1st Child vs 2nd Child

Eleanor on left and Mallory on right. 

I've already noticed that parenting a first child and parenting a second is different.  

With Eleanor I avoided pacifiers for a while.  She never took one.  With Mallory I was desperate the very first night and tried giving her one.  She hasn't taken one yet; I doubt she will. 

With Eleanor I only let her sleep on me in my bed while I slept a few times the first few months.  Mallory sleeps on me during my naps almost every day and at least part of every night. 

Mallory was just over a week old when I left her the first time.  I just went to the store and was only gone 30 minutes. I left her for an hour and a half  at 3 1/2 weeks.  Eleanor was almost 2 weeks when I left her to go to the store and she was probably 6 weeks when I left her more than 30 minutes.

I started pumping at just a few days with Eleanor because I wanted a stock pile of milk in case my supply dropped. So I spent 30-45 minutes pumping several times a week just to have some.  Eleanor also had her first bottle at 2 weeks.  Mallory was a month and she's only had one because I've only pumped once.

Eleanor was almost always dressed in a cute outfit or onesie even though we were home most of the time.  Mallory get's dressed if we are going somewhere or have company usually.  Otherwise it's one piece sleep and plays or pajamas all day.  I get a little sad at things she may never wear, but it's just easier to do changes etc...

Poor Mallory has really gotten very few things new.  I bought her 2 sleepers, a dress, a 2 piece outfit and a pack of onesies (white-would have been used for a boy too).  I think I spent $30 on clothes for her.  Not that I spent a lot of money on Eleanor (mostly garage sale/hand me down things), but poor Mallory has very little new to her things.

I'm sure there will be many more things I will do differently as the girls grow.  Some changes will come from experience & some from necessity (as in personality differences).   I do know that parenting a first child versus a second will also have a learning curve with it.