Hey there…it’s been a while since I’ve actually written down some thoughts, so here we go! We welcomed Nicholas into our family six months ago in January, and he’s been an absolutely perfect addition to our crew. That being said, the transition to three small people has been a big one. Of course, we knew this would be the case but being outnumbered by our kids has thrown us for a loop or two.
The Challenges
One of the most challenging parts of the jump from two to three children has been sheer logistics. Where does everyone sit in the car? How do we get through the grocery store without taking up an entire aisle? How the heck are so many people talking at the same time? I feel like most of the past 6 months my main role has been Keeper of the Calendar, and that can be mentally exhausting. The logistics of finding time for individual attention is also really hard – it simply doesn’t feel like there are enough hours in the day to give each of the boys the one-on-one time they crave. That being said, the “big boys” as we’ve started calling them have been troopers about sharing pretty much everything over the past 6 months.
The Good Stuff
There is a lot of good stuff. From the second we told the boys we were going to the hospital and possibly having a baby, they have been over the moon for their baby brother to join our family. They came to meet him when he was 12 hours old, they all fell in love in front of my eyes, and it’s been the most beautiful thing to see how much they love him. Now that he’s 6 months old, Nicholas is really interacting with his brothers and he gets so excited when he sees them first thing in the morning or after a nap – be still, my heart. I can’t wait to keep watching their brotherly bond grow and see them play together.
Lessons Learned
Even as a “seasoned mother”, there are lessons with each baby. Nicholas is truly a dream (I finally got a baby who loves to sleep!) and he has a mom who’s been around the block when it comes to feeding, sleeping, and general baby things, but he’s his own person. Sure, he doesn’t have any food allergies so far, but he also doesn’t get to nap in his crib for every nap because we’re always on the move with his brothers. The big boys have been wonderful in their promotion to big brother and “biggest brother” as TJ likes to call himself, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenging moments. The lesson I’ve learned here is that when all else fails, just hear them. Not everything needs to be fixed – and I’m a fixer, so that’s my M.O. – and not everything needs to be talked to death – again, big talker and re-hasher.
We’re still learning as we go, but the confidence that comes with having been through the baby thing before really helps. Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram as we navigate our new chapter!
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