I have 2 children both girls. I really don't think the second child is getting shafted that much. I do have to get more pictures printed, we dont have a photo printer so that is a money issue. But other than that she gets new clothes and stuff just like her big sister. My husband and I feel bad if we don't do that. I was also the second child in my family but I cant recall ever feeling shafted, I don't remember much these days. I am pregnant with our 3rd child and hope to continue to try to make things equal with each child. good luck

I think it won't be very hard to treat my second child the same as my first baby-book-wise. I'm a scrapbooker. I have 4 scrapbooks of my own life. But I haven't even BOUGHT a scrapbook to start for my daughter (9 months). Its been on the to-do list since before she was born and it still hasn't been done. I did buy some scrapbook paper, but I sense it will never be used... At this point I'm thinking at least if I don't do a book for her, I won't have to feel guilty about not doing books for subsequent children. Besides, I enjoyed taking all the photos of me as a baby (that my mom had never done anything with) and making my OWN baby scrapbook when I was in high school. I don't want to deprive my daughter of that joy;-)

My husband is making a "first year video" for her, so the pressure is on HIM to do the same for future children!!

First of all, can we please remove the sad psycho case who keeps posting the bizarre, horrible commentary?

Secondly, I think it's so normal to shaft the second child. I was an only child for years and was used to tons of attention! When my brother was born, my parents let things roll off their back much more! In some ways he had it easier--no curfew, less pressure to do well in school, less hypochondria and in-your-faceness from my parents...But I do still like being the first born :-)

I think a big part of it also depends on whether your work full-time or stay at home or what. I always think I'd have a ton more time to focus on baby scrapbooking, etc. if I didn't have to head off to work each day and come home dead tired! But maybe I'd be dead tired no matter what.

I know this example may sound a bit silly, but I don't have children so I am going to have to go by the next best thing I have..my pets. Over the summer we took in a baby kitten that was left near the expressway(it runs near my house) and made its way over to our backyard...it had been meowing incessantly and we decided to take it in during a really nasty thunderstorm(he was so tiny if we left him out he would have died). We decided to keep him as we just feel in love with him. A bit after we decided to get another kitten to keep him company as he was left alone all day due to being at jobs and college all day. Anyway I can see how the 2nd one has been shafted as we didn't buy her any new toys(just shared the toys we already had) and the first one we got definitely gets showered with more loving and attention. Don't get me wrong the 2nd kitten gets plenty of loving and attention but its almost that the novelty of having a new kitten around the house that was present when we got the first one has faded since the second one came. We do absolutely love and adore them both but I certainly see what you are saying. I am sorry that this example may seem silly since kittens are nowhere near like children...but it's the only way I knew how to relate to the post.

What a gorgeous picture. Just remember: YOU may not be able to give her quite as much attention, but Alex makes up for that by giving him a lot of his attention too! I'm the oldest in my family and I always wished I had an older sibling to lean on. So, Nora's lucky too!

I don't have any input really because I don't have kids, I just wanted to take a minute to say how adorable Nora is! She looks so much like you!

I absolutely do NOT think that second babies get shafted. The thing is, YOU may have less time for a second child, but there's the older sibling to factor in. My girls are 2 years and 11 days apart, turning 1 and 3 in under a month, and they are each others best friend! I made a point to make time to snuggle with #2, and spend some time alone with her, but she definitely has gotten less of my time than #1. And #1 has had to deal with getting less of my time too. But if you really want to look at it like someone's getting the shaft, what about #1 who doesn't have an older sibling to hang out with, learn things from, idolize? The thing is, each kid gets different things, no matter how many kids you end up with, but just because their experience is different doesn't mean that it's better/worse or any less than what the others got. So don't worry about it, and just love your babies and enjoy it!

I had to take all the pictures of Andrew down off the wall because I had gotten a professional shot of him every 3-6 months from the time he was born until he was 5. At 18 months I still only had one of Gregory which was taken two days after he was born. Rather than try and catch up I decided just to take them down. I am glad I was the first..... :)

:) But of course not! Honestly, what kid ever died from not having enough baby photos (or having 3 less Baby Book entries than their older sibbling?). Watching Grey's Anatomy might be pushing it a bit too far (not like an 8 week old is watching, anyways! ;)), but common': Guilt should be out the door. Especially, as others have mentioned, due to Alex's attention, which will no doubt grow over time. I do think, though, that you should buy some more pink and purple (even though you hate pink ;)), just so you aren't squinting at a baby picture 12 years later and finding that you can't tell if it's Alex or Nora! :) HA!

I don't know we added #3 a year ago and while I try to make a point to do special things with each one, there are totally times any of the three lose out. I would say sometimes that the oldest gets shafted most simply because he is more self sufficient, but other days the baby loses out because the older two can demand attention that he can't yet.

We have pics of every stage with # 1 and not so much with the other two, but then again we have video with 3 that we dont have of 1. somewhere in the grand scheme I like to think it evens out.
Steff

our 2nd is also a girl and kinda gets the same treatment from me , but she also is more independent , and more imagination than our 1st but Anastasia gets shafted for a couple of reasons, 1) like you said the 1st is excisting and new 2nd) we now have a boy only 2 yrs younger than her. he is now 2yrs old and boys need alot of attention otherwise they might just blow the house up! :) I am a daddy and it my boy , i refer to huim as "the boy" so she never got her full limelight and he stole it but mom is good with equal rights and children but great article

Yep, have two. And yes, my #2 definitely gets the short shrift, especially since her big brother has some serious special needs. But I've been trying hard to give her some quality alone time. I took her to the circus today and that was great (except for the part where she kept whining about wanting popcorn/sno-cone/one of those twirly things that lights up).

Oh, and Nora looks beautiful here and we had the same exact Ocean Wonders Aquarium bouncer, and now my sister has it. That thing works like magic and it's indestructible!