What's It Like?!

*This post isn't too exciting.  I typed this out about 3 weeks ago, and I have debated actually posting it on the blog, just because I don't want it to seem like we've got it figured out.  haha!  We don't...for example, Friday evening the kids and I met my Dad for dinner, when we got there he noticed that Carter's shoes were on the wrong feet.  And yes, I was the one who had put on his shoes.  :)  More than anything it contains a lot of details I want to remember from this stage in the life of our family.  This stage is a little crazy and hectic, but it's so wonderful...and that's what I really want to remember.  I write our blog so that eventually I can have it printed into a book, as sort of a basic history of the kids' childhoods and our family life.  I think it will be neat for them to have to look back at.  It is only an added bonus that I can share this blog with friends and family we don't get to see too often (another reason it was started when we were living in Alabama).  So, again, if you read this post, it's not saying we've got it figured out and every minute is perfect.  It's just a crazy, hectic, fun, wild time, and I want to remember that.*

"What's it like having three kids?  How far apart are all three kids?  Wow, you have your hands full!"

I'm pretty sure I can't pump gas, walk in the park, or go to the grocery store without someone saying one of these things to me.  I really don't mind.  I'm happy to show off my kids, and generally they are behaving well so it works out.  But one of the most common questions I get is what it's like having three kids.  So, since I'm not doing the weekly blogs on Miss Nora Kate now (just monthly updates), I decided to post a little about this because I want remember what it's like having three kids ages 4, 18 months, and 2 months.

"What's it like having three kids?" 

When people ask me what it's like, I'm never really sure what short reply to give.  The truth is it's awesome...it's CRAZY awesome though...meaning there is always something going on whether it be taking Dawson to preschool or soccer, cleaning up a Carter mess or removing him from the latest piece of furniture he decided to scale, or nursing and changing Nora Kate.  There is always something going on.  We are never, ever bored...and a lot of times it is a little crazy.

I'll talk about the awesome part first, though.  I really do love taking care of all three kids-and not just because I have to.  I'm glad to be the one to answer all 3,000 questions Dawson answers each day and to explain to him that it's okay to take the ball from someone in soccer if they're not on your team when they're kicking it toward their goal.  I'm happy to be the one to sing the same song (today it's "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes") to Carter over and over and over with his requests of "more" after I finish each time, and I'm equally happy to be the one who has to continually get on to Carter for his new found love of sneaking to unplug and re-plug cords in electrical outlets.  I'm also glad to be feeding Nora Kate  day and night and changing her diapers. 
I'm happy to do all of this because I remind myself that Dawson's 3,000 questions are because he just wants to keep the conversation going with me.  I'm happy to do give Dawson the soccer advice because one day (soon, I'm afraid) I won't really know much sports advice to give Dawson that he doesn't already know.  I'm happy to sing for Carter because one day he will know all the words (and will probably also know that I don't have a great singing voice).  I'm happy to teach Carter about the dangers of the electrical outlet because one day soon he will understand, and I will have kept him safe.  I'm happy to feed and change Nora Kate because I know that things change so quickly in the first months and years, and that although being up in the middle of the night is tiring it won't last forever--even when it seems like it will! 
So the "awesome" part of having three kids, is really just more of what's so great about having one or two.  I also love that the kids will have siblings close in age with whom they can grow up and play.

Now on to the "crazy" part.  I believe that part of what attributes to the craziness is just that the two youngest are close in age.  If Nora Kate had come on her due date, she and Carter would be 15 months apart.  Since she was a couple of days late, they are actually 16 months.  Either way, they're close in age.  It seems I hear of people having their first (or only) two kids close in age more commonly than their second and third close in age.  But, I must say, I think it's a little different when the 2nd and 3rd are the two who are close in age (by no means, am I saying one is better/easier/harder than the other, just different).  Many of Dawson's activities (ie, preschool, soccer, playdates at locations specific to his age level), take us out of the house more frequently than probably most 18 month old and 2 month olds.  Frequently being on the go can add to the craziness just because it requires added planning, packing, etc.  The great part, though, is that Dawson is a big help.  He is usually always great to help me, especially when we're on an outing.  Another nice thing, is that Carter and Dawson are enjoying playing together more and more, so we don't always have to go somewhere or have someone over (although we love to!!!) for the boys to be entertained by someone other than just me!  The craziness, I mentioned, usually kicks in when we're headed out the door, or we've had several days in a row of being out of the house or staying too busy.  More than anything, I think I'm learning not to plan too much for us to do each week so that we can enjoy some time playing at the house-so the boys can play with just each other some, and so we can have a little home time.  I have been trying to be more mindful of this lately, and I still feel like we are getting to let the kids do some fun, entertaining things without absolutely exhausting ourselves. 

