Three is a lot! It might not seem like a big number but look at it like this...One ice cream after dinner, lovely. Two nice but you're full right so why on earth go on to have three? (or more) Before I go on I would like to make it perfectly clear that I love all my children very much and honestly feel blessed to have each one, I live in the real world and know that its something that should never be taken for granted. But yes three IS a crowd, so why three? Why not?!? Yep thats pretty much the only reason came up with. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. Are there days when I wonder what on earth I've done? Many! Two seemed manageable (just) but three is a whole extra person and I seem to have missed this quite simple sum when adding to our family (perhaps because a baby is so small I didn't count it properly or something?) The trouble I think I had was that number two is what I am now informed is a 'trick baby' she was SO bloody good I barely knew I had her. For the first twelve weeks she slept all day and night so there were plenty of those gorgeous new born snuggles and even after that she wasn't much bother, she just went along with whatever we were doing without much fuss and cute little smile. She was a joy, the perfect reason to have another. Then at about 18 months we were welcomed to an early onset of the terrible twos and she turned completely feral but by then I was already pregnant with number three. Shit! It was ok though no need to panic because babies are easy right and the new baby was going to be just like her sister was.... Was she f*%k!!? apparently she preferred her brothers style of newborn-ness, screaming. (unless being held or moving of course) And it was then I realised I had made a rookie error in calculating the hand to child ratio. The biggest one needs a lot of help with pretty much everything so thats at least one hand needed. The baby must be held at all times so before head control got involved that was a two handed job luckily we are now down to one so there goes another hand. And when my middle 'Wild Child' decides she's going to make a run for it which happens at almost any opportunity I need at least one spare hand to rein her back in, so thats another one. Now if my maths is correct thats three hands I need to manage my combination of children which turns out is one more than god gave me. So what do you do? Seriously I'm asking, what DO you do any suggestions are welcome. (also caging the middle one is not allowed, I have looked into it)
I really do love each of my babies so much and I wouldn't have it another way but I often feel like I can't give each of them my all as at the moment their needs are all so different. The dreaded school run takes forever because we wanted to send 'My Little Holland' to a school that was best for him which unfortunately is not our local school so the other two just have to sit tight and get on with it. He constantly has to wait for help while I am mothering the baby. The toddler is actually pretty independent but the speed and ferocity that she moves with is like a small hurricane ripping through the house and for gods sake take cover if she can't achieve her chosen objective because believe me the shit will hit the fan! It is then I find myself spending my time trying to calmly explain why she can't fit in her pencil case. I feel as though I am constantly compromising one for another. Do I read to them enough? Do I spend enough time playing with each of them? Have they been dragged to too many appointments? Who knows? But I so far I have learned that what is best for one won't always be best for the others but it also isn't going to do them any harm. They'll have to learn to wait for each other and I have to accept that they won't always like it. With three small children life is chaotic and compared to two three does feel like crowd but I love it and I love that they have each other. Just like a third ice cream after dinner it might make me feel sick but it's always totally worth it!
