Almost five years ago, when my oldest son was born, my life changed in a very profound way: I became obsessed with naps. And now that I've brought my 6-month-old son into the fold, it's safe to say that my life revolves around my children's nap schedules. But getting a second baby to nap isn't easy, my friends, and napping with baby number two has proved to be a very, very different ball game than napping with kid number one. It just goes to show that no two kids are exactly the same, and just when you think you've mastered an aspect of parenting, your kids throw you a curve ball and you're stuck feeling like a rookie all over again.
That's not to say it's all bad news, my friends, or that napping with two kids is impossible. There have been moments — glimmers of hope — when I have been able to get my two kids to sleep at the same time, and those moments are glorious. I feel like I can conquer the world. Cure cancer. Or, at the very least, get some damn rest myself. Those moments just require a lot more planning, and a lot more diligence and hard work on my part, than getting my older son to nap ever did. In other words, I have to be at the top of my mom game if I'm going to enjoy a nap with baby number two.
Knowing the size of the mountain you're hoping to climb is, in my opinion, step one in trying to tackle any parenting obstacle, which is why it helps to know what you're in for when it comes to napping with baby number one versus baby number two. So with that in mind, here are just a few ways your sleep situation will differ the second time around: