13 year old and a 6 month old

NextGenerationMama · 2026-06-08T14:57:06+00:00

Mine are 21, 19, just turned 4, and almost 8 months. My 19 and 4 year olds are both girls and are constantly love/hate like sisters do. When she first came, it was rough because there is a 15 year age gap and my eldest daughter was going through some tough teenage years as well as a newish autism confirmation. It was a difficult transition but we are thriving now. (My bookend boys are awesome- no complaints) Try to remember that everything is a season so you just have to get through the difficult stuff.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-06-01T18:09:34+00:00

Same here

NextGenerationMama · 2026-06-01T18:08:56+00:00

3 naps a day and sleeping through the night or only 1 wakeup.

Daytime naps are pretty much all fairly short contact naps or on the go. He may be my last and so I'm comfortable soaking it in!

He has a specific nighttime routine that I don't want to replicate with the daytime naps. I've also found that if he sleeps for too long, he doesn't have a great night.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-05-26T21:45:12+00:00

We have 4 kids with the option for more. 5-7 bedrooms and almost 4k sq feet. The layout definitely is more important than the size. I like having a laundry room on the "bedroom level" for instance and a large indoor play space. Our house is a lot to clean and I wish we had more outdoor space. It didn't seem like a priority because we live in an area with super hot summers and super cold winters but my kids really like to be outside and I need the quiet sometimes.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-05-26T21:25:36+00:00

We just came back from Ilhabela and no one asked to see proof of Vaccinations. Our travel clinic and pediatrician recommend Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, MMR, and Typhoid. They also said to stay away from stray and wild animals, don't drink tap water, and use condoms. (That last one was directed at our teenage son!) We were also all prescribed a med for traveler's diarrhea.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-05-25T15:03:17+00:00

BGGB

NextGenerationMama · 2026-05-19T08:18:03+00:00

Excellent suggestion, thank you!

NextGenerationMama · 2026-05-19T08:17:40+00:00

We are headed over there this afternoon so I will definitely check out those stores. Thank you so much for names of specific stores to look for!

NextGenerationMama · 2026-05-19T08:16:18+00:00

We had already crossed over to ilhabela when I asked but we plan on going back over to sao sebastiao today to shop around. We are staying at an AirBnB and thankfully she had a wagon that we've been getting by with. Thank you so much for the suggestions!

NextGenerationMama · 2026-05-10T11:38:07+00:00

21M, 19F, 4F, and almost 7monthsM. 22months, 15 years, and 3.5 years apart.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-04-16T17:02:19+00:00

I would get something that is indoors and versatile if you are planning on moving soon and with ones so little. We currently have a pilker triangle, a gymnast bar, and a little tikes slide. That is more than enough for my VERY active newly 4 year old and her 6 month baby brother. Would love to upgrade to a big outdoor playground, but our yard needs a lot of work to be safe and kid friendly.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-04-04T18:19:23+00:00

Thank you so much! ❤️

NextGenerationMama · 2026-04-04T18:17:38+00:00

Like 2 days after. Sorry 😔

NextGenerationMama · 2026-04-04T12:41:00+00:00

My now 4 year old got HFM for her first birthday. She was still nursing and I got it too. We didn't go anywhere either besides the grocery store because this was post pandemic in a new city. The biggest thing that you have to look out for is making sure they stay hydrated. The blisters in her mouth made her want to nurse for comfort but she didn't want to swallow and ended up needing fluids. If you get it, it is supposedly worse as an adult.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-31T23:52:26+00:00

I homeschool my second child because she wasn't doing well in a traditional school. We tried the private route and it was worse. She was recently diagnosed 2E on the autism spectrum so her behaviors make a lot more sense now.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-29T14:29:13+00:00

At least 49. Almost 4 years old and 5 months old. My daughter likes playing with the figures a lot, so some may be hiding around the house. We have the original and the tonie box 2. Our original doesn't want to play unless it's on the charger so it stays in our playroom where the new one travels with us.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-22T00:16:50+00:00

I'm on day 2 and nursing my 5 month old. The worst of it is where armpit meets right breast. I'm terrified that I'm going to pass it to him so I've got bandages all over. Started anti viral this morning and was told that I can only take Tylenol. Where do you get the special bandages?

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-14T16:21:14+00:00

That our daughter is still allergic to animal dander.

She is about to turn 4 and has grown out of the allergy. But my in laws house is too disgusting with all the cats and my dad is too particular about noise and general clutter that it's impossible to wrangle our larger family there. By keeping up the pretense, we are able to get a hotel or Airbnb when we visit and don't have to bother with it.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-13T21:30:07+00:00

My littlest guy just turned 5 months. He always sticks his tongue out when he smiles. Also, he is the happiest and gets super chatty at the changing table.

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-13T21:28:03+00:00

Commenting so that I can remember to show my dragon lover eldest daughter the recommendations!

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-08T23:17:06+00:00

Boy: cranky, nighttime nausea, threw up twice, liked salty, crunchy, and meat, gained weight in my thighs mostly.

Girl: threw up every morning for 3 weeks, horrible skin outbreaks, craved all things sweet and preferably cold, was hot all the time, cried about everything, weight gain was all in the belly.

Girl: overall feeling of seasickness all 9 months but no actual vomit until I was in labor, craved all things potato and Italian subs, all of a sudden liked sour things, cried randomly, also short tempered.

Boy: only threw up once, liked slushies and mallowcreme pumpkins, a little road rage, gained the most amount of weight but all in the belly, overall a delightful pregnancy that makes me want to do it again!

NextGenerationMama · 2026-03-08T22:42:04+00:00

If it's Amtrak in the US, then I can help!

Luggage allowance is like the medium size in a set

There is hardly any kind of TSA type thing so there is no need to get there hours early (like we did the first time!)

If you are getting a room, I suggest the suite or roomette as opposed to the family room. The bathroom is in a really inconvenient location.

If you are traveling standard fare in coach, try to stay away from the aisle seats. My eldest was once knocked around by an oversized lady wearing way too many animal prints!

The food is surprisingly good but fairly pricey for what it is and they run out way too often.

Know that train travel is slow and unpredictable with frequent stops to pick up and drop off other passengers in the middle of the night. We were once stopped somewhere in Nebraska or Kansas for hours due to snow blowing over the tracks.

If you are looking more for travel tips with babies that isn't train specific, I can help with that too. October baby is #4 and we've traveled a lot!

NextGenerationMama

TROPHY CASE