3 Kids: The Mores and The Lesses

Transitioning into life with three children has been an...adventure. Don't get me wrong, our days were busy before Nathan was born. But now, they're not just busy. They're hectic. Like CRAZY hectic. On most days, I'm lucky to have my teeth brushed before 5pm. And on those days when I do get to take care of my oral health before the rush hour traffic hits, I feel like I've accomplished something really stupendous. 

So here's a quick rundown of things in our lives that have changed since we've welcomed the newest member to our family back in October: 

1. Laundry: INCREASE 
2. Toilet paper usage: INCREASE
3. Personal showers: DECREASE
4. Amount of pet hair on the floor: INCREASE
5. The time it takes to accomplish anything: INCREASE (by like 17x)
6. Social outings: DECREASE
7. Cans of Lysol: INCREASE
8. Hours of consecutive sleep: DECREASE
9. Minutes spent sitting in the pew at church rather than standing: DECREASE
10. Dishwasher cycles: INCREASE

So things have definitely changed now that there is an infant, a two year old AND a preschooler running around our house. After I potty trained Luke while Josie was a newborn and was eating during approximately 49% of my day, I promised myself that I would never that again. And there was my crucial mistake. Never.say.never.... So, true to form, when I was mere weeks away from delivering Nathan, Josie decided to potty train herself. Perrrfect timing, Sis. I put her off for as long as I could, but I had to start the potty training journey with her approximately 17 seconds after I arrived home with Nathan. Challenge: accepted. And Josie's been such a hard worker about it. We still have accidents every now and then, (mostly in public, of course!) but all things considered- she's doing wonderfully. I'm insanely proud of my big girl.

[ASIDE: It is a fact of nature that IF a potty accident is going to happen, it WILL occur when you've stopped to nurse your infant baby. It doesn't matter if you've just taken your older child to the bathroom and they've filled that little Baby Bjorn potty to the brim immediately before you sit down; somehow- they KNOW. Their bladders are rigged like tiny, ticking time bombs set to go off precisely when their youngest sibling settles in for their 30 minute lunch break. They can make another puppy puddle on your living room rug without blinking an eye. It's like they're equipped with a reserve tank earmarked specifically for that purpose. Also, have you ever stopped an infant while they're eating to clean-up bodily fluids from household surfaces? You haven't? Well, it ain't pretty. Trust me. They do not appreciate interruptions, no matter the reason. This is why, after experiencing this tremendous joy once before, I vowed never to do it again.] 

People have asked me how I'm managing things now that I have three kids at home by myself all day. And my response is always the same: I'm doing great. I'm exhausted 80% of the time, but in the best, most blessed way possible. And that's the truth. It really is.