Second Sock and Second Sleeve syndromes are well known in crafting — the idea that an item, if big enough, means that the second version of the same item will be boring and onerous to do. This is working reason behind why picture sweaters and mirror imaged socks were invented (and deliberately mismatched earrings, no doubt).
I have two nieces so I have had to work through Second Toy and now, Second Afghan Syndrome.
The photo above is of the first, finished mermaid afghan. I started it around the middle of December and finished it around the end of January. It's now the beginning of March, and the second one has been... languishing. I'm just at the point where the initial rows will be joined in the round. I'm hoping it will let me pick up the pace a little, because it's when things get joined in the round that the decreases start.
The original pattern calls for the opening slit (not shown) to be almost all the way to the bottom of the afghan, and for the decreases to be both abrupt and late. The afghan is to go from full width (25 shells) to something like 4 shells in about the minimum number of rounds it is possible to do that in gracefully.
The end effect is much like a nineteenth-century reticule purse, and although there are plenty of crocheters on-line who reported they liked this way of ending, I didn't. I joined the work into the round after only about 45cm, and decreased gradually until the body of the afghan was just wide enough to accommodate the tail (16 shells). The tail closes off the bottom by being slip-stitched directly onto the bottom of the body, working from the inside so no seams were on the outside.
Today after work I marked each decrease in the finished afghan with a safety pin (take notes? what do you mean, take notes?), so I'd know when to make the same decreases in the second afghan. With preparation comes effiency and all that good stuff.