2Nd Time Around.....

I have to echo the comments about getting something to wear the baby. I have used a sling and a wrap, and love both, but will admit that the wrap is SO Much easier with tiny ones! It holds them just right so you don't have to worry at all about head support or positioning like you sometimes do with a sling-espeically if it's not fitted just right. I have found the slings easier once my kids are a few months old and able to sit more upright in them.

A sling so you can be hands free with the toddler!

I got a double stroller - BIG MISTAKE.... I'd go for the sling first. If you find you need a stroller for both, my sister loved her sit and stand depending on how big your 3 year old is. Enjoy and congrats!

A sling is a must! I used a swing a lot when #3 came along. We absolutely love our Combi side-by-side stroller. We used it with #s 1 and 2, and now use it for #s 2 and 3. It held our Graco car seat just fine. It is very narrow and fits into any building that is up to code, including handicapped bathroom stalls. We had a Graco front and back first and hated it. I also used, and still use, a Baby Bjorn so baby can be carried for activities and still see. My 21 month old still prefers it at times, although I can tell those days are quickly coming to an end. Plus, if you have a recent Baby Bjorn, you can wear baby through security if you fly. I would recommend a sling that is okay for security if you fly often. Anything with a metal clip or ring has to be taken off. The only other thing I can think of, is have baby and big sister nap at the same time. If sister isn't napping, start giving her down time now so she doesn't associate it with the baby. Reading, etc. is okay, for at least an hour. You'll need the down time. Congratulations!

good advice already. another thing i found helpful is a baby gate. we didn't live in a place with stairs so we didn't buy a baby gate right away. but when we did buy one, i found so many uses for it! like separating the kids when the older one wants to play something that has tiny pieces. or when the older one is throwing a fit in time out and the curious baby keeps going to the time out spot, then the older out of control child hurts the baby. baby gates can be very helpful.
something you don't have to worry about for a year or so but i will mention anyway is straw cups. i had been given a variety of sippy cups and bottles with my first child. when #2 came he wanted to be just like his brother and i had to find a cup that the baby could handle but was also appropriate for my oldest. cups with straws were a great solution for us.

We really enjoyed the sit 'n stand stroller we got - although it's a little cumbersome and takes up quite a bit of room in the vehicle, our kids (3 years apart) have really enjoyed it. My youngest is now 2 and we still get lots of use out of it. Also, if you don't have them already, a front pack and backpack (i.e. Kelty - for when the little one is not quite so little!) are great for running errands, letting the older one still sit in a shopping cart. Congratulations!

I actually never got a double stroller. I found strollers in general to be too bulky and not very handy and just a waste of money. I did use one for my first 2 kids but very rarely, mostly only the first 2-3 months of their life when they need to be bundled and kept warm. I found that when the babies are small the slings or wraps were more useful, then we progressed to the backpacks that dad's don't mind wearing, those can last the kids well thru the first year, usually a little longer. After that the small umbrella type strollers were easier to deal with, especially when you are alone w/2 kids.

I loved when my oldest was finally able to walk instead of being pushed/carried...your oldest is old enough now, you might want to think about having him walk more....they feel a bigger sense of self and get some freedom....they get exercise...it wears them out a bit, which is always helpful for them at naps (if your oldest still naps, all of mine were DONE with napping at 2, yuk) good all the way around...and good for your sanity in general:)

Also, most places where you will be doing a lot of walking offers strollers for renting. That's what we did anyway. Just something for you to think about.~Unless of course you are a runner...the disregard everything I said!

Another thing that might seem trivial is to buckle both carseats by a door, that way each parent can easily get one in and out of the car...it is no fun having to try to reach in and buckle the middle seat:)

I am sure you will get some great advice on here...all these momma's are wonderful!

Congrats on #2!

My daughter was almost 3 when her little sister came along. I had a Bugaboo Frog stroller and LOVED it, and did not want to get rid of it for a double stroller. So I bought a riding board for the Bugaboo so my older one could stand while the baby rode in the stroller. It worked out great! (Also, the Bugaboo is super easy to steer one-handed and turns on a dime, which is nice when you're already wrangling a newborn and a preschooler!)

I agree with the advice about the sling, too. I actually had a Baby Bjorn but if I had it to do over, I'd have bought a Moby wrap. My cousin had one and loved it.

One other thing that made baby #2 so much easier (even though this was not a "thing" that we bought) was that we did BabyWise with her (we did AP with #1 and it really didn't work for us). Right away she was on a schedule and therefore slept great and at predictable times! I used the times when I knew baby would be sleeping to plan to do things with my older one. She and I came to look forward to this, and I think it made her feel like she was still just as special as she had been before baby sister was born.

Congrats on your growing family! =)

Thank you for asking this question. My second is coming in May, and my first will only be 2. I keep going back and forth on the stroller. I do love my Ergo carrier though, and plan to use that for my next one. My oldest still uses it, and I am trying to get him to walk more, ride in carts, etc. I am hoping that by doing this now, he won't think that the baby is taking his place. I also used babywise with the first and hope to have the same great results with the second.

I am going to keep checking back to this post to see if you get any more great advice. Thanks!

Hi J.,
My kids are also about 3 1/2 years apart. So, I get where you're comming from. Although, I don't have any advice as far as strollers go (since I bought a double jogger when my baby was 6 months old and if I need to go somewhere I usually let me little girl walk-she almost always stays right by me though), I will advise about where to have your carseats in your car. If you have a regular car (no minivan) and are planning on having your baby in a cradle type carseat for the first year or so, then this is how I did it and it worked great. Put your baby in the middle. Then, have your older one be behind the passenger seat. That way, when you're parallel parked, your older child will be on the sidewalk/curbside. You can set the baby's carseat down on the sidewalk while you strap your other one in. Then, you can walk around and put the baby in the middle. I found that to be the easiest way. That way, your older child won't run into the street, etc. It is also helpful, so you can reach to hand your big kid things, and it is easier to look back quickly to check on things when you don't have to crane your neck clear around. Your older child will be able to talk to the baby and hand the baby toys/binkies/books, etc. Doing things that way has helped us greatly. Good luck!
I will also second the book Baby Wise. I read it and took things from it and implemented them into our lives. I didn't do EXACTLY what it said, I just used it as a guide. Both my kids were sleeping through the night at 7 weeks and 9 weeks. When my son was born, I used his nap times to play with my daughter. That was our "mommy time". I also used one of his naptimes as "me time" too. I explained to my daughter that if I was going to be the best mommy ever, I needed some time by myself. I would read, shower, check e-mail, clean, etc.
Good luck and congratulations! Times will be crazy busy, but extremely fun!

Shellie

your 3 YO will not be using a stroller for much longer so that would be a waste - By the time they're nearing four, they'll MUCH rather run/walk (unless you plan on going to the zoo/amusement parks OFTEN)
you really won't use it much, so it will be bulky and less practical

My kids are the same distance apart and I love, love my ergo carrier!
J.

Totally agree with Lillysweets! I loved my zolowear sling!

http://zolowear.com/

You can use that thing anywhere and it's great for nursing. You can use it in the pool, vacuuming, and everywhere!

Congrats on #2 :)

loved the stroller with the one seat and one standing room-my kids were 3 years apart and the older one needed to be able to get off and walk/run!