The First Time You Have a Second

Everything about your first child was...a first. All of your experiences as a parent, from minute one to year one, were had with fresh, green, nervous eyes. Even if you had already enjoyed the beauty of changing a diaper, you had never changed your own child's diaper. And you'd probably never changed a newborn's diaper. Remember when you learned about and saw and cleaned up the black, gooey, poop-ish stuff in that itty bitty diaper? By now, you may have forgotten that the official name for that stuff is meconium. I did.

The second time around, those eyes are a bit wiser. You've seen some. You'll be able to change that meconium filled diaper with one hand and one wipe, blindfolded. You won't be as nervous when he or she gets a cold because, by now, your firstborn has had 500 colds. You're wiping your firstborn's nose as you read this post. You have the ability to pump while making dinner, talking on the phone and watching The Bachelor.

Speaking of The Bachelor, if you don't know who this is(shame on you),
this is Andi Dorfman. And after she reamed out the current Bachelor
for saying "It's Okay" too much (among other annoying habits),
she's the frontrunner for becoming the next Bachelorette. 
image source Andi Dorfman Twitter (@AndiDorfman)

Frankly, second time around, it's going to be a less scary, less difficult journey because you know what's up. Well, maybe not entirely. If you have a sibling, you know that you and your sibling have a couple differences. For starters, you're a she and he's a he. Your interests are different, your sizes are different, your appetite and taste for spicy food are different. And your personalities - they're different too. You're slow to warm up, he commands the spotlight. You're a talker, she's a listener. He tells the jokes, you laughs.

Your second born won't be an exact clone of your firstborn, so your experience won't be exactly the same. All that practice and conditioning from your firstborn won't necessarily be applicable to your second born. Your first might have been a marathon and your second might be more like a sprint. They're both races, but require different muscles and different skills. This isn't to say that you're not a seasoned parent. You are seasoned. You are a pro. You will have many "I got this" moments. But, you may also have a few "Never seen that before..." moments.

Even though you're having a second baby, you're still going to have plenty of firsts.

The Perfect Double Stroller

If you're doubling down on the number of kiddos in your family, you may need to double down on the size of your stroller as well. So, which double stroller should you get? Well, I have no idea. But I'm willing to compile a bunch of stats for you so that you can make an educated decision. There are a many, many, many options out there, but I've narrowed it down to a list of strollers that I've seen in action.

BOB Revolution

This is a jogging stroller. A big, sturdy, can-handle-the-bumps-in-the-road jogging stroller. Amazon reviewers love it (4+ stars) and so do the friends I have who own it. The quality holds up over time and it's a nice ride for the pusher and the pushee. It's not a great stroller for cruising the aisles of Target because of its width, but it'll kick ass on your stroll around the neighborhood. I've also read that it's not ideal for tall kids because it can feel a little squished and cave-like. 

Specs for SE Duallie Model

Cost: $459 on Amazon.com

Weight: 34 lb.

Dimensions: 58.3 x 30.6 x 40 inches

image source

Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller

People be loving this stroller. For starters, the 2014 model weighs almost 10 lbs less than most other double strollers. TEN POUNDS. And it stores in relatively small spaces by folding in half. And it's kinda sorta narrow, so it can fit through most doorways, making it a great stroller for outdoor and indoor cruising. While there were very few complaints amongst Amazon reviewers, a common mention was problems with the wheels - breaking, locking, wobbling. It's also not truly compatible with the Snugride infant car seat (even with the adapter), and people also be loving the Snugride.

Specs for the 2014 Model
Cost: $449 on the Baby Jogger website 

Weight: 26.6 lb.

Dimensions: 38.5 x 29.75 x 41.5 inches

image source

Phil and Teds Classic Stroller with Double Kit

This stroller is loved by city dwellers. It is the narrowest model in today's post (by a long shot). It has the footprint of a single stroller because the seating is front to back. And, the Classic model weighs even less than the City Mini above, making it a winner for shopping in tiny urban boutiques and hauling up and down subway stairs. Although, nothing is truly light enough to haul up and down subway stairs. On negative side, I've repeatedly heard from friends that they dislike the front to back seating. The back seat is, well, the back seat - smaller and less comfortable with a worse view - and siblings can't interact easily (or at all).

