Just like with number one, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect with number two. All I knew is that it would be a wild and sleepless ride — one I wasn’t sure I was capable of handling. Now that we’re two and a half months in, I’m still not sure I’m capable of handling this, but everyone is alive, fed and mostly happy, so I guess things are alright. And, just like everyone said, the second one is nothing like the first.

Here are a few observations I’ve made about the differences between my boys:

  • Elliott would just pass out. No swaddling, no rocking, nothing. Just a pacifier and a cozy lap, and he’d be out in 5 minutes or less. Benji on the other hand? I can’t even begin to describe the number of gimmicks required. And they change every week it seems like. Swaddle, pacifier, sound machine, rocking, bouncing, rock and play — all of these and more are required to get him to sleep. And even with all that crap, it can still take over an hour. We won’t even discuss napping. Kill me now.
  • Elliott is tough as nails. I can’t tell you how many times I couldn’t tell if he was sick or not and I’d take him into the doctor and they’d tell me something like, “yeah, he has bronchiolitis and a double ear infection.” Benji, on the other hand? He’s my sensitive baby. When he feels crappy, we ALL know.
  • I thought Elliott was a momma’s boy. Nope. Benji has him beat already, hands down. This baby looks at me like I’m the most magnificent thing he’s ever set eyes on. He also NEVER takes his eyes off me. He literally tracks me around a room, grinning from ear to ear. And if I get out of eyesight? Tears. I didn’t think that sort of thing was supposed to happen until 6 months. Yikes. Needless to say, the kid has my heart.
  • Whenever you bring a tiny baby out in public, they become an instant celebrity. Every time someone saw baby Elliott they would say, “Oh, that hair!” Whenever I bring Benji out? “Oh, those eyes! He’s so alert.” Yeah, lady. They never close either. Like, ever.

Even though I sleep like garbage, feel like I’m scratching and clawing my way through every day, and hardly have five minutes to myself, I’d say I’m still enjoying this boy mom life. And I’m looking forward to seeing all the ways my boys are different — and the same. If these first few months are any indication, they’re going to have an amazing bond, and I’m so happy for them. When I got into this breeder business, all I wanted was to create two children who had the same kind of relationship my sister and I had. I think we’re well on our way.