Tips on Surviving Having Children a Year Apart

Well mine are one day from being 18 mths apart. I had an 8 1/2 month old when I found out I was pregnant with my youngest son. I went from being so excited to crying in like 5 seconds. My two are now 9 and 8. I will not lie the first 3 years were wild. I did not think I was ever going to get done with diapers and bottles and potty training etc... The bright side of this is they are so close then when they are not together they dont act right. Its hard but you can make it through it. They will do everything together, its almost like having twins. I would tell people to have their children close together because of how great things are between them. Now yes there is the fights that take place but that is with any brothers or sisters. Just get a good schedule down and you will do great!!

G.-
Everything will be fine. You can still do all those things...May take a little longer and less sleep. You don need to get you a swing for the new baby, mine loved it and still today he rocks a lot. My two boys are nothing alike but are so close that I'd be scared to come in between them. Mine are now 11 and 12 years old ....I would not take anything for their ages. I lost my husband, their father in December and the boys & I have always been close but now we have be come extremely close. Sporting events, they are mostly always on the same team....that's a good thing. Good Luck ....I know you can do this.
A.

Hi G.,
I have two boys who are 15 months apart and while it is challenging when it comes to them sharing and fighting over things, they are also each other's best friends! From the day my youngest son came home, the older one was all over him showering him with love, wanting to hold him, feed him, etc. It was much easier than I ever expected. The one bit of advice I got from my mom who had three of us each 16 months apart was, "when you change one diaper, change the other...just line them up". It worked like a fine tuned machine!!!
Good Luck and have fun!!!!

My 10 & 11 year-olds are 14 months apart, so I'm a bit farther along the journey you're beginning. Having them close together is wonderful, and it's sooo much easier in the long run. They are able to do the same kinds of things at around the same time, and they make great playmates for each other.
I dont' know what kind of housekeeping standards you have, but be prepared to lower them some. You can keep the house clean, safe, & sanitary enough without having it immaculate. Focus just on the basics -- bathroom sink & toilet (the tub can actually go a while without a cleaning & it won't hurt anything), quick vacuum & sweep (you might have to use the edge tool less often), dishes & kitchen. Dusting may be more infrequent than it is now, etc. Be sure to employ your 13-month-old in helping you around the house (push a small vacuum or carpet sweeper, dust low tables, sort silverware into the correct slots, fold wash cloths, etc.) Don't be to hard on yourself.
Do you know the poem "Babies"?

Cleaning and cooking can wait 'till tomorrow

For babies grow up, as we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,

I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep

Please accept my advice. . .I am a mother of two boys, now they are teenagers. I wondered the same thing at one time. Now I realize, and wished I had known then, housework is not nearly as important as loving and spending quality time with your babies! Enjoy every waking moment you have with them. It can be trying, but be patient. The years quickly drift away and your babies will be grown. Housework is not priority. Time with the babies and you getting adequate rest is priority!

You just adjust your lifestyle, become a great time-manager and just do it. I have a similar situation plus I work full time and travel believe it or not. There is never a dull moment in our household, you learn to get a little less sleep and truly appreciate the quiet moments. My boys are now 4 & almost 3. They play well together but they fight like most boys do too. If I can give you any advice, stick to a routine, keep bed time, nap time, meal time and play time to the clock. It helps with sanity and the kids appreciate the predictability. Get them involved in mommy & me classes, play outside often and laugh a lot. If you try to be too perfect (I'm type A so this was a tough pill to swallow) you'll drive yourself crazy. Understand that your home will only be tidy and clean after the kids go to bed (and learn to be okay with that!) and t.v. time will be spent doing the laundry/folding. Multitasking is a given. You are lucky because you'll get diaper changing out of the way faster!!
good luck and have fun with it!