The biggest things I want to remember about having three kids at ages 4, 18 months, and 2 months...
-It is FUN!!
-I NEVER, EVER leave the house without the double stroller!
-I NEVER, EVER leave the house without some type of carrier for Nora Kate-the Moby wrap, the Ergo carrier where I can wear her on my front, something!  (For example, grocery shopping-Dawson walks beside the shopping cart, Carter rides up top in the seat, and I wear Nora Kate in the Ergo carrier on my front...this is the only option because if she's in the shopping cart there's no room for groceries.  At first I thought this was a challenge, but we've adjusted!)
-Whatever time we need to be somewhere, I plan to arrive 15 minutes early.  We NEVER actually get there 15 minutes early, but we're usually right on time.  Carter and Nora Kate both have a habit of needing to be changed one additional time after I change their diapers for us to leave the house. 
-It's fun!!

"How far apart are all three kids?"  (This is the question strangers usually ask)
"What's it like having two close together in age?" (And this is the question friends usually ask)

When I was still early in my pregnancy with Nora Kate and Carter was not even one year old yet, I remember worrying that all the special "baby moments" might not seem as special with Nora Kate simply because I had just experienced them with Carter.  I thought that nursing might not seem like the bonding experience it is because I would have just weaned Carter 4 months before Nora Kate's birth. Or that I might not have as much patience and energy to be up with her during the night since Carter didn't start sleeping through the night until just 5 months before her birth.  I wondered if all of her firsts--first smile, first laugh, first bath, etc. might not seem as special having just done all of these 15-16 months prior with Carter.  BUT I think that having Carter and Nora Kate close in age, has made these moments even more special.  I see how much a baby can change in just 16 months.  When I saw Nora Kate's first real smile, I thought of how many times each day Carter smiles now and how just a short time ago his first smile was newsworthy.  When I'm up with Nora Kate at night, I think of how it already seems like so long ago that I was up at night with Carter.  More than anything, I think that having two children close in age, makes me appreciate all of these special "baby moments" more because I know how fast they change. 
On a funny note that relates to the question of the age gap between the kids... a few weeks ago, we were out and I had Carter and Nora Kate on the double stroller and Dawson was walking.  A lady looked at all three kids and then asked if Carter and Nora Kate were twins.  Yes, she was asking if my 2 month old and 18 month old were twins.  I was SO caught off guard! I must say, I never expected this question!  :)

"Wow, you have your hands full!"

This obviously isn't a QUESTION I get commonly, but I do get this comment everywhere we go.  I have yet to come up with a great response to this comment.  Even when all three kids are perfectly behaving and no one is crying, I get this comment-so I believe it's more of a comment on having three young children more than on having kids that are a handful themselves.  I saw a sign someone had made on pinterest the other day that said, "If you think my hands are full, imagine how full my heart is."  I have never actually said this to anyone, but this seems like the perfect response.  John and I have actually been told this so many times in public that we have talked about it, and John suggested that maybe it's meant as a compliment.  Either way people mean it, we do have our hands full AND we do enjoy it this way, AND, as the sign I saw on pinterest said, our hearts are full also!

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, more than anything I just wanted to document what our life is like at this stage of three kids 4 and under so we can remember.  If you've managed to read through this whole post, you deserve a few pictures...     :)

In the spirit of trying to record things so we can look back and remember...

Let's remember how at age four Dawson LOVED wearing this Hawaiian shirt.  He calls it his "painting shirt" (not sure why) and sometimes he calls it his "work shirt" or his "mowing shirt" either way, he wears this shirt at least once a week.

John says that when Dawson's in high school and is really into his appearance we will pull out ALL the pictures we have of him in this shirt and remind him how he wanted to wear it EVERY day!  :)

I want to remember how Carter loves to climb in things....boxes, drawers, anything he can fit (or try to fit) in!  (Here he is laying in the drawer we keep the Weebles in!

In the spirit of remembering that being up at night with Nora Kate won't last forever, here is a picture of me and her cuddling one night when she wasn't wanting to settle down in her bassinet.  (I think I took this picture on my phone to text to John who was at work to say, "we're STILL awake!")