Specs for the Classic Model
Cost: $399 on the Amazon.com 

Weight: 26.6 lb.

Dimensions: 38.5 x 29.75 x 41.5 inches

image source

Bumbleride Indie Twin Stroller

This is the Cadillac of double strollers. The positive is that it's an all-around awesome stroller. The (predictable) negative is that you'll need to drop some serious cash to own one of these puppies. Owners rave about the massive, full-coverage canopy, the comfortable seating, the smooth ride and the general quality and attention to detail. It also fits through a standard doorway despite the side-by-side seating. Like I said, this one has all the bells and whistles, but you'll spend upwards of $800 for a new one with minimal accessories. Amazon reviewers complained about bad customer service should you get a lemon. And don't try to jog with it because the smooth ride will immediately become treacherous. 

Specs for the Indie Twin

Cost: $729 on the Amazon.com or Bumbleride.com

Weight: 30 lb.

Dimensions: 36 x 29.5 x 34.5 inches

image source

Bottom line: these are all great strollers. It's a matter of your needs, your lifestyle and your budget. 

Do you own one of these double strollers and have a review to add? Or maybe you own a different brand and can share your experience? Fill us in.

Happy Hedgehog Nursery

I've shown you elephants (here), I've shown you giraffes (here) and today I'm showing you hedgehogs.  Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic about never getting a high score on Sonic the Hedgehog, maybe I just loved the Land of Nod bedding below.  Either way, here is an orange, gray and woodsy collection of hedgehog items for a gender neutral nursery.

Image Sources - see below

Details on these cool products:

Throw pillow by Laura Frisk

Hoop Art by Box Room Bazaar

Bright Eyed, Bushy Tailed Bedding from Land of Nod

Tree trunk lamp from Svpply

Bib by Pocoa Poco Baby

Xtina, Bodhi and the Kardashian Trio

It's Friday, so let's keep it light.  How about a week in review of celeb baby news?  Let's do it.

For starters - Xtina is preggers again!!  This is definitely worthy of the double exclamation point.  Her son, Max, with her ex-hubby is already 6-years-old.  So, she hasn't done this in a while.  It's certainly a sprinkle appropriate occasion, although I think celebs have a full blown baby shower for every baby.  Just one of the many ways that the rules don't seem to apply to them.      

Megan Fox and David Silver welcomed their second son, Bodhi Ransom.  Not long ago, I told you that I was excited for all these celebs who are expecting baby boys.  And this is why.  Hollywood has not been disappointing with boy name choices as of late.  Bodhi is not nutso, but it's unusual.  We're all familiar with the name Bode, thanks to Bode Miller kicking it in Sochi.  Bode and Bodhi are different spellings of the same name.  And, believe it or not, Bodhi has actually been in the top 1000 US names since 2010.  It's at the bottom of the list, but it's there.  Now Ransom, let's be real - nutso.  I mean, not completely and utterly nutso, but standard nutso.  It was actually popular at the turn of the 19th century (circa 1915), making this name a mashup of modern and vintage.  I love it, in a I-would-never-name-my-kid-this-name kind of way.

The real star of the real Beverly Hills 90210.
image source

The Kardashian sisterhood announced their baby fashion line.  Yawn.  Jessica Simpson also has a fashion line for everything ever, but she doesn't make such a big deal about it.  Why do they have to announce everything?  Why do they have to be such attention...needers?  I say all this, but then I also On Demand the 2 part episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians when Kanye proposed to Kim.

Thoughts on Christina Aguilera's pregnancy news?  How about the name Bodhi Ransom?  Will you buy clothes from the Kardashian fashion line at Babies R Us?

