On life with 3

Hudson is now 6 weeks old and Ethan has started Kindergarten. Not sure which one of those things reminds me more that life goes by in such a hurry. Things have been moving along at a frantic pace - between nursing every 2-2.5 hours, packing school lunches, giving boys baths, and trying to fit in some "me" time somewhere in there, the days fly by (while ironically, the nights...do not).

My body and my psyche has finally adjusted to the nighttime feeding and lack of sleep. I'm no longer walking through each day in a sleepy delirious haze - however I will continue to blame my forgetfulness on mommy-brain; what day of the week is it again?

It's been so strange having to wake up every day to ensure Ethan gets dressed, brushes his teeth, eats a good breakfast and gets to school on time. It's kind of bittersweet knowing this morning routine will be part of my life now for the next, oh, 18 years or so until Hudson graduates high school. If ever I would consider forcing myself to like coffee, now would be a good time.

Ethan is loving Kindergarten, as I knew he would. The first day drop-off went so well that it was only natural that the 2nd day jitters would come into effect. When I took him on Tuesday, it was an all out fit-in-the-hallway breakdown. A random teacher jumped in to help pry him from my waist and I cried the whole way home even though I knew he would soon settle down and have a good rest of the day. Perhaps the excitement had worn off for me as well leading to my emotional breaking point too.

After the first full week, I'm happy to say that so far he "loves kindergarten" and "can't wait to go back on Tuesday". Fingers crossed...

Hudson is truly the sweetest little squishy bundle ever. He rarely cries - rather squeaks or squeals - and only does so to alert me of his wet/dirty diaper and/or desire to eat. He is sleeping well between feedings at night (no mix-up of days and nights...yet) if only he would start to sleep longer than 3 hours so mommy can get some decent shut-eye!


The boys are absolutely enthralled by him. They want to hold him, hug him, kiss him ALL. THE. TIME. Which is cute, yes, but I envision the invisible transfer of germs with every touch especially now that they are both back in the petri dish called school. I try to emphasize the importance for them to wash their hands and not touch or kiss his hands, mouth, eyes, etc. but my preaching seems to go in one ear and out the other. I can only hope that by continuing to breastfeed, I might be able to enhance his immune system enough to keep the sickies at bay as long as possible.

Speaking of nursing - it is going very well. I only stuck with it for 6 weeks with Ethan, giving in after 2 horrible bouts of mastitis and a stint in the hospital due to a bad reaction to an antibiotic to treat said mastitis. I remember sitting in the lactation consultant's office at the pediatrician, crying, and telling her I didn't want to "give up". She gently reminded me that sometimes it's better for both baby and mom to release the stress and guilt. It was as if I was seeking her permission to let me stop. And I did.

When Aiden was born, they told me nursing would be all but impossible due to his high arched palate and other anatomical anomalies. So I pumped. Every two hours for the first week he was in the NICU. Then, he took the bottle so well that they let me try to feed him at the breast. He took to it like a champ! I kept at it for 4 months despite the added stress of dealing with his diagnosis and the fact that I had a newly walking toddler to take care of too. After those 4 months, I patted myself on the back and reminded myself that it was okay to switch to formula. So I did.

My plan this time - since everything has been going swimmingly - is to nurse for 6 months. This puts me into January and after all of our holiday traveling. With that said, I'm not putting any pressure on myself. If one day it all becomes too much? Not gonna beat myself up about stopping.

Leaving the house has become much easier with all three kiddos in tow. I am just careful to plan ahead (pack up the diaper bag, get the stroller in the car, etc.) before heading out the door. Ethan and Aiden are at an age where they can be a bit more independent so it makes things MUCH easier both at home and while on outings. I'm just wondering when the day will come when the "You're such a big helper" compliment will lose its appeal and they begin complaining about all the favors I ask of them.

All in all, I'd say our family has handled the last few months of changes pretty well. As the "coordinator of chaos", I'm getting the hang of life with three and loving every minute :)