I currently have three girls. My two older girls are 18 months apart. I really don't have any tips per se, but I don't remember things being all that hard. My youngest girl is 3 months old. There is a 4 year age gap between #2 and #3. It has been more challenging with three than with two closer together. I even drove to Canada from AR to see family Shortly after #2 was born!! I just changed diapers at the same time. I think it helped that my oldest was pretty independent and would play on her own. I think you'll find that it really won't be as difficult as you think. You are already in the "baby mode." My two older girls are very close. I wouldn't change that for the world.

Congratulations on your new baby! My two oldest daughters were born 16 months apart and I was worried also, although we kinda planned it that way. It wasn't as bad as I expected, though. Or maybe I've blocked all the bad stuff from memory:)My oldest daughter was thrilled. She liked to help me feed her sister and tried to help change her. While I was feeding, she would use her dolls to imitate me. I wouldn't worry too much about the housework. Just do what absolutely must be done; the rest can wait. The only person who ever made a comment about my house was my father-in-law, because he likes to give me a hard time. Everyone else would tell my husband they couldn't believe I was able to keep such a clean house with two small children. I think I saw the clutter, while eveyone else saw a busy mom.Just take it one day at a time; change the oldest when you change the baby, let the oldest help when possible, and rock two babies when necessary. Enjoy it. Mine are 6 and 7 now. They play well together (usually) and are both into the same things. I now have a 2 year old who does(will) not have a close sibling and I can tell a big difference. She is more dependant on Mommy because she doesn't have anyone close to her age to play with.

My kids are also close in age. My girls are 17 months apart and my son is 11 months behind my youngest daughter. It is reallly not as difficult as it seem. I did it for a little while before I left my husband. I really thought I would have a hard time but suprisingly it's not. Since yours will be little together they will nap and then you can do your housework.

I have two little ones as well. Really, it's not as dramatic as you think it will be. I mean, think back to when you were pregnant with your first child. You thought of sleepless night and tireless days and after you had your little one it was a bit easier to adapt to that you thought. At least it was for me. It's the same with the second. You will find a routine that works for you. Just keep being mommy! You'll do fine. ;)

G.,
HI, I'm a mother of 5 children and my first two were 15 months apart. It was very difficult the 1st year. I want you to know that now they are 14yrs. and 15 yrs. old and that the time flies!!!!!! So, don't worry about the house, the children will not care about how clean it was or wasn't, they need all of you and of course, your husband, it will be trying and if you are an organized, clean, person, it will really be challenging. But, please, enjoy your little ones, you can't know until there older and you look back-the time goes and you feel that you missed something, even as a stay-at-home mom.My other children are 11yrs.,8yrs.,and 5yrs. I have homeschooled,nursed many years, and still feel I could have done something more, of course, I did it all and really could not have, but you always feel that way. My kids have never said," I wish the house was cleaner, or I wish you would have spent more time cleaning."Hope that was helpful!!! L.

Hang in there! My first 2 are 15 months apart and my last 2 are 18 months apart..you will love it, even though the first few years are tough. My 2 oldest are boy/girl and are as close as can be! Being on a schedule is a definate plus (try the BabyWise book); also, I made a "standard" grocery list on the computer of all the things we always buy with extra space for additional items, organized by groups (ie, frozen, dairy, produce, etc) and had tablets made - very helpful when you need to save time or send someone else to the store!
It will be tough at first (the house is the first to go!) but gets much easier - just realize you CANNOT do it all (coming from a neat-freak and a fairly organized person)!!
Good luck!

My boys are 18 mos apart. I am a work at home mom full time, 365 days a yr . My first born is special needs and I am an older mom ie I am now 40 and my boys are almost 2 1/2 and 1 . Having 2 so close isn't as much of a challenge as you might think, it kinda becomes a routine if you make it a bit of an assembly line for diaper changes and feedings and bottles but be sure both get the SPECIAL time their individual personalities need. Mine are very different and having a special needs child requires he gets alot more of my time than his younger brother unintentionally but I do t have any issue with jealousy or fighting and the older one loves to help take care of the BABY:) he helps as much as he can . Plan shopping and errands when both are well rested and ask for help when available . Most important, find you and spouse time! Don't ever forget that!!!