Snow Snow Go Away

I couldn't let another day pass without venting about all this snow.  If you don't live in a part of the world that has been smothered by snow storm after snow storm after wintry mix, here's a visual:

It's snowing.

It snowed.

Some version of the above two photos is outside my door, day after day.  And I'm sick of it.  Not just because it's cold or because it requires me to dig out my ungaraged car and clean it off and warm it up before going anywhere.  And not just because my front stoop is hopelessly covered in ice or I fear death by icicle when I go to the bank.

Getting yourself and a toddler equipped for the snow covered outdoors is a friggin pain.  The gear is incredible - multiple clothing layers, enormous coats, hats, mittens, scarves and boots.  My normally sturdy toddler is an impossibly drunken sumo wrestler under all the woolen, downy weight.  My glove covered hands can never find my keys.  We both slip, constantly.  She can't see under her over sized hat that never seems to just sit on her head.  Meanwhile, I usually forget my hat and we have to go back.  If we have to carry anything other than ourselves, it will add ten minutes to the process.

When we finally make it to the car, approximately twenty six minutes have passed since we began putting on our coats.

Then, the car seat project begins.  I usually take off her puffy coat once we're in the car thanks to all those horrible reports about the dangers of your baby/toddler wearing a big down coat in a car seat.  But, the car is absolutely freezing.  Usually colder than outside.  How is that even possible?  So, the car has to warm up before I can take off her coat because, as mentioned, it's absolutely freezing.  Other than not wanting her to be terribly cold, the last thing I need is for her to get pneumonia.  We've already been battling every winter cold (and stomach bug) that exists in the world.  

It's been forty minutes since we embarked on our winter errand and I finally pull the car out of the driveway.  If I'm lucky we can actually go forth, if not I realize that I've forgotten the letter I need to mail or the shoes that I need to return back in the house.  And, when that happens, I sit there (listening to Down by the Bay off of Raffi's Greatest Hits) and wonder how the hell one does this with two kids.

Double the Baby, Double the Gear?

When you add a second baby to the mix, what else do you need to add?  What other stuff do you need?  Some baby gear from your first born can be reused, but some can't.  Inevitably, you will need some additional things and some different things.  The following list is a brainstorm of the Reusable Stuff versus the New Stuff.  It's based strictly on common sense (and not experience) because I am a mother of one.  Kindly note that my common sense is not always measuring at a respectable level.

I've broken it down by category: Eat, Sleep, Travel and Everyday.

EAT 

Reusable - I think most things in the EAT category are going to be reusable, like bottles, a bottle drying rack, baby utensils and plates, food storage containers for the fridge and freezer, a breast pump and a Boppy/My Breast Friend/the like.

Purchase Necessary

• Bibs - Some of these may have suffered significant wear and tear.
• Bottle/Sippy cup brush - It was probably time for a new one about a year ago (hopefully you took care of that), it's definitely time for a new one now.
• Breast milk storage - This depends on what kind of storage you used and what you plan to use.  If you are into the plastic bags then you'll need more of those suckers.

I own this OXO bottle brush and am happy to report that
I replaced it midway through my bottle washing days.

SLEEP

Reusable - Your bassinet/co-sleeper, swaddle blankets and monitor are probably in good shape and reusable.  If you used a white noise machine or mobile, those are reusable as well.  The crib, however, is entirely dependent on whether your first born is still using it.  If baby number one has moved on to bigger bed pastures, then the crib falls into the reusable category.  If baby number one is still behind bars, then you're looking at your biggest round two purchase.

Purchase Necessary

• Bedding - A set or two of new sheets is probably in the cards.
• Wearable blankets - This will depend on how your old ones held up.
• Extra monitor camera - If you are still using your monitor with your first born, then you'll want to add a camera to your system so you can spy on both kiddos.

This is a travel crib by Baby Bjorn.  I don't have it, but I've seen it in action.
While I don't love the price tag, I do love how light weight it is...like a feather,
especially compared to the Pack N Play, which I do have.  

