I like doing these posts because I see how different each stage is with being a mom of two kids. When I went to read back my life with two kids post from other months, I noticed I said that when they were both 9 months, life was easy. I have now officially changed my mind! I am not saying that it is impossible to raise two kids at all, but at the stage they are at now, life is definitely much harder, to say the least.
Zane at 15 months, starting really developing his personality and the one word I use to describe him is WILD! He is all boy (as my mom says) and he goes everywhere and anywhere his heart desires. I vividly remembering at 15 months, Hayley would sit still for about 20 minutes to watch Yo Gabba Gabba or allow me to actually shower. She was never good when we took her out to restaurants, but at home, she was good. However, Zane gives me the run for my money.
Let me give you some quick facts about Zane so you all know, how crazy he could be. First off, he was officially walking at 11 months and at 11.5 months, he ran and ran full speed ahead. I remember a slow transition with Hayley from walking to running, and I had some time to deal with a very mobile child. However, Zane went from A to B overnight. Along with the running, he learned to climb up and down our 20 stairs around a year old. That is terrifying for me because I like to be there when he climbs the stairs just in case he falls. But alas, he is usually quicker than me and sometimes Hayley needs need for something.
Zane also can undo basically every safety lock in our house. We bought a special lock for our door leading to our garage. Guess what, Zane figured it out! So now, we have a gate that we use in the kitchen to block him from even going near the garage. Along with that, Zane is a huge climber. I see a short transition to a big boy bed in the near future.
He is a wonderful boy, smart and beautiful, but he is definitely a hand full! I think with just him, I could manage easier, but with two, it becomes a lot harder. Hayley is at my favorite age so far-4! She is independent and loves to do imaginative play. However, along with imaginative play, she likes me to interact with her. I love to play with her but alas, when I finally sit down to play, Zane is in trouble somewhere in the house. One time I actually heard quiet when I was sitting down with Hayley, just to find Zane in the kitchen pantry, spilling an entire bag of Rice Krispies on the floor.
It is hard to balance the two at times, but I feel so blessed to have such wonderful children in my life. This post is not to say that Zane is a bad boy, because he is definitely not, but he is at an extremely wild stage. I am sure this is just a stage, or shall I hope so! I have to figure out how to play with them, so each of them is happy. Zane wants my attention to play in his kitchen…Hayley wants my attention playing dolls…Zane wants my attention teaching him his alphabet…Hayley wants my attention reading her books. We will figure it out but this stage where he is almost 19 months and she is 4, is actually quite hard!
So, if you have 2 or more kids, what stage did you find the hardest when dealing with both? I would love to hear your opinions. Even if you have one child, what did you find the hardest age?
Here is a cute picture from the weekend:
It’s wonderful to hear/read how you enjoy every moment with your kids even during crazy ones.
I love how you are keeping up with the differences with them…It shows just how different our kids can be. I remember mine at that age…and was just like you….Trying hard to keep up with them both, but loving every minute of it!
Zane sounds like a little Houdini! LOL
It can be a juggling act, but it’s so much fun being a mom that its well worth it.
It can be tough but oh so fun!!
awwww they are so cute! I only have one so I can’t empathize.
Such a great post – they are adorable!
I’m not a mom, lol. Posts like this remind me why I want to just keep animals.
Zane and Hayley are adorable Melissa! Beautiful picture. Zane is proving to be a brilliant boy! He is figuring out so much. All the very best to you and your family.
I really enjoyed reading this. THey are to two most beautiful children and I am blessed to call them my cousins!!!! Love you all.
I love the photo of your beautiful kids! I have one daughter – 11 months – and she started walking last week and running this week! I cannot even imagine trying to keep a handle on two kids! But we hope to have a second baby next year, so I am sure we will figure it out as we go along as we all do. 🙂
I love reading these posts! They are too cute!
Oh goodness Melissa! Your Zane sounds just like my boys! I have two of them and they are only 15 months apart in age. Yes, I was crazy.
They both reached this stage at the same time. I about went insane. And the Husband was deployed so I was doing ti all on my own. thus the insanity part. They were good kids, just ran me ragged. They also figured out the safety locks within a day that I put them up. So frustrating. They were definitely ALL boy.
They have gotten better with age, but i still find it is impossible for them to just sit and be calm; unless they are watching TV. Which I don’t like them being glued to the TV all the time, so I just deal with wild and crazy boys.
Now Jade on the other hand…she is quite different. It’s amazing the difference between boys and girls. lol. thanks to my sweet boys..it was a good 4 years before we decided to have another one. And boy was I GRATEFUL when we got a girl!
I love how sweet girls are and much more mellow. She’s such a blessing when I’m going crazy with how crazy my boys are. I think every family needs the calm child to balance out the wild ones.
I so appreciate this post. You have no idea. My kids are 3 years apart and I found it hardest when they were 4 and 1! Five and 2 was tough too, but oh my, even ONE BOY at age 2 is challenging. Your kids are adorable. My kids are now 8 and 11, but they still have their days. And they become more demanding on their mom on an emotional level, whereas they exhaust you PHYSICALLY when they are younger. All I can say is it goes by WAY too fast. Take care of yourself as much as you can. Stay healthy. Then taking care of them is a little less insane.
they are so cute 🙂 my boy didnt start walking until he was 19 months but he took off after that! I cant imagine having 2, but they are just gorgeous 🙂
After having three girls in a row and then the three boys–what a difference! But I loved it.
Have a great day!