I'm a 24 yrs. old mother of 3 boyes 7,4,and 2. My husbad works on the railroad, and I work at Tyson Foods Inc. My husbands job consist of him being gone weeks at a time. What I'm trying to say is just give it some time and it will fall in place, you just have to get used to juggling it all at one time, trust me it will take some time.When you get it you will feel like a burden has been lifted off of you. hope i helped

I have four children ages six and four years, and 24 and 9 months. I wish I could promise you that it will be a breeze, but it can be very challenging! As you know, children that young require a lot of attention and time. I wanted to comment on the housework...forget about it! Seriously...your kids are only going to be with you for a short time and you will want to cherish every moment you can. I do not believe that any mother has ever looked back and wished that they would have done more housework! I hear the opposite. I've heard mother's often say I wish I would have spent more time just playing with my kids instead of worrying about a tidy home. I have a magnet that says "A good mother has dirty floors and happy children." I keep it on my fridge as a reminder that my children are more important than chores. I'm not saying to neglect housework...that would be unhealthy and unsanitary. I'm just saying don't beat yourself up because you don't have a spic-and-span home. It takes getting used to, but you will figure out what chores need to be done and what ones you can leave alone for a little while longer. Do you know of any young girls who you could hire to do some light cleaning? I guess what I am trying to say is that you have to decide what your priorities are. What do you want your children's memories to be? Will they reflect on a mom who put time with them before chores or will they remember a mom who put chores before them. Please understand my heart...I'm not neglecting household duties...they get done...just not in the timely fashion they used to. My priorities have changed! When the times get very wearying (if that's a word?!), and they will, just remember that this is a short phase in life. You will get through it! And if you keep your priorities in order, then you will look back without regret. No one is perfect, but thankfully we are forgiven! Blessings to you as you nurture your little ones!

Congratulations on the pregnancy! You will love having kids close together!! I have three ages 3, 20 mos, and 3 mos. They are 18 mos apart and then 17 mos apart. I LOVE it!! Somethings that helped me get through it was a baby carrier (or a wrap) that will give you two hnds free to play with your older son. With your oldest one being so young still, keep your younger one in his crib while you do chores. That way you don't hve to worry about leaving your older one unsupervised around the baby. When I got really backed up on housework, I would have my husband or mother drive my older son around while my baby slept in the swing or crib. When your youngest one is around 3 mos old, start trying to get them on the same nap schedule. If yoru oldest one is down to one nap, put him down when your youngest takes his second nap of the day. And during the baby's first nap, spend quality time with your older one or if things need to get done around the house, let hiim watch a movie while you work and baby sleeps. Don't worry- things will fall in place but don't expect it to start running smoothly until at least 3 mos. The first 6 mos are the hardest and by the time your youngest is 12 mos, the tow children will be interacting and entertaining each other and by 18 mos they will be playing together and you will have more time than you can imagine to get things done. Congrats again!! And don't stress. It will be great!

I have two boys that are 16 months apart, Logan is 3 1/2 and Landen is almost 5. It was a little tough for a while because they were both in diapers at the same time and they both needed just as much attention. Other than maternity leave, I have always been a working mother as well so there were times when it was hard to keep up with things around the house. You'll be much better at it than you think you will. Of course going to the store with them can be a little more difficult. :) But now they have so much fun together and it's much easier. They can keep each other entertained while you are making dinner or doing laundry, etc. Of course they fight as much as they get along! ;)

Hi. My children are 15 months apart. My son turned 4 on the 23rd and he has special needs. My daughter turns 3 in April and is busy, busy. The only thing I could tell you is try not to worry everything will work out and fall into place. For me when my oldest started walking at 2 and my daughter was 6 months by then things did get a little easier. Alot of times I just have to let things go and get to them when I can. For me that is just the way things are. My children are on the same level developmentaly so it is really like having twins. My house does not always look the best but it won't always be this away. My mom always tells me it is just a season and things won't always be this away. I hope you have a great day.