TRAVEL

Reusable - This category has some big ticket items, so it would be nice to reuse as much as possible.  You should be able to put your infant car seat to use for number two.  It's unlikely that safety standards have changed much (or at all) and it's likely that it's in good enough shape.  Your carrier, whether you went with the Bjorn or Ergo or Moby or some other cool choice, will definitely make a reappearance after a quick refreshening.

Purchase Necessary

• Portable crib - If number one still needs a portable crib, then you'll need another for baby number two...I guess...right?  It's hard for me to imagine a hotel room with multiple portable cribs, but what's the alternative?  I would love for someone who has traveled with two babies to chime in here. 
• Toddler car seat - Your first born will probably still be using the toddler car seat when your second born is ready to transition up, so you'll need to purchase a second toddler car seat at that point.  They stay in car seats forever.
• Double stroller - If your first born is under four years, you'll need a double stroller.  (Side note: four years is a total hypothesis on age, I don't actually know when most kids give up the stroller.)  Some single strollers are designed to attach an additional seat, so if you have one of these guys then you'll just need the extra seat.  If baby number one is closer to the four year mark, you may be able to get away with a ride along board (see below).

This is the ride along board from Uppa Baby.  Some boards are brand specific and some are universal.

EVERYDAY

Reusable - Some clothes, shoes and accessories will be reusable, though this depends on a bunch of factors that I talked about in a post a couple weeks back.  You can also reuse some health and safety stuff like thermometers, nasal syringes, an infant bathtub, towels and washcloths.

Purchase Necessary

• Pacifiers - They're inexpensive and seem likely something that should be fresh and new.
• Clothes, shoes and accessories - You will probably need some of this stuff based on seasonal, size and gender differences between your little ones.
• Diapers and wipes and ointments - Obviously.
• Humidifier - If you have two babies with two head colds (a total nightmare), everyone will need their own humidifier.

What am I missing?  I feel like a lot.  

What were you surprised to be able to reuse and bummed to have to purchase?  

A Baby Named Valentine

I've never met anyone named Valentine.  I've never even heard of someone named Valentine for that matter.  It's a bit surprising that some celebrity couple hasn't jumped on it.  You have the cute nickname of Val.  It means strong and healthy.  And, of course, it conjures up notions of love and chocolate.  Valentine Affleck totally works.  I bet Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale would have done it if they had (or were having) a girl.  

To those of us named Valentine (no one that I know) and to those of us not named Valentine (everyone that I know) - I hope that today brings you the kind of love that exists at the Heathrow arrival gates.  Have a fantastic Valentine's Day.

A Light Green Summer Baby Shower

I've been thinking about summer baby showers lately.  Hint: I have a near, dear, extra special friend who is having a summer baby shower.  Here is what I came up with - light green with some colorful macarons (my near, dear, extra special friend loves macarons...who doesn't?).

(image sources - see below)

Here's where you can find these treats:

Macarons wrapping paper from The Paper Source

Baby shower invitation from Minted.com

Paisley heart banner by The Paper Lake

Paper straws by Shop Pretty My Party

Oh Snap! onesie by Caustic Threads

The Art of Naming a Sibling

It's been over a month since my return to Next Stop Baby and, at long last, we've reached a baby name post.  Having another baby means choosing another baby name!  Happy happy joy joy!  Let's do some butt bumping a la Ren and Stimpy.

The first time you picked a name, you considered all the basics: how does it sound with your last name?  do the initials spell out something unsavory?  is it too trendy?  does it have special meaning?  The second time around, you have all these same considerations and the added consideration of whether it works with your first child's name.

Some people ignore their first child's name.  And, I get it...kind of...not really.  Okay, I don't get it, but I'm all ears if you want to try to convince me.

Let's look at a few examples of possibly problematic sibling name choices.  Baby girl number one is Aurora Moon.  Baby girl number two is Britney Amber.  You went way hippie on round one and way eighties on round two.  Another example.  Baby boy number one is William Robert.  Baby girl number two is Nevaeh Jade.  You went way classic on round one and way modern on round two.  Last example.  Baby girl number one is Olivia Jane and baby boy number two is Oliver John.  You basically chose the same name for both rounds.