Danielle
I so enjoyed reading this post because I’m expecting a baby boy in January and I’m a bit nervous. My Chloé is so easy. Easy in terms of toddlers. She’s just such a little lady, and I have a feeling this boy will be quite the opposite! I can’t believe Zane walked at 11 months! Kudos to you for juggling it all! 🙂
They are so cute together!!!
I can’t say any particular stage has been harder than another. Each stage has pros and cons. Right now, it’s difficult balancing two school-aged kids with a toddler that gets into everything. I feel like I’m on the go from the time I wake up until the time they go to bed!
Wow, I thought life with my 2 was crazy!! Sounds like Zane gives you a run for your money for sure!! I guess we’re at a relatively “easy” stage right now.. although my kids fight like cats and dogs half the time. My kids are getting pretty independent (especially Jasmine) and they do everything together so I don’t feel like they’re running in different directions. The hardest stage with two, for us, was when they were babies. I remember literally holding both of them every day to get them to sleep at nap time. Carrying both around when they were both crying. There were days when I felt like I was about to lose my mind!!
As a mom of 2 it definitely is incredible to see the differences in the kids! And I can say that for me, the hardest stage was probably 12-20 months or so. One was still nursing, the other one was only 2.5… it was complicated, I was exhausted and working. Now that they are 2.5 and 4, while the tempers are worse, their daily care is much easier. And we have SO much more fun together now!!!
My friend’s daughter is four and she always says how it is a good age. I know for her, 2 has been a tougher age with both her girls. She has three children and said the transition from 1 to 2 children was much harder than 2 to 3 children.
The photo is so cute…omygosh, I love Hayley’s Cadillac!! 🙂
Hope you have a great day!
Xoxox
Maria
Wow, you certainly have your hands full! It’s great that you can appreciate your kids for their difference! They are both so cute!
I think its awesome how they are so different. I can only imagine it will get more and more interesting! Lots of laughs in your future! 🙂
Zane the wild man! Well you know I’m only 3 months into this parenting of 2 gig…and I must say the first 6 weeks were the hardest for me b/c Nolan was adjusting to a new brother and acting out….and Conley the baby was crying all the time. I just felt like there were not enough of me…I know that every age group has its challenges!
Your descriptions of Zane made me laugh! 🙂
I don’t have 2, but I can only imagine. Sending love, prayers and patience your way. You are doing an awesome job, mama!
Wow!!! Life with two!!! Reading this makes me a little nervous about trying for another!!! The more the merrier!!!!
Alright, you are scaring me! Looks like we are all in for a busy life, huh?
Now, ha! 18 months and 5 years. I think Zane and Bailey are a lot alike. I’m beginning to think it’s a second child thing. Tyler would sit and watch cartoons for an extended period of time but Bailey, NO WAY! Turn your back for a second and she’s on top of the kitchen table! Hopefully things will begin to get a little easier soon! 🙂
This is the hardest stage for me! Logan is all boy and crazy too while Charlie is doing everything her big brother does. So I am trying to catch two of them before they fall off the couch backwards etc. Makes me tired just thinking about it!!!
I love how different the both are, such adorable kids! My two are total opposites 🙂
Right now is hard! Hoping it will get easier as time goes on. They are both so cute.
I have a tiny daycare with a 3 and 5 year old and the difference in the personality of these 2 is amazing. Sierra is really quiet and shy and very easy to be around – until Connor comes home. Connor is argumentative, talkative, very smart and both kids pick things up amazingly fast. Wow!
Okay I would have to say probably right now at almost 3 & 5. Both boys are both just as wild if more crazier than ZAne. Right now they are at the age where they fight over everything. When we buy them sonething we must buy 2 or there will be major meltdowns. And the younger one copies everythibg the older one does. it craziness!!!!! Oh and then don’t forget about the 6 month old baby boy they wake up while yelling and punching eachother;) everyone tell me it gets easier when they are a little older…..sure hope they’re right!!! All my friends have a boy and a girl and always tell me there is such a difference between the two. I am the only one with 3 boys so I only know wildness…..hoping the third one is the calmest;)
They sound precious, and like life is fun and a bit crazy with two 18 month olds, lol! Hang in there, it might not always be easy, but it will be worth it, and time will fly!
Sometimes it is hard to balance the two of them. The other day I had Rebecca on the toilet and Aiden came in to tell me that he had to go to the bathroom. Of course our other bathroom is upstairs and the gate was locked so I had to made Aiden stay next to Rebecca so she wouldn’t fall off the toilet and so open the gate for him to he could go. They’re both at good ages right now, though they both have their moments of heinous tantrums that make me want to hide in a closet. And Rebecca is definitely in the exploration age that Zane is in.
what an adorable sweetie. Isn’t motherhood fun?!
I had similar issues as you with all 3 of my children…especially the figuring things out and getting in to everything. We had to get rid of the cribs by a year because they would get out…the climbing was the scariest. The good news is that one boy is a Senior in High school now and the other is 10 years old. Both have been natural (and unstoppable) athletes from age 2 and have never stopped! They are smart and gorgeous and every age becomes my new favorite 🙂 ok, I lied during that last part…teens can really sock it to you…but it is fun to have a more mature relationship as they get older as long as they stay trustworthy. (I think that 6 months and like you, 4 years old are my favorite ages)
Your kids are so cute and so funny! Such little personalities!! =)
They are the cutest kids!! It is amazing how kids can have such different personalities. I am glad that you love the age four stage, that is next for us. I am loving the age of 3 right now. Each one has been a learning process yet so much fun! Love the picture of the two of them!! xoxo