Hello there! I have two kids exactly one year apart! It is AWESOME! They are 2 and 3 right now! They are best firends. They have to do everything together. You will love have kids so close together. It was so much easier for my family. My oldest (girl) was never jealous of her brother. She never knew it any other way. To be honest it just gets easier because your kids will have a playmate 24-7. I did make sure that my daughter was walking before her brother was born. I also made sure she was off her pacifier. From day one we talked about both kids so there was no rude awaking. My daughter would kiss her brother (my belly) good night.
As far as being a wife, make sure you take time for just you and your husband. We took a trip after each kid was born at the six week mark. My babies stayed with my parents. Also, move your new baby to a crib at 2 weeks so you and your husband can sleep together each night.
You can keep the house up while the kids are taking a nap. I also stay up after the babies go to bed and tidy up. My husband and I both work so we are not home during the day to clean, do laundry, dishes, etc. We start a load of clothes every night and move them to the dryer at night. Take them out in the morning before we leave. Then we start another load before we leave.
I promise you can handle it. I thank my lucky stars every day that my children are so close together. It has truly been a blessing for my family.

I have two children that are a year and nine days apart. I was so suprised when I found out that i was prego the second time around. I was on birth control and was at the health department getting a resupply when I found out. Talk about total shock. I was sooo scared of how I would manage. I admit it was a hard adjustment, but I don't think it was nearly as hard as I thought it would be. As far as managing everything, dont try to be superwoman. Do what you can and accept any help that is offered. My girls are now 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 and what I did was took care of the kids while they was awake.... cleaned a little when they took naps... and had hubby time when they went to sleep. I admit, the house isnt as clean as it once was, but hey a person can only do so much. It gets easier as they get older. Good luck!!!!

Hi G., my 2 girls are 1 1/2 and 2 1/2. When #2 was born I was pretty hard the first year. But as the others said come up with a schedule that works for you. And when the youngest takes one of his/her morning naps use that time to spend with the older one. Housework can be on the back burner for a while, we're talking about your sanity and the time with your children here :) And when the oldest is a little older get them into a Parents day out program, I did that with mine. Good luck!

Hi, G.. Congratulations on your pregnancy. I have four children, who have been 22 months, 19 months, and then 15 months apart. So I understand your fears! I actually found having the girls 15 months apart way easier than the further spaces. This because the older one was so small, there was no sibling rivalry at all. Having 2 babies can be very challenging. But a couple of things to remember, they'll only be tiny for a short time, so housework should not be a stresser if it doesn't get done exactly as you did before. It's ok to relax that. Try to get your son sleeping through the night while you're pregnant, so you don't have to worry about being up with 2 babies. I don't know if you're planning on breastfeeding, but I continued to nurse both the babies at once for about 6 months, and I found this a really good thing for me. It was hard to learn how to juggle them both, but it allowed my older daughter to continue to be a baby too, just a while longer. Anyway, hope that helps. Feel free to email me if you'd like to chat. C.

My children are 13 months, 2 days apart. The best thing i can tell you is to try to get a schedule and stick to it! Your right about them being raised closely though, mine are 13 & 14 now, and are closer than ever. But it is not going to be easy! Good Luck! Try to let the older one think he is helping with the baby as much as possible!

honestly mine boys are 18 mths apart and the only way i was able to keep sane and get housework done was to put them in daycare. i know this sounds crazy but for me having them that close together i was hard on me and it wasnt both of them driving me crazy it was the 2 yr old i dont know if he is acting out cuz he is jealous or maybe cuz he is the middle child. but he will drive me crazy if i have to be here all day with him. now the baby is okay he smiles all the time and plays well. but inorder for me to get all i need to do in the day for a family of 5 i need them in a daycare. im not afraid to admit i can not do it all...we have our own business and if the boys didnt go to daycare i swear i wouldnt even have time for a shower...but maybe for u it will be better, u may even have family or friends to help.. i did not have either one. so good luck and im here if u need someone to talk to