While names don't create a person's identity, they do have a bit of influence.  There's actually science behind this (click here to read more), I'm not just making it up as I go.  So, if a name influences an individual, I don't think it's a huge leap to believe that the way names relate to one another between siblings also has an impact.  Perhaps the impact just adds to each sibling's individual identity or, perhaps, it also impacts the relationship between the siblings.  I'd love to hear what Bill Nye The Science Guy thinks of all this.  Maybe I'll tweet him...I hear he's pretty legit in the twittersphere.

I have no idea what the above means and not just he misspelled Italy.

If you still don't think that sibling names should relate to one another, head over to Nameberry.com and check out the "Sibling Names Forum".  That's right, there's an entire section of the website dedicated to parents who are agonizing over what to name a sibling.  Some poor parents are trying to name twins or triplets with older siblings.  Talk about your ultimate naming equation.

No need to freak out - unless you're freaking out with excitement, then by all means, get your freak on.  You will find the perfect sibling name.  You did it before and you'll do it again.  But, if you are freaking out in a bad way, just head over to Nameberry and seek the wisdom of strangers who have no stake in the matter and will pull no punches.  Seriously.  I bet you'll get some quick, real advice.  Good luck!





  

Simple (with a capital S) Toddler Valentine

Today, I'm venturing into unchartered waters here on NSB - I'm crafting.  Technically, I did the crafting last week and you're just reading about it now.  And, technically, crafting is a mischaracterization of what happened because I'm pretty sure that crafting involves skill and the following requires no skill (at all).  True crafters who make actual crafts will (understandably) poo poo my efforts, but I'm going out on a limb and sharing anyway.

Valentine's Day is nearly upon us (hint: it's this Friday).  This year, with the help of my delightful toddler, I decided to send homemade Valentine's to some long distance loved ones.  My little lady and I joined forces and came up a hand print heart Valentine.  Here is the play-by-play.

I bought red paint at Joann's Fabric.  The label said "washable" and "non-toxic", there were hand prints on the label...which is the centerpiece of the project...and it cost something like $5, so I scooped it.  I couldn't find a link on the Joann's Fabric website, but here is one on Amazon.

Before we got down to business, I did some quick prep.  The kitchen was our project site, so I removed all fabric items in arm's reach, including a couple dishtowels and a little rug.  I brought my daughter down to her skivvies diaper and put on an old t-shirt.  Even with the label saying "washable", I didn't want to take any chances.

At last, the fun began.  I squirted about 5 tablespoons (total guestimation) of red paint onto a paper plate.  I took my daughter's right hand and smooshed it into the paint.  Now, here's where one may argue that a slight amount of skill is involved: I pressed her paint-covered palm onto a piece of paper.  I had a stack of heather gray/brown 8x11" paper, but any paper would do (including standard white printer paper).  Sometime around print eight, she realized that she could make things other than the paper red.  Thankfully, I saw the bulb illuminate and immediately brought the project to a premature end.

Here is one of the hand prints.  As you can see,  it is by no means perfectly shaped.  None of them were, but they got the point across (the point being - this is the relative shape and size of my daughter's hand).

Above is the full paper perspective, so you get a feel for the true lack of precision - not only was the print itself smudgy, but there was no rhyme or reason as to where it landed on the paper.

The prints needed about two hours to dry.  Once dry, the mildly creative portion of the project began.  My idea was to use the shape of my daughter's hand to make a heart.  Originally, I planned to print both of her palms next to one another, thumbs touching, which I thought it would look like a heart.  But, after the successful albeit short-lived right hand printing, I called it a day while I was ahead.  So, instead of letting the hand print be the heart on its own, I added a little embellishment.  I made a faint outline of a heart with a pencil around the hand, using the shape of the hand to guide me.  Once my sketched heart looked relatively balanced, I traced over the pencil with a pink Sharpie, erased the pencil marks and added a Valentine's message with a fine tip red marker.  Ta Da!

