Three

I wanted to share this from an email I sent to a friend who asked how things were going in our neck of the woods:

We’ve been finding our balance times we can go out (between feedings) and times I need the privacy of our home to avoid meltdowns (of the children, of course. LOL). [She says while bouncing the newborn, typing with one hand and juggling the pacifier the baby keeps spitting out.] I’ve also been mastering the art of nursing the baby while: making lunch, folding laundry, problem-solving, cleaning, and mediating. I tell ya what, that Hannah sure has a good latch. Most of our nursing sessions are not done with aerobics at the same time, but at least once daily requires some “skill”.

I have found that three kids keeps me more homebound with great value in everything being here w/o requiring me to have brushed teeth. 😉 I have been keeping up on the laundry (doing 1-2 loads per day and nearly getting them all folded and put away as well). This makes me feel great accomplishment. =D Funny how accomplishing a load of dishes, laundry or a shower before noon makes you think about writing in to the Noble Peace Prize for a nomination.

I, like you, have been focusing not on how to get a large amount of things done, but on how to get things done well. It’s more than just listing off desired behaviors louder than the frustrated screams, but making the time to explain why we should want to serve our family over ourselves in two and three year old lingo. It’s finding that extra special way to show each one of them love daily in the way they understand love. It’s strategizing your day so you’re nearby to listen in and encourage respectful play amongst sisters, ready to model kindness and clear communication. It’s nursing the baby while making lunch sometimes, but it’s also sitting down and having an extra rocking session without concern for the washer’s transfer needs. It’s settling into the balance of productivity mixed with the reality of a pajama day. It’s dancing in the accomplishment of timeliness being defined as only 5 minutes late when two poopy diapers announced themselves at the exit door. It’s saying “no” to extras and “yes” to help without falling into the trap of feeling useless in motherhood. It’s seeking opportunities to serve others from your living room or drop off some encouragement when the kids are already strapped into the car. It’s letting go of nap-teased hair and laughing at the new shapes hair takes as it dances in the afternoon breeze on the family walk. And it’s engaging the girls in dollhouse play while vacuuming the living room with the baby strapped to your chest.

It’s a whirlwind, a challenge and an utter, laughable joy that both keeps me going and knocks me off my feet. It’s three. And I love it!

I was born for this. =)

Hannah’s now 3 weeks old as of yesterday, sleeping 4-5.5 hours at a time at night (thanks be to God) with an occasional odd 3hr shift in there every few nights, and gives us eyes for about a total of 2 hours daily. She continues to be a peaceful, predictable, and patient baby that I’m praying she doesn’t “grow out of” next week. She has her moments of “help me fall asleep” exhaustion 1-2x per day, but with a little bouncing and extra snuggling she knocks out within 10 minutes. She has never returned to that crazy shrieking scream that was unable to find a solution (referring to day 3 and 4 of life). And grateful cannot resound any more from my lips.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that we’re nuts to have had three so close together. Makes me want to pull out a picture of your family. 😉 But, honestly, it doesn’t feel like too much to handle. It’s just like a fun Tetris puzzle – figuring out which piece goes where to get everyone’s needs met today. I’m thankful for no hormonal weirdness leftovers. I’m thankful for calm, quiet Jesus music setting the background for patience and peace in our household. And I’m thankful for the hope of good seeds producing good fruit when I sit down and take the time to teach life lessons, over behavior avoidance.

So thanks for asking. And for caring.

And for loving us.

September 27, 2012 0

Wordless Wednesday: Becoming Theirs

The following things were initiated by sisters:

“Mommy, can we have a picnic with Hannah?”

“Here, Hannah, here’s a bottle for you… just pretend!”

“I read Hannah a book,”

she said after getting Hannah a doll to hold.

Another victim of sharing

“Mommy, can I rock Hannah?”

“My turn, my turn!!!”

After she got settled, “Now Mommy take a picture.”

(And yes, Hannah’s smiling.)