It is actually easier than you think it will be. My two boys are exactly 14 months apart in age. The first year is pretty smooth. The second year might be harder. My two go through phases where sometimes they get along and sometimes they don't. My oldest is 3 1/2 and the younger one is 2 1/2 and it seems like for the most part I am glad that they are this close together. It was even harder on me because I left their father two months after the baby was born, so I was a single mother for the first year of them being together. You will find your own way of handling them. What's really great is when they take a nap at the same time! You will cherish those times! Good luck and just go with the flow!

That is when the husband comes in.
When you have more than one that young, you let alot of other things go. Do what you can do and the rest have to wait. You just learn to live that way. I always heard that the cobwebss will still be there for you when they are 6 and go to school and you know what,,,,,, they were exactly right.
Don't worry about it.... just take care of the babies.
The husband becomes really involved and there is a lot of trading...... he watches and you do things and then you watch and he does things. It will all work itself out. Trust me

G., I also had my children very close together. I'm a 27 year old stay at home mom to a 22 month old son, Liam, and a 7 month old son, Rowan. Liam was 15 months when Rowan was born and I was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to handle them both. I'm not going to sugar coat things, the first few weeks were very hard. It just takes time to get use to it, but it will all work out. The best advice I can give you is to take advantage of help that is offered to you by close friends and family. My sister, who lives very close by, was able to come over for a few hours almost every day for a while to help me with laundry and let me take a shower, etc. I don't know how I would have done it without her. If you don't have someone like that who could help you, hopefully your husband can make himself available to at least pitch in with household chores. Mine had to go back to work a couple of days after we brought the baby home, so I was really lucky to have my sister. It will be a shock for your oldest when the baby comes and takes a lot of your time away. It will fall on your husband to step in and show some extra attention to your oldest. They can get out of the house together for some father/son one-on-one time every now and then and vice versa, so that you both get to spend quality time with each child separately. It would be really helpful if you can get your oldest use to falling asleep on his own at nap and bedtime before the new baby comes. It is nice to be able to put the oldest to bed without a fight at a scheduled time every day. I didn't get that worked out until Liam was around 10 months old, because he got use to me rocking him to sleep. Naptime is when I try to catch up with dishes and get Liam's lunch ready. Try to get away on your own every now and then if you can, or a night out with your husband to keep your sanity. Let the oldest spend the night at Grandma's every so often. Only having one baby in the house will seem like a breeze. You will come up with your own ways to juggle everything as you go. Just make sure to give yourself a break sometimes. Nobody is perfect, and if the dishes pile up or the laundry doesn't get done, it's no big deal. You will get to it when you get a chance. The most important thing is that you and your babies stay happy and healthy, all the rest will fall into place. When I look at how my boys adore each other, I know that I wouldn't have it any other way.
Best of luck,
N.

It will be tough for a little while but then all will get better. Neglect the housework, it will always be there. I have 2 kids, not that close together but it was a challenge.

On the days possible, I would wash the kids clothes and clean their bathroom. The bottles get cleaned and steamed everything (paid $80 for the countertop sterilizer). Everything else can wait. When company visits and ask how they can help, I tell them how they can help.

Take advantage of the help people offer, don't be superwoman. Since Baby #1 should be sleeping through the night by now, take advantage of it and catch up on your sleep. #1 will experience some jealousy once #2 comes about. So there some nights when you will have to rock 2 babies back to sleep.

Stay strong. Don't be afraid to ask friends/neighbours/family members for help.