Not too shabby.  I did another.  But, after the second, I couldn't take the smell of the Sharpie anymore.  My singed nostrils needed a break.  So, I switched to colored pencils for the remaining bunch.

Final step, I cut the paper in half (approximately), leaving me with 8.5 x 5.5" piece, which I then folded in half to make a card.  The hand print and note were on the inside and here is what I did on the outside...

I dug out a heart stamp and a purple ink pad (both were purchased from The Paper Source about 4 years ago) and fancied up the front of the cards with a heart or two (or ten) and the first half of the message (i.e. "Dear Mom" or "Dear Auntie").  Here's one to Grandma Rhoda.

And there you have it - a handmade hand print Valentine that is part adorable and part murder scene creepy.  I think our friends and family will love them...once they realize the hand print is made of paint and not blood.

Happy Valentine crafting.

A Refresher Post

Now that I'm back in the swing of things and (trying) to post on the regular, I thought it was a good moment to re-introduce you to what Next Stop Baby is all about.  Sure, you can go to the page "This Blogger" to get the general gist, but today I'm going to give you a bit more detail.  Just a bit.  Expectation setting tends to make for more successful reception.  So, whether you're just stopping by or have been following all along, this is Next Stop Baby.  Welcome.

I am the only writer for Next Stop Baby (with very few exceptions) and I write about baby related stuff.  Mind blown?  Not so much.  I'll keep going. 

I try to write about things that I know nothing about.  This may make absolutely no sense upon first consideration, but I actually think that I'm onto something.  By writing about the unknown I can (hopefully) lead a more neutral and balanced discussion - it's harder to be judgmental about something that I have no experience with.  It can be tricky to find things within the baby world that are completely unfamiliar because I have a baby.  Two babies, however, is unchartered territory.  Hence, the focus of my posts is the journey to baby number two.  

Once in a while I write about reality TV.  It's not that I get lazy, it's more that I genuinely love trashy television and can't help but share my love with innocent bystanders.  Even less often, I host a giveaway, which is usually the result of someone contacting me and offering me free stuff for my readers.  It's tough to turn those opportunities down, so I typically don't.

The slightly unique aspect of my blogging style is that I try to keep it relatively impersonal.  I don't give much detail about me, my family or my life in general.  Things slip in here and there for context, but I've stayed anonymous in many ways.  I'll admit that this is selfishly driven.  First, I'm a surprisingly private person, despite having a fully public blog.  Second, and even more importantly, I often write about a topic because I'm genuinely seeking advice and perspective.  By largely excluding my personal life, I'm forced to really research and consider the topic itself.  This also drives more feedback on the topic itself and not feedback on me personally, which I don't need (or want).  I get plenty of personal feedback from my mom, my husband, my friends, strangers in Trader Joes...

So, if you're here hoping for a diary of how I got my daughter to sleep through the night or the sentence-by-sentence recap of conversations with my husband about whether we're ready for round two or even just details about who I am and what I look like, you're going to be quite unsatisfied.  If you want to discuss how to choose a name for your second child or what double stroller is the best on the market, awesome.  Please join the conversation.  

And now, let's set more expectations: What do you expect to read about on NSB?  What are your other favorite blogs and why do you read them?  What about having a second child scares/excites/confuses you?  What reality TV are you watching these days?  What would be your dream giveaway?  

Thanks for reading.

Round Two: Surprise...or Not

When you were pregnant with your first, you have a sort of clean canvas upon which to decide whether you would find out the baby's gender.  Or not.  You consider a bunch of things, but mostly you go with your gut (i.e. I NEED TO KNOW...or surprises are the best).  Now, you're pregnant with bambino numero dos and you're once again faced with the decision to find out the baby's gender or not.

