Being a mom of three kids under the age of 4

Being a mom of three little kids is tough.  I must say, the transition from one kid to two kids was much harder than from two to three (probably because I already know how to divide my time and I'm a better multi-tasker, but mostly because I am better at handling lack of sleep now).  I was pretty scared about how I was going to be able to manage three little ones, but I'm excited to say that so far, I think I've been doing ok.  Sure, there are moments when I compleeeeeetely lose my temper and yell at the boys for things I shouldn't (and should, at times!) be yelling at them for.  And there have been far too many days where the TV has been on for a good chunk of the day.  And meals these days often consist of things like a bowl of cheerios and some pre packaged peaches...  But on the whole, we're surviving.  We haven't ventured outside alone yet, but that's coming.  I'm almost brave enough to try it.

Days where both Mike and I are here (it's so nice to have weekends as a family again!  I love maternity leave!) are SO easy.  Easy in that it's so much EASIER to get things done with two adults around.  Easier to put them down for naps, to feed them, to entertain them.

Days like today, when Mike works late and doesn't get home til nearly 10, are tough.  Very tough.  I don't know how single parents do it.  I truly don't.  I wanted to write this today so I can have a record of what days like this are like.  One day, I'll look back at this and laugh.

As I sit here and type, I have a half asleep baby in my lap.  For some reason, these past few days she has been VERY cranky and it's been harder than usual to get her to go to sleep.   I think it's because for these last two days, I haven't been able to put her down for naps as frequently because her brothers have been screaming.  I have something sticky on my arm... it could be from a variety of things, but I'm guessing it's from the peaches I gave the boys at lunchtime.  There are cheerios stuck to the floor underneath the table that I'm too tired to pry off.  Is it wrong that I'm thinking... it's ok...Liam will get them off tomorrow.... ??  Today is Tuesday and I haven't showered since Sunday morning.  Showering these days is tough, because unless I bring the baby in the bathroom with me and close the door (and deal with Liam pounding and screaming because I closed the door), there's really no safe option for Brielle.  I can leave her alone with Eli for a few minutes, but never with Liam.  Liam, in a very loving way, likes to cover Brielle with her blanket (including her head), share his food with her (I caught him putting a banana in her mouth and applesauce, too), try to pick her up and share his toys with her.  One day, I was able to shower when both boys were preoccupied with breakfast, but then I spent the whole time worried they were out there choking on their cheerios.  Today, I had the chance because Brielle and Liam were asleep and Eli was busy watching something on TV, but by the time I finally got Liam to nap, I just needed a few minutes to crash on the couch.  I could shower now that Mike is home, but I just don't have the energy for it.  I'm also still in the same clothes I've been in since Sunday, which is nice because that means that today nobody peed or threw up on me.  It also means less laundry on my end, which is good because the kids go through SO MANY CLOTHES a day.

Meals for me these days are tough, unless Brielle is sleeping.  By the time I get food ready for the boys and start getting something together for myself, the boys are done and NEEEEEED me to watch something SUPER important (new ways to jump off the couch, etc).  There aren't many safe places to put Brielle down if she's not happy in her crib, and it's hard to fix meals with one hand!  Many a day is spent with me eating 4 or 5 granola bars, cereal bars, etc, because they are easy to grab.  Today, I ate my weight in Cheez-Its.

Ok.. the many more things I wanted to cover will have to wait because I think this little chickie finally fell asleep (at midnight!) and I need to go to bed, too.  Over and out.

Liam at 20 months

Dear Liam,

At 20 months, you are a wild and crazy guy and a BIG, BIG handful!!!  It's a good thing you're cute and lovable!  You're a super physical guy, always having to do everything your big brother does, including jumping off furniture, doing flips, somersaults, riding your bike at top speed, running, etc. 

This month, you've gotten much better at throwing and can even catch the ball a few times!  You love playing catch with me and bring me the ball saying, "atch!"  You LOVE riding your bike all over and love coming over to me demanding that I fill your little car with "atch" (gas).  I took you outside on your bike a few days ago and you rode four blocks super fast.  You surprised me because you were VERY good about stopping at each street corner to get off and hold my hand as we crossed the road.  You've gotten very good at riding Kuya Eli's scooter and I think when we take you outside with it (we need to get you your own and a helmet), you'll be a force!  You ride goofy, again suggesting that you might be a lefty.  (When you eat and draw, you use your left hand.  You throw with your right, though).  

Your speech is still not quite there, but you're definitely saying more "words" than you were before.  Interestingly, you usually leave off the first part of each word.  The words you currently have are:  "hi"... "hello"... "atch" (gas and watch)... "at" (cat and hat)... NO (which you say ALLLLLLLLLL DAAAAAY LOOOOONG)..."boo"... "poopoo" (you tell me most of the time you poop in your diaper)..."ike" (bike)... "ock" (sock)... "aff" (bath)... "up"..."out"...."off"... "ack" (EVERYTHING...but consistently for stuck).   "ock" (dog)..."uh oh"... "whoa"... "awnt" (want)...."uck" (duck)..."ack" (quack)...   and more I am forgetting.  Even though you don't say much, you understand everything and can follow most commands we give you.  