My situation is entirely different, but I can relate.I have a two year old daughter and 6 mos old twins!! The first thing you need to do is write down 3 numbers on your refridgerator. One is your mom or some other person that you trust their advice and that will let you cry on their shoulder and not judge you when things get overwhelming. The second is the number of a friend with no children that you can talk to for some adult conversation. The third is a good babysitter!! I'm being funny, but only partially. It's very tough having small children close together and you have to sacrifice so much. One of those things being a clean house. I try very hard and I have help from my husband which a lot of moms don't. However, my house will never again be the place it was. Someone told me once though that they grew up in a messy house and were better for it. They felt they were always allowed to be creative and encouraged to explore. Who wants to explore a terribly tidy place? I just decided that I would rather my house be a fun place than a neat place. It's the only thing that helps me when I realize it's February and my Christmas tree is still up!

My last two are 13 months apart. I have three boys ages 3 and under! It is crazy, sister, and I don't have it down yet (the youngest is only 4 months old), but the best thing I do is to go to bed early enough that I can wake early to shower, read and meditate, and then get the house straight. I make breakfast and decide what to make for lunch and dinner. If I can start the day with a fairly clean kitchen and a plan, the rest rolls fairly smoothly. Also, I think the oldest needs a time investment from you. If you give him a bit of time before you try to begin your own projects, you'll be more likely to get some of your jobs done.

One day at a time. That's the best I can tell you. My daughter was a year old when I had my twins. I wasn't able to be a stay at home mommy (at the time anyways, later I was able to stay at home, but much later), so I worked. Working, juggling babies, Dr appointments, time with babies, getting the laundry done, and just trying to keep the place picked up seemed like insanity. But I done it, and I don't remember being stressed out until the twins got around 2 and my daughter was 3. Find an outlet for your stress, mine was work. Take the stress out on housework, or go to the gym and work up a good sweat. Somewhere there's an outlet for you, find it, and use it. And don't forget to keep the romance alive!!

My girls are 19 mos apart and it wasn't easy when they were smaller. I would try to do most of my house work while they were napping if I was home with them. I work outside of the home and my husband learned real fast he has to help me or the house will stay a wreck. Start teaching your one year old how to pick up. Granted it will be a constant struggle to get kids to pick up but if you can get him to start picking up his toys and have your husband help with the house work it won't be to hard. The fun part for me now is getting my girls to clean thier rooms they are now 6 and 4.5

Hi G.,

I am thinking about you. My little guy was 9 months old when I became pregnant with our second. My son and daughter are 18 months apart. At first I thought what in the world are we doing. Looking back I had some ideas that would've made my life easier.
First and foremost, have a list of people who are willing to help clean, cook and do laundry. Have people who are willing to come in and take your older child so you can sleep. I had family help me for the first three months.

The second big thing is for your oldest child. If you can put him in a mother's day out program or something just for him to go to and have fun. He will know it's just for him and it's special. There are going to be days when you will be so focused on the new baby the oldest needs something to do.

Another thing is when you are either feeding a bottle or nursing the baby. If your oldest will be with you have a special basket of fun toys, books, games etc just for that time. It will be new and exciting. I bought my son a little boy cabbage patch doll and he walks around his baby when I walk around Molly. In fact, I caught him trying to breastfeed his baby the other day. It was so cute.

When you have your second it's not going to be as exciting as your first. Don't be surprised. It took me a few weeks to bond to my daughter. I was so overwhelmed and not prepared for a second child so fast. It only gets better. She is eight months yesterday and it's truly amazing to have two children close in age. My twin and I have such an amazing bond this is the closet my children will come to what my sister and I have. The first six months are so hard, but so rewarding. Just stay positive and get as much sleep as possible. That alone will make the first six months easier. If you need anything, please feel free to email me (____@____.com). Having a support group of moms with children around the same age help.

M.

