kid is 18 months, baby #2 due in 6 weeks. Everything feels less scary but also more chaotic because we have a toddler. Any dads on here with 2+ kids? What actually changes about the newborn phase second time around? Is it easier, harder, or just different?
Less scary is such a good way to put it. You know the baby won't break, you know the sleepless nights actually end, you've done this before. But man the logistics of having a toddler AND a newborn hit different. Our second is 3 months old and we're still figuring out how to shower without it being a whole production.
Honest question - are you prepping your oldest for the new sibling? We did some books with our son before #2 arrived and it helped him understand what was happening. Might help with the chaos aspect a bit.
The chaos part is real. With our second I realized I could let some things slide that I obsessed over with the first. Like yeah the 18 month old is gonna get dirt under his nails, he'll survive. But then you're juggling two schedules and suddenly chaos is the understatement.
The second time hit us completely different emotionally too. Not better or worse, just different. Less anxiety about the baby stuff, way more anxiety about splitting attention between two kids. You're not alone in that feeling.
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Six weeks though, that's coming up fast. My advice: stock your freezer NOW. Not just meals but easy snacks too. When you're dealing with a newborn plus an 18 month old who has opinions about everything, you won't have energy to think about lunch.