week :: seventeen

The second most asked question I get since Annie arrived in our lives is...

 

"What's it like having three kids? 

 

My answer is always this:

 

"I haven't really noticed much of a change and maybe it's only because Annie isn't mobile yet.  Plus, both boys are just so smitten with her that they seem to be really understanding and forgiving that I need to give more of myself to her right now."

 

That is the short truth.

 

 

The long truth is this:

 

We are late for everything: leaving the house, arriving at places, eating meals. 

In my eyes the house is almost always dirty.

The dust is thicker. 

The piles of stuff to put away are bigger.

The messes are messier.

The dog hair balls are invading the house.

If it wasn't for breastfeeding I would never be able to sit down and put my feet up.

The clean clothes linger longer in the laundry basket.

Me time has been changed to the hours of 5:30am to 7am.

Peace and quite time is also between those same hours.

You are never alone in the shower, on the pot, or on the phone.

 

Please don't mistake any of the above as complaints.  It is just how our life is happening right now.  It is not the forever but just a blimp in it.  It isn't enough to make me decide that three kids are enough.  Most days I enjoy the chaos but I am human and from time-to-time I do miss being able to sit down and relax knowing the whole house is clean, the laundry is all put away and it will stay that way for at least an hour.  Maybe two.

 

A snapshot of our current life:

Yup, these three with those faces pretty much sums it all up. 

 

 

So what does Annie look like at seventeen weeks: 

 

She is still just a happy baby who loves to eat and loves to put anything in her mouth.  Including my elbow right now.  She is rolling all over the place and holds her head up really well.  I suspect she will be a young crawler. 

 

I had her down to just two feedings a night but something happened and she is now eating more.  Maybe I am just more tired and I don't count correctly.  Who knows.  I just feed her on demand and on demand to me is anything that is either a cry or a noise that sounds like it could be a cry or even if she thinks about crying.  I just feed her.