Hi. I have two that are 16 months apart. It is crazy at times and you get no rest! Try and get them on the same napping schedule. While they are napping you can clean and wash clothes, etc.. You will feel like sleeping when they do but things will never get done! Another thing to remember is that a newborn sleeps all of the time! It's not too bad at first. It does get harder when the younger one begins to crawl and get in to everything. You will survive! Enjoy and relax because it goes by so fast! My two are 2 and 10 months now.

wow, that is great having your kids close together. You will certainly have your hands full. Sometime chores are hard and next to impossible to get done and when they don't get done they're looming over your head and they pile up. My children are still toddlers, but not as close togeither as your two, but I will tell you what worked for me. I identified chores and picked a day that I would do them and went as far as to putting it on a calendar. For example;Monday would be floors, Tuesday bathrooms, Wed dust, Thurs floors again, Friday beds get stripped and I try to organize to where all laundry is done by saturday and saturday I make sure all/most of the dishes are done, so Sunday is my day off. This is also with the mindset that Laundry and dishes are practically going non-stop. It's not all set in stone, you have to flexible and see what's going on with your kids' schedule. If you didn't get the dusting done that week, don't do it the next day, wait until the following week rolls around and do it on the designated day. And, it keeps me from thinking, "humm, when DID I actually dust/vacuum/mop last" I think if you can get that worry out of your head there will be more space for kid time. Also. remember there's no deadline, you have the entire day to get your chore, it doesn't have to be done by 9am. You've got til midnight and if you don't make it, the chore will still be waiting for you next week, it's not going anywhere.

in a couple of months the oldest child will want to be helping with, dusting, dishes, laundry etc.

good luck

Hi! My girls are 13 months apart, so I can totally relate. This was not planned (God planned it though, and He's smarter than me, so I know there was a purpose) I will not tell you that this is easy. I'm used to being an accountant and mommying has not come naturally to me. HOWEVER, I am crazy in love with my girls. I highly recommend schedules! My girls do take a double nap during the day. (extremely necessary for my sanity). If you can survive the first 6 months, you'll be just fine! My youngest is 8months now, so I can tell you it WILL get better! Forget keeping up with the house... it will happen somedays and somedays it will not. That's ok, your kids are most important. I should take that advice somedays too :) Best of luck to you!!

Tip #1, you can't do it by yourself. Go ahead and tell your husband right now that he's going to have to take on 1/2 of the housework when this baby is born and continue with it for at LEAST the 1st year. That's not just coming from me, either. We were told this by a Christian counseling couple. Raising 2 that close together (pretty much at any age) is a full time job. You'll have just as much work (if not more, depending on your husband's job) and stress as your husband, so he'll just have to learn that he's going to have to help. I used to think I could be the perfect mom, wife, and housekeeper until #2 came. My husband and I realized soon enough that I just wasn't going to be able to do it all alone. My oldest 2 are 13mths apart, and I'll tell you now that the 1st year especially is HARD. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either lying to you or has forgotten. It does get easier, and by about 1 1/2yrs when the baby gets to the "playing with others" age, it gets GREAT. My brother and I are 12mths apart, my mom and aunt are 13mths apart, and my aunt's kids are 14mths apart, so I guess it runs in my family. :) It does really help to have others who have been through it to go to when it gets rough. The biggest tip I can give you (other than that) would be to make sure your kids take naps at the SAME time when the baby turns about 6mths. That will give you around 1-3hrs (depending on your kids) in one stretch for you to rest and get a little done. Do not take the whole time to clean up and work. In order to survive and not go crazy, no kidding, you'll have to take some of that time for yourself...bathing, reading, napping, doing a hobby you enjoy (scrapping, sewing, etc). It's definitely wonderful having them that close. If I'd known I was going to have 4 close together anyway, I'd definitely have had the last 2 12-14 months apart. My oldest boys are SUPER close now, and they're 4 & 5. They're best friends, but they do fight a lot these days, too...Just boys, I guess. Good Luck. PM me ANY time if you need help or encouragement.

HTH!
K.

Stay at Home Mom
of 4 kids (5,4,2, & 8mths) - 3 boys and a baby princess