Trust Me, You'll Love Baby #2 Just As Much As #1

Almost everyone I know thinking about having Baby #2 has the same thought: There is NO WAY I will love Baby #2 quite as much.

I thought this too. Actually, I was POSITIVE that there was no way that any baby could ever compete with my love for W. I was really nervous that I wouldn't have enough love for both of them or that I'd always favor W. And then B was born... And I can say to parents thinking about Baby #2: You're wrong. You're beyond wrong. And so was I.

I never, ever imagined how different and fiercely you can love another child without any hint of competition or change in your love for your first child. It's hard to grasp, but your heart grows and stretches beyond what you imagined possible, as does your capacity to love. It's just one of those crazy parenting things.

When people ask me about B, I usually tell them that he and I are connected in a special way. I mean it. I feel a very strong, emotional connection to him, as if he and I have known each other for a very long time. It's hard to explain and might sound totally crazy, but I can look at him and know we're on the same wavelength. There are moments when I'm positive I know what he's thinking or that we're in on the same joke. And he loves me in the sweetest way. He has been wrapping his arms around my neck and fiercely hugging me for months and just this weekend he grabbed my cheeks and put his lips to mine. I'm convinced it was the first time he kissed me.

We were all having dinner the other night and W started asking when B will be old enough to play with him more. I asked if he remembered life without B and he had to really think about it... and so did I. As each day passes it's getting harder to remember life before B. It's almost as if we were all waiting for him to get here. And it will be the same for your family. I can't promise many things when it comes to parenting, but I can promise that.