The New Norm

This past week, my dad adequately described how I'm feeling about things right now. In the midst of an extremely crazy moment he, so very tongue-in-cheek said, "One kid is like having one kid. Two kids is like having two kids. Three kids is like having nine."

Obviously, that is certainly not the case. Having any amount of kids is work. And a lot of it. It's just that for the moment, finding the balance with our new schedule makes it seem like there are a lot more than 5 people living under our roof! I guess the stomach flu didn't really help our cause either. But really though, things feel SO crazy! Endless laundry, frequent temper tantrums, Bilirubin checks, messed up naps, doctor appointments, crazy nights, countless feedings...whoa! All that makes this girl want to crawl under the blankets and hide! If only it were that easy!

I do admit, I was a bit spoiled at first. My labor and delivery was a walk in the park compared to last time. We were home almost exactly 24 hours later. I had my mom, Jer, and my sister at my total disposal. And the boys were snowed in/sick for a week with Grandpa and Nana in Chama. It was a newborn honeymoon and I took FULL advantage. We went out to dinner, shopping, and just spent time relaxing and enjoying our new baby boy. And even though in the back of my mind I knew things would be changing once were living in the realm of "everyday" again, I didn't know just how much.

But I trust that we will find our new norm. It's just gonna take a little while.

Luckily though, I do have my partner in crime to help me combat the craziness. Jer is home this week helping me hold down the fort and keeping the boys occupied and quiet so I can catch some extra zzzz's in the morning. And boy am I thankful for that! Although Judah seems to be quite the calm baby (so far), he has had a few nights of non-stop nursing which has made for a less than chipper mommy when it comes time for The Deuce to get up. I am SO thankful for him. And I'm even more thankful that he doesn't say anything when I'm still in the same pajamas for the third day in a row. Or when I eat a chocolate chip cookie for breakfast.

And as for the boys, they are adjusting-slowly but surely. Now that they are both seemingly over their sickness, they've actually been allowed to touch their brother and they love it! They particularly love to pat his head and point to (poke) his eyes and nose. While most of their actions are governed by a chorus of, "Gentle, boys! GENTLE!!" they don't seem to mind and still seize every opportunity to check him out, rock his swing, or give him a kiss. My favorite is when they hold him though. They love to snuggle him and will even wrap their arms around him. Look out, though, once they're done, they're DONE and they just anxiously push him away. What can I say, brotherly love!

As crazy as it is, though, it's still such a sweet time. We are so incredibly blessed to have another child and I am no longer naive as to how quickly the time goes with our little ones. All too soon, I know these hectic days will be behind us and we'll long for these years again. Now if only I could remember that when the three feels like nine.