Ten Signs That You're Ready for Baby #2

It's been far too long since my last Top 10 list (check out old ones here and here and here). With the founding premise of Next Stop Baby shifting to the new premise of Next Stop (Another) Baby, it seemed fitting to list signs that one is ready to add "another" to the mix. In case you're not sure that you're ready for baby number two, here are a few signs that you may be closer than you think.

1. As your toddler is throwing scrambled eggs, screaming "MAMA!!!" at a deafening volume and kicking the underside of the restaurant table, you whisper to yourself with genuine joy, "Your little brother or sister is gonna think you're so funny." 

2. You learned to knit and are geared up for a baby blanket project. Maybe even a hat.

3. When your toddler passes out in your arms (exhausted from a raging tantrum that was instigated when you refused to let him stick keys into an electrical outlet), rather than transfer him to the crib, you slowly lay down on the couch and gently scoot his body so that he sleeps on your chest. 

4. You've successfully taught your toddler to change a doll's diaper. A little tweaking and she could handle a one month old. 

5. Your toddler has transitioned to a bed. The crib needs to be sold, put in storage or... 

6. When talking about the sleep deprivation you suffered during the first three months with your first born, you say, "It really wasn't that bad" and you believe it. (Your first born didn't sleep for more than 3 hours at a time until she was 5 months old and didn't sleep through the night until 1 year). 

7. Your memory of delivering your first born is spotty with a few happy, painless, foggy details. 

8. You finally broke down and upgraded to a mini-van. 

9. Those size 5 diapers are huge. You miss the little ones. 

10. That "ready" feeling you had the first time around - you feel it again. 

Dan Osborne (UK reality TV hottie) with son Teddy.
There's nothing better than a baby sleeping on your chest.
PURE HAPPINESS.
(image source: Dan Osborne Twitter)

Top 10 Reasons to Keep the Baby's Gender a Surprise

After last week's post on the Top 10 Reasons to Find Out the Baby's Gender, I thought it was only fair to play devil's advocate and give you the flip side.

Top 10 Reasons to Keep the Baby's Gender a Surprise

1. Surprises are underrated.

2. Control is overrated. 

3. Practicality.  When the baby's gender is unknown, practical gift giving is the name of the game. Bottles and diapers are must haves for all babies.

4. Extra Motivation.  I've heard from more than one mother that not knowing the baby's gender gave her extra motivation to push on the big day.  Not only did she want to meet her baby (of course), but she was incredibly eager to find out the gender.

5. Avoidance of Tacky Gender Stereotypes.  Some parents are into pink lace for girls and blue corduroy for boys.  Some aren't.  For the latter, keeping the baby's gender a surprise will help avoid getting hyper gender specific gifts that aren't wanted in the first place.

6. Tempering Expectations.  It's easy to associate gender with certain life paths, career wise and otherwise.  This sort of dreaming can create severe and often superficial expectations before the baby is even born (i.e. baby girl is going to be a ballerina with long brown hair).  When you don't know the baby's gender you focus on more neutral, genuine expectations (i.e. baby is going to be smart with a great sense of humor).

7. The Guessing Game.  Examining all the wives' tales and using the Chinese Gender Predictor is good wholesome fun.  Friends and family can even get a baby pool going.  What's a baby pool?  I'll tell you: everyone throws a nominal amount of money in the pot and guesses the baby's gender, due date and weight.  Person who guesses correct gender and due date wins.  Closest weight guess breaks a tie. 

8. Older Generation Digs It.  While peers may think you're nutso for not taking advantage of technology, your parents' generation and beyond will give you kudos.  After all, your grandparents didn't even have the option to find out and they got along just fine.

9. Nursery Dilemmas.  For those who live in one bedroom apartments or studios, the baby's nursery won't be a space of its own.  Rather, it's part of shared space.  This means that the nursery decor must vibe with the entire living space - pink elephant curtains and blue airplane wall decals probably won't work.  Keeping the style mature and unisex is much easier when the baby's gender is unknown.

10. It Doesn't Matter.  Boy or girl, your baby is money.

Top 10 Reasons to Find Out the Baby's Gender

I haven't done a Top 10 list in a really, really long time.  With all the talk of gender neutral versus gender specific baby stuff from Tuesday (here), I was inspired to get back on the horse.  Here I go...

Top 10 Reasons to Find Out the Baby's Gender

1. Surprises are overrated.

2. Control is underrated. 

3.  Bonding.  Some say that knowing the baby's gender helps create an extra dimension to the mom-baby bond because you can start to develop a more detailed vision of who your youngin' will be.  In other words, you can let your imagination run wilder than you could without knowing.

4.  Nursery Decorating.  This is a driving force in most decisions to learn the gender (this and #2).  Unisex bedding options are sparse and finding gender neutral accessories can be tricky.

5.  Prevent People from Guessing.  Whether family, friends or complete strangers, they will all guess at the baby's gender.  And you know about those wives' tales (boy = carrying high, girl = carrying low, boy = pregnancy glow, girl = pregnancy sucked out the pretty...).  Who wants a bunch of strangers guessing that you're having a girl?!

6.  Hand Me Downs.  People inevitably offer expecting moms their hand me downs, which is fantastic when it comes to saving some bucks.  Whether those hand me downs are gear, clothes, toys or otherwise, a lot of them will be gender specific.  If you don't know the gender, you generally don't get the hand me downs.  Now, you may get the them after the baby is born, but you risk losing the goods to another baby who's gender is known in the meantime.

7.  The Name Game.  Picking a name can be anxiety inducing for some.  If picking one name sounds like a huge burden to bear, then picking two names will clearly be twice the stress.

8.  Knowing is Half the Battle.  Parenting with success is arguably the most important mission of one's life.  The more information one can gain about the mission to come, the better off one will be when the mission arrives...or so I hear from G.I. Joe.

9.  Testing the Gender Predictors.  Between the Chinese Gender Predictor calendar thing and the long list of wives' tales, there are an infinite number of non-scientific ways to predict the gender of an unborn baby.  If you use the scientific method to find out the baby's gender, then you can put those non-scientific methods to the test.

10.  Coping With What's To Come.  Some parents-to-be have their heart set on one gender or the other.  Learning the baby's gender at an early stage can help set expectations.  It will also buy time to grow comfortable with what's to come and seek out friendly advice.   


Any other reasons that you can think of?  Agree or disagree with any of the items on this list?  If you want to check out my other Top 10 lists click here, here and here.