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What I've Learned From Baby Number Two

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:15:00 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Carolyn Robertson about lessons learned from a second child.

Motherhood has been a very humbling experience so far . . . which is a nice way of saying it’s knocked me on my ass many times over. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been midconversation with another grown-up and suddenly realized that (a) my breasts are leaking, or (b) I have a crusty old food stain on my shirt, or (c) I am decorated with Little Mermaid tattoos and sparkly dinosaur stickers and Phineas & Ferb Band-Aids.

I assumed, though, that I would have a much better handle on things the second time around. Sleep issues, tantrums, separation anxiety, potty training: been there, done that, bring it on. And then I met my second daughter.

Here are a few things that I’ve learned from baby number two:

Sleep training doesn’t always work: I was one of those moms who swore by sleep training. CIO works, I’d tell my mom friends. It’s not fun, but if you stick with it, it works. My oldest, after all, started sleeping through the night and never stopped after we let her cry it out at 6 months old. Well, it turns out it doesn’t always work, after all. I did everything exactly the same with Amelia, but at 21 months old, she’s still not a great sleeper.
Sometimes babyproofing really is necessary: I read in some baby book that we do our kids no favors when we babyproof the home - they have to learn limits, after all. Made sense to me! So with our first, we did the bare minimum (baby gate on the stairs, potentially poisonous stuff out of reach) and took care of everything else with a firm “no touch!” and gentle redirection. Worked like a charm. We figured we’d do the same with our youngest, but as it turns out our little angel loves to body slam the window screens and climb into the fireplace. Everything - everything - goes in her mouth. We tell her "no," we redirect, and she laughs and becomes that much more determined. Our house is now so childproofed that even I have trouble getting into the kitchen cupboards.
No two kids are the same: My first is shy and cautious - my second would run into traffic to hug a stranger. My first is sensitive and gentle - my second is a crazy little steamroller. They are different in every way imaginable, and I’m starting to see that all those tried-and-true tricks that worked for one probably won’t work for the other.

One last thing I’ve learned? You really can love another baby as much as you love your first. I harbored secret fears that I would never be able to love any other child with the depth and intensity that I do my older daughter. I was wrong.

What did you learn from your second - third or fourth - child?

More great reads from BabyCenter:
What does a stay-at-home mom do all day?
Is Strawberry Shortcake looking a bit trampy these days?
Five children's books that celebrate Black History Month
Seven adorable mobiles for any nursery
Is a 6-year-old too young for boarding school?

Tori Spelling Asks How Moms Squeeze in the Exercise

Tori Spelling — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:36:55 PST

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week, we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her thoughts on motherhood and exercise.

Last weekend, Liam had some observations about my footwear:

"Mama, what the heck are you wearing on your feet? Those are tennis shoes. I've never seen you wear those. You only wear regular shoes."

He's correct. The harsh realization that my 4-year-old is inadvertently pointing out that I haven't worked out in years. Oh well, ya gotta start someplace.

How do you busy mamas squeeze workouts into your crazy schedules?

More great articles from Tori Spelling:
Valentine's Day Creative Kids Crafts
Eco-Chic: My New Vintage Wood Floors
Home Sweet Hollywood Recap: The Season Finale
Palm Springs PicTORIal Part 1

Get Great Benefits by Taking on One of These 11 Part-Time Jobs

LearnVest — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:15:46 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

“Underemployment” is a term that, compared to “unemployment,” more fully captures the lack of job opportunities.

The underemployed includes the unemployed as well as those employed part-time but wanting full-time work.

According to a recent poll, underemployment is currently at 18.1 percent. That’s down from 18.3 percent the month prior, and 19 percent a year ago. While these numbers are still high, there are opportunities to work part-time. You won’t make as much money as you would with a full-time job, but with many part-time positions, you’ll not only earn a salary but also score some great perks.

Related: the 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs

We’ve put together a list of 11 big-name companies that provide big benefits to its part-time workers. Whether they're offering free merchandise, health insurance benefits, or tuition aid, these employers certainly make it worth your while to work, even if you’re only putting in 20 hours a week.

Whole Foods

After part-timers have worked 400 hours, they get health, dental, and vision plans, as well as 401(k) retirement plans, paid time off, and a 20 percent employee discount. After working 6,000 hours, employees are offered stock options.

Target

Work at Target as few as two and a half days a week for six months, and you can become eligible for Target’s health care coverage. Employees also get access to other health benefits like free flu vaccinations, a 24-hour nurse hotline, and discounts for Weight Watchers.

Read on for more.

Are Kim and Reggie Getting Back Together?

