Second time around

I think we are scaring potential parents (teachers, grandparents, babysitters, medical professionals, government officials...) witless.  From the warnings on every single plastic bag not to wear on your head to the drowning warnings on five gallon pails to the warning labels plastered all over the cute fabric that would otherwise cover the infant car seat to the poster warning that children are routinely smashed by large, falling appliances, one would think it is a miracle anyone survives infancy!  Yes, some care and provision must be taken with the most delicate amongst us, but do we need public service announcements warning against any and every freak accident that may assault us and our children at any moment?  When will they start putting a warning sign in your car that lights up every time you decide to go for a (decidedly risky) drive that auto accidents are a leading cause of death...?

But as a mom 2.0, it is actually amazing what won't kill your child.  All those freaks and fears that internet message boards and morbidly pessimistic great aunts have been warning us against for years really are okay.  I hopped on a plane (with the baby) two weeks after our second child was born (having had notice of her arrival the day she was born and leaving the hospital with her two days after that, talk about short notice!), a feat I hardly would have imagined possible with our first.

The stroller now lives in the garage instead of being hauled out of the closet every time we want to go for a walk.  A little diaper bag with feeding necessities and a diaper or two is enough for a quick jaunt across town (rather than the 75 diapers, 9 outfits, and 35 oz of formula we hauled around for our son's first outing).  The bottles get washed at least once a day (versus sterilized after every use) but are only rinsed and air dried between feedings.  She naps wherever it is convenient with the hustle and bustle of household noise and traffic and light going on, versus completely dark and silent in the nursery.  She's actually seen the sun a time or two and hasn't melted.  Generic formula hasn't killed her or even stunted her growth.  She can cry for 2 whole minutes without exploding.  A little regurg doesn't necessitate a bath and full wardrobe change for everyone involved.  Diaper pail?  That's what plastic shopping bags are for!  She has yet to stop breathing the moment I step out of the room or dare sleep.

It's kind of fun being an old hat at this, there is so much less worry that I can actually enjoy it this time around.  There also seems to be less unwanted advice from most quarters though there are a few sticklers who are convinced there is only one right way (their own) to raise children, but a 95% reduction is a vast improvement.  I should have had my second child first!