4 weeks in with 3 kids

Four weeks ago we were blessed with the arrival of our third child – Benjamin. While we were overjoyed by his safe delivery, we faced the reality of life with three kids.  Yikes!

Over the past few months many friends and family lovingly reminded us how chaotic, horrible, awful, paralyzing, overwhelming, daunting, messy and generally terrible our life would be once Ben arrived.  I admit the constant nay-saying got under my skin and the apparent joy those around us seemed to get in our upcoming ‘torment’ made me more than grumpy at times. {{Apologies if you were the victim of a sharp-tongued retort.}

So how is life four weeks in?

Is my house messier? Yes.  Is my life crazier? Yes.  Is my coffee always cold by the time I drink it? Yes! So would I change it if I could? No!

To those that said our life would be chaotic, I say, to some degree, you were right.  Our life is much louder and unorganized but that is what’s easy to see.  Beyond the circus is the formation of a new family.

Without the addition of Ben I couldn’t see Teddy as a big brother and witness how surprising caring and tender he can be (he’s 2 and rarely gentle).  I once again get to see Maddy as a big sister but this time older and more mature. And of course, I get to know Ben :).

What I can say four weeks into life with three kids is this: Our time and attention may be divided but the love and our hearts have grown.

 

Our newest addition šŸ’™

The waiting game…

I find myself once again on the precipice of leave.  Of course this time I know 2x as well what to expect and yet I’m still building up my expectations.  I have visions of putting down the phone and turning off the TV in exchange for sun-filled days, taking my daughter to the pool, enjoying ice cream as the day ends and finally getting to all those projects left lingering on my outdated to-do lists. Fantasy but still entertained.

The reality, also known 2x as well, is my leave will fly by in the blink of an eye. It will be filled with lots of foggy days at home, doctors’ appointments, odd sleep patterns, tons of nursing, lots of Netflix, colicky evenings, and the occasional goal met.

While I spend these last few weeks of pregnancy daydreaming about my upcoming domestic sabbatical, I also know 2x as well, the bittersweet brevity of it all. Before I know it I will be preparing to go back to work, getting Maddy ready for first grade, realizing Teddy is creeping closer to preschool than the infant room and preparing baby for full time daycare.

So while I wait, I’ll keep scanning Pinterest and living vicariously through my boards.

3 Days In Paradise

Last weekend we were soaking up the Caribbean sun. We stayed at Atlantis. After seeing all the promotions, we had high expectations for this resort.

So what was our experience like?

We stayed in the beach tower which is a bit of a hike from the famous main building (below). We were there for 3 full days. While our stay was short, we still had plenty of fun.

Atlantis at night

Our room was very comfortable and worked well for our family of 2 adults, a 5 year old and 7 month old. We brought our own pack n play which fit perfectly in the corner of the room. There was no microwave but there was a nice mini fridge along with plenty of storage for snacks and baby food. The bathroom had more than enough towels and a nice sized tub. We did experience a few power outages and a decrease in water pressure after a few intense thunderstorms.

The Resort was massive with multiple pools, water activities and a large beach. We found the food and drinks a little expensive. A modestly sized frozen drink cost $12 plus a 7.5% tax and 15% gratuity added. All drink and food purchases