Allie Merriam — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:42:21 PST

Reggie Bush comforting a single Kim Kardashian - Us Weekly
Details on Rihanna's Caribbean-themed birthday bash - People
Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgard bring the Valentine's hotness - Lainey Gossip
Did Justin Bieber give Selena Gomez a promise ring? - HuffPost Entertainment
It's hard to choose which SI Swimsuit Edition model is the most beautiful - TooFab
How Kate Middleton is queen of High Street - The Daily Beast
Scary - Blake Lively gets a restraining order against a fan - ET
How the BAFTA-nominated films stack up with critics' rankings - Rotten Tomatoes
The unique method Zac Efron uses to bulk up - Wonderwall
Nicki Minaj was "disappointed" with M.I.A.'s Super Bowl gesture - Lifeline Live
Is Kate Upton dating Mark Sanchez? - Zap2It
Why did the Beckhams bring Harper to Fashion Week? - YourTango
What does Kate Winslet think of her early work? - Celebitchy

Savory Sight: Banana Peppers

Yum Community — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:29:51 PST

Pickled anything is A-OK with us, and these banana peppers posted by Instagram user whalemap look particularly vinegary and delicious.

Don't forget to tag all of your edible Instagrams with the #savorysight hashtag. Not into Instagramming? Don't worry, you can always upload your food photos and recipes in your YumSugar community.

12 Things You Should Never Buy Full-Price

Business Insider — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:15:25 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

With the Internet, helpful mobile phone apps, and retailers scrambling to keep consumers in their shops, there's no need to pay full-price for much of anything these days.

To give you a boost, we tapped a few savvy shoppers for their tips on all the ways you can save.

Theater tickets

"One of the greatest savings areas recently has been the theater ticket business," says Anna Aronovich, CEO of GovernmentAuctions.org.

Even if you're not going to be around NYC to score discount Broadway tickets this month, there are opportunities in nearly all cities to see shows on the cheap.

Some rewards programs like Optimum Rewards cost nothing to join and offer discounts on shows.

Beer

If you're looking to stock the fridge for your next poker night, don't hit the liquor store until you've checked out www.saveonbrew.com.

The company's been featured on a host of deals sites lately as one of the best ways to find discounts on brewski, says Jennifer Davidson, director of operations. (See some incredible uses for beer.)

Read on for more.

Natalie Portman and Dakota Fanning Team Up For a Fashion Week Front Row

Lauren Turner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:17:19 PST

Natalie Portman and Dakota Fanning posed together before taking their front-row seats at Rodarte's NY Fashion Week presentation this afternoon. Also on hand to see Rodarte's 2012 collection were Maria Sharapova and George Lucas. Natalie's back home on the East Coast after a stint in LA, where she attended the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes. Last year, Natalie was a big award season winner for Black Swan, and she's finally lining up her first post-Oscar projects. Apparently, Natalie's involved in two Terrence Malick movies, Knight of the Cups and Lawless, which will film this Summer and Fall.

Link Time - Jon Stewart Takes on the Freak Out Over Birth Control

TresSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:40:02 PST

Jon Stewart takes on the birth control debate to perfection - The Frisky
5 quotes to help you get over your breakup - YourTango
A Valentine's Day mix for the man in your life - CollegeCandy
Guy-approved chick flicks! - BuzzSugar
Take these 5 phrases off your online profile - Newser
The case for spending Valentine's Day alone when you're single - HuffPost Women
The signs guys look for to see if you like them - Ask Men
Hotties in hoodies - theBERRY
Joan Rivers's ex-manager tells all - The Daily Beast

Zachary Levi Lands a New Pilot

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:30:23 PST

Chuck star Zac Levi lands a pilot with Fox - BuddyTV
Hot and heavy movie makeout sessions - NextMovie
8 sexy TV characters who would be too insane to date in real life - The Frisky
See what critics are saying about Reese Witherspoon's new romantic comedy - Rotten Tomatoes
Classic Valentine's Day TV episodes - Zap2it
New pictures of Brad Pitt in Cogan's Trade - /Film
See Kate and Leo on the new poster for Titanic 3D - Moviefone
Why Cougar Town is the smartest-run show on TV - HuffPost TV
Whitney star Chris D'Elia shares his relationship secrets to success - TrèsSugar

Savvy Links: How to Get Someone to Actually Read Your Email

Emily Co — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:47:29 PST

How to get someone to actually read your email - LearnVest
Will you soon be able to buy shares of Tory Burch? - The Jane Dough
12 things that are blocking you from finding happiness - HuffPost Women
Save money on cleaning products with this household secret weapon - AllYou
How to travel full-time for $17,000 a year - Wise Bread
Google will pay you if you let them spy on you - Tecca
Ways spending money will save money - Real Simple
How to woo your credit score - Credit Karma
10 tax law changes for 2011 tax returns - Bankrate