1. When number 2 or more comes along, do you keep household noise totally normal when they nap (i.e. let the toddler run rampant) or try to keep the other kids noise down a bit?  We have a split level house with bedrooms upstairs so I discourage Michaela from yelling when she's upstairs (unfortunately something that has had to be actively discouraged) but otherwise there's no restrictions.

2. How do you balance the needs / wants of your kids when the baby doesn't sleep when out?? 

We love outings as a family but sadly our second has become like our first was and will only nap 20mins when out so gets very very very overtired. She wasn't this way until about 9 weeks...she used to sleep anywhere.

Today we stayed home until 1 to give her 2 good naps then went to the beach. She did 20mins sleep and was ok while out. However, when we get home she is beside herself with exhaustion and just cries and cries (haha at the first 6 weeks being the easiest as she barely cried back then!).  Ashley's probably at an age now where she's waking a bit more between sleep cycles which is why she is catnapping.  Maybe you could encourage her to sleep for longer while out by putting her to sleep in her pram for one sleep everyday (whether you're home or not) if she's used to the pram as a place to sleep she may find it easier to resettle in it.

What did you do? Go about life as per usual and let the second adapt or become hermits.  I need to get out and about for my sanity plus Michaela has kindy, dance, mainly music etc and it's not fair on her to stop those activities (she missed out on MM lots when Andrew was newborn).  Andrew's in a good routine now which helps, I know what time he needs to go to sleep and when he's due to wake and I can plan around it. 

For eg.  Andrew's first morning nap is at 9am - 11am (10:30am at the earliest).  On Tuesday's we do mainly music at 9:30am so Andrew goes in the front pack (we're not allowed prams in the hall) and if the weather's fine we meander down leaving home at 9am and getting back around 11am, if it's rainy we drive down and I carefully transfer him to the frontpack to continue his nap.  On Saturday's dance is at 10:15-10:45am and DH stays home with Andrew (although if he wakes too early I'll take him with me and let him finish his nap in the pram at dance).

Other days I'll purposely take them both out during Andrew's nap time like today he slept at home for his 9am and 4:30pm sleeps but for his 1pm sleep we took a walk to the park.  On Monday we walked to the local library for that sleep.