– yep, my heart melted. =)

September 26, 2012 0

Our Goga

So we were blessed by my mom staying with us for the week after Hannah’s birthday. While the first few days after returning from the hospital were a bit busier and less “camera-friendly”, I did manage to return to the living and bust out my camera to capture a few pictures. =)

Making “Chicken Toes” (Chicken Nuggets)

Explanation.

Flour.

Egg.

Crunchy Stuff.

Hannah’s participation.

Mom also made this cute “welcome home” sign with the girls as a surprise to Hannah, Matt and I.

I honestly can tell you, readers, that my Mom’s friendship and help that week is beyond thank you words. I really am speechless at her patience, willingness to simply serve, and joy in sharing that special transition time with us in the good and the ugly moments of it all. It is through the grace of her loving help that the transition from two to three girls was gentle on all. Matt and I enjoyed the opportunity to just focus on Rachael and Abi while studying and caring for Hannah’s needs. With Mom there to tag-team the girls it gave each of us the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with each little girl to reassure them of the continued love and support they will be getting amidst the new sister. It really just touched my heart beyond explanation to know that Rachael and Abi were getting special love and still keeping up “the normals” amidst Mommy learning to juggle it all.

I am so blessed to have received the gracious gift to ease into the balance and the joy of three little girls. Matt was also able to return to work and school without abandonment fears. 😉

And when mom returned to her life on the road with Daddy, the freshness of Hannah had worn off some and the reality of her living with us permanently had soaked in enough to allow for less chaos in the balance equation. =)

I really am beyond thankful at this indescribable gift of my Mother’s to our family. And while it’s taken me a little while to get to post about it (something about having 3 small kids), I did want to be sure to include a post about my awesome Mom in thanks for her love.

– See my great example to work with in my own parenting? 😉

September 25, 2012 0

Caught One.

Not the most phenomenal picture,

but I finally caught a smile on film. =)

(16 days old.)

September 21, 2012 0

Our Little Joy

Our little Hannah Joy is now 2 weeks old as of yesterday. She is a wonderful nurser, good sleeper, and kind little thing that has fit right in amongst the joy of her sisters. Funny to admit, but our lifestyle is really quite conducive for the addition of a newborn and thanks to the grace of God that Hannah’s so mild-tempered and such a good nurser, it’s been less of an overwhelming transition than I expected in moving from a household of two dependents to three.There are certainly moments of “Mommy only has two hands, my dear children” that creep into our world, but I have found life to be quite kinder on me and the girls than I had anticipated.

Abi has also done very well with the transition despite my previous concern regarding Abi’s “Mommy only” moments. We have done our best to ease the transition by not making our family “all about the baby”. We don’t constantly emphasize Rachael and Abi in the context of their relationship to their newest sister. We’re not constantly asking them for help with Hannah or trying to push a relationship that has yet to form with Hannah. Their sisterhood will grow on it’s own and we take delight in Rachael and Abi’s initiative in their relationship with Hannah, like when they ask to hold her or help pick out her clothes, but really are working hard to carry on life as “usual”. And due to Hannah’s “sleeping around the clock” habits, it has been a gentler transition of shared time as moments of needing balance come and go.

I am not anticipating Hannah’s addition to our family to be easy and carefree, but as has been the case with Rachael and Abi’s various life stages, we are all adjusting to each other in an effort to learn how to love. Sometimes the adjustment feels one-sided: just ask Hannah when she has to wait to be fed because Abi needs a new diaper, or ask Abi when she needs to settle for Mommy reading her a book on the couch because it’s time for Hannah to eat, or ask Rachael when Abi needs a Mommy-snuggle time and Rachael has to wait to show me her new baby doll set-up in the playroom. But I am thankful that the efforts to teach Rachael and Abi to love each other through serving each other and taking care of each other (which means sharing Mommy and Daddy too) has naturally and comfortably transitioned into a new normal with Hannah as well. They all have their moments of not wanting to share (so do I, I must confess), but it’s nothing that Matt and I feel incapable or unequipped to parent through. It’s a life lesson we all learn together.

So I’ll share some Hannah pictures for those that we are not blessed to live close enough to and for those that are enjoying soaking up our Hannah too. =)