This time around, the canvas ain't blank.  In fact, this time around, the canvas is completely splattered and smudged and smeared with the loving art of your firstborn.  So, the considerations you had when making the determination with your first are probably going to be different than this time around.

For starters, whether you decided to find out the gender of your firstborn or not, you now know that he is a he or she is a she.  So, you now have gender specific things all over your house - clothes, shoes, toys, bedding, gear and countless other miscellaneous baby accoutrement.  Whether you wanted to or not, you've been gifted and otherwise accumulated lots and lots of girly or boy-ey (?) stuff.  If baby number two is the opposite gender, you may find yourself needing to (or wanting to) purchase some stuff that suits his or her gender.

They (tropical5 on Etsy) makes pacifiers that are blinged out with Swarovski gems.
You may want to go with something less...pink and sparkly for your baby boy.  Maybe.

There's also the fact that baby number one is around for this pregnancy.  Baby number one is following along, on some level, and may benefit from knowing baby number two's gender.  You may benefit from using baby number two's gender in your readying of baby number one for this major life transition.  Or,

And, what about the logistics involved with where baby number two will set up shop for the long run?  If you're going to have two kiddos of the same gender, it might be in your plan for them to share a bedroom.  Two kiddos of opposite gender may influence you to give everyone their own space.  This sort of decision is nice to make in advance because it gives everyone some time to emotionally adjustment and it gives you time to physically get the space ready.  

Perhaps the lavender decor is too girly for your baby boy?  

Perhaps the airplane decor is too boy-ey for your baby girl?

I didn't find out the gender of my firstborn.  I was miserable about it for the first trimester and most of the second...just desperate to know what my husband and I had decided not to know.  About halfway through my second trimester the desperation simmered.  By my third trimester I was pretty excited that we had kept it a surprise.  On the day that my daughter arrived, I was already sure that we would keep baby number two's gender a surprise as well.  I wonder if my mind will change when the time comes...



  

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I'm not talking about Christmas, although Christmas is a wonderful time of the year.  I am talking about the best time of year to have a baby.

Before we get into a serious discussion on this topic, we have to acknowledge that you can't actually control your baby's birthday.  Even with a scheduled C-section, you're still limited to a window of time, meaning that your OB won't let you have a C-section on July 4th if your due date isn't until October 15th.  Aside from your lack of control over the delivery, there's also your lack of control as to when you ovulate and when fertilization occurs.  Basically, we're about to have a pointless conversation.

Now that that's out of the way, let's dive in.  If you were able to choose your baby's birthday, you may want to consider some of the following:

• Fall Babies are Wicked Smart - Respected studies out of the UK show that babies born in September, October and November are the highest achievers, both academically and socially.  Read more here.
• Summers Off - Teachers and students often want/need to have a summer baby and preferably an early June baby.
• Time to Lose the Baby Weight - Babies born in the fall or winter give you a good chunk of time to lose the baby weight before it's bathing suit season.
• Maternity Clothes Wardrobe - If you're at your most pregnant during winter months in a cold part of the world, your maternity clothes investment can be significant.  You need coats and sweaters and pants.  And if your feet widen you need a couple pairs of shoes or boots.  If you're at your most pregnant in the summer, all you'll need are some cheap cotton dresses and flip flops.
• Holy Hot Flash - While summer maternity clothes are the cheapest and easiest, there are some obvious disadvantages to being extremely pregnant in extreme heat.  Public transportation and non-air conditioned spaces are hell.
• Winter Holidays With a Newborn - Having a baby in the fall means his/her first holiday celebration is right around the corner.  This may mean traveling with your newborn.  This may mean hosting a bunch of family and friends while caring for your newborn.  This may mean exposing your newborn to all sorts of winter germ thanks to the masses of family and friends that you visit or host.  
• Your Other Child(ren)'s Birthday - Having back to back birthday parties takes skill, money and patience.  Spreading out the fun tends to be more manageable.

What other seasonal factors affected you and your newborn?  What was the best time of year to be pregnant, to deliver and for your baby to be born?