What I've learned so far...

Things I have learned since bringing Lauren home:

• The 2nd baby really gets the shaft when it comes to pictures taken, naps shared with mommy, snuggling in general, and the amount of time they have to wait for a bottle. I never thought I'd be singing, "Laaaauren! The bottle will be in your mouth in a miiiinnnute! Your brother has to PEEEEE!" Yep...I should write song lyrics for a living, huh? And I had no idea that I would be weighing the needs of my children against each other so soon. Do I want to hear Lauren scream for 30 more seconds or have to clean up a huge mess after Brenden pees on the floor? I think you can guess which one I think deserves my immediate attention.
• It is absolutely possible to take Brenden to the bathroom, feed and burp Lauren, and cook dinner...all at the same time. I never knew I could multi-task quite that well.
• In 5 seconds, 2 year olds can be adorably sweet and then switch to insanely mean. Brenden will stand in front of his sister making funny faces to try to make her happy while I sing the Your Bottle Is Coming song and then, right after I get her to scream just a little more quietly by giving her the pacifier (who knew you could suck on a pacifier AND scream at the same time?! I didn't.) he will promptly yank it back out of her mouth. He's done this several times, sometimes when she's sleeping, sometimes when she's pondering the paint on the ceiling, so I don't know what reaction he's trying to get. Maybe he's just trying to see what both of us will do. Will Lauren cry? Will mom make me sit in time out? Will I be able to get away with this and start tormenting my sister before she can really hold her head up to glare at me?
• Taking two kids to the store by myself is exhausting and makes me crazy nervous...but it can be done. I've actually gone several times and it gets less daunting each outing. This may be partly (or mostly) due to the fact that we've only gone to Walmart and they have been giving away stickers that allow you one free cookie at the bakery. Mommy's reward? Starbucks.
• Having to take care of one child seems ridiculously easy now that we have more than one. There have been a few times where we have only had Lauren while one of the grandparents took Brenden to do something fun. Tim and I have looked at each other and said, "How did we ever think one kid was difficult?"
  
• The most amazing moments happen when I least expect it. Example: Brenden asked to hold Lauren so I made him sit in a chair and I laid her across his legs. He began playing with her hair and cooing at her. Then, she grabbed his finger and he said, "Awww! I love my baby!" And then their mommy cried. It was wonderful.
• It doesn't matter that we have packed a diaper bag almost every day for 2 1/2 years...it will inevitably be forgotten. OR the new baby will get the shaft, again, and not have a bottle/formula/diapers/wipes. One day we forgot ALL of them. We felt terrible, and not very smart.
• The sound of two children sleeping at the same time = PRICELESS. 'Nuff said.