All of a sudden, you're able to sit still and read books now!  Your attention span is still not great, but you can definitely sit and read short books.  Your favorites are Moo Baa, La la la... Green Hat, Blue Hat.... A duck book about opposites.... a book about going to visit Grandma....Your old favorite the Five Little Pumpkins...and Five Little Monkeys. 

When Brielle came, you all of a sudden gave up your 2-3 bottle a day habit.  You just stopped drinking them and didn't ever ask for them!  You even willingly give Brielle her bottle and haven't once tried to drink from it.  It's like you knew that bottles were for babies and you're ok with that.  You hardly drink any milk now, which is a big change from the 20 oz or so a day you were getting, but I'm making sure to give you a lot of yogurt and cheese.  You also surprisingly love cottage cheese.  

You surprised ALL of us by being a REALLY great big brother to Brielle.   Since you're a mama's boy, I really thought you'd be jealous of your sister and have a hard time when I was holding her.  Not so at ALL.  You've been really, really great with her.  You always want to hold her.  When I put her in your lap, you look at her, pat her head, and then tell me "up!"  So you like holding her in five second increments.  Lol.  Then when I pick her up, you immediately want me to put her back.  You always bring her her pacifier when you notice it's not in her mouth and love to force it in there.  When she is laying down on a blanket, you like to lay next to her.  You've tried giving her a banana and some applesauce already, so she always has to be kept out of your reach :)  When she's sitting in her froggie chair, you like to pull the music for her and like to sit right in front of her, looking at her.  So far, so good!

Getting your diaper changed (still size 4) is the WORST THING IN THE WORLD.  You fight it with every ounce of fight you have in your little body. 

You love dogs and whenever you hear the neighbor's dog barking, you stop whatever you are doing and point or run over to the door.  You LOVE the cats and always chase them around.  Riley let you pet her yesterday and you were very happy.  You still love pointing to her ears and claws.  

Your favorite food right now are these portable apple sauce squeeze things and you ask for them about 5 times a day.  

to be continued....you want me to read you a dinosaur book right now.  (You just ripped out the T-Rex.  You're especially good at ripping things out of books).  

Brielle is 3 weeks old!

Dear Brielle,

I can hardly believe you're already three weeks old!  You're still a teeny tiny baby (which is obvious when I hold you up over my shoulder) and are still in newborn clothes (barely!) and newborn diapers, but you're changing so much every day.  I noticed yesterday that your thighs are getting bigger... you've got little thigh rolls now!  Over the past two days, you're really starting to look around and notice more.  Yesterday, you really looked at your brothers for the first time.  (They ADORE you, by the way.  They are constantly asking to hold you.  Eli is always giving you kisses and Liam likes to pat your head and show me where your mouth and eyes are.  Both of them frantically search for your pacifier and put it in when you start crying).

You've been totally fascinated by the light from the windows in the living room and completely enthralled with the netting in your pack n play for about a week or so now.  Last night, you noticed and were FASCINATED by the cabinets.  When Grandma was here, she noticed you liked hearing the chiming of a little frog toy we have.  Yesterday, you were able to track the frog back and forth!

Your routine these days is pretty much as follows:  You sleep for 2 to 3 hours and then wake up crying.  I change your diaper (and sometimes your clothes) and then give you a bottle.  You're drinking 3.5 ounces these days.  You either fall asleep while drinking your bottle or stay awake anywhere from 10 min to an hour.  On rare occasions, you're awake for 2 to 3 hours, but that's usually only once a day.  You're a really, really good baby so far and hardly ever cry.  You really only cry if you are hungry, if your tummy is bothering you, or if you have a poopy diaper. You're pretty easy at this point to put to sleep.  If you're really fussy and I put you in the baby sling/carrier and walk around with you, you're out almost immediately.  Every time I've gone out in public with you wearing you, you've been asleep the WHOLE time.

You much prefer sleeping on your belly and I let you do that for naps when I'm able to keep close tabs on you.  You have AMAZING head control....even better than your brothers did....and are well advanced for head lifting at this point.  If you lay on my chest, you're able to lift your head up very high and look around.  Laying in the crib, you're constantly picking your head up and changing the direction you look.

You're a very happy baby and it looks to me like you're smiling all the time.  I love watching your little face as you drift off to sleep.... full of smiles and cute little expressions.

We don't swaddle you during the day because I don't think you really like it.  You're able to fall asleep just fine without being swaddled, which is very unlike your brothers.  We still swaddle you up at night, though, because we want to really make SURE you aren't woken up by any crazy arm/leg movements.

At your two week checkup last week, everything looked great!  You were wide awake the whole time, looking around, quiet and happy even though you had your clothes off and were probably cold.  The only time you cried was when Dr. Grant looked at your hips and straightened out your legs.... you much prefer to keep them bent and HATE people messing with them.  You were PAST your birth weight of 7lbs 10oz and up to 8 lbs already!!! WOOHOO!  Still, you're only in the 40th percentile for weight, so Dr. Grant said you were just perfect.  Your belly button wasn't quite healing right, so Dr. Grant had to cauterize it with some silver nitrate.  It didn't hurt you at all and seemed to do the trick!

I'm really cherishing every minute of you, little girl!  :)

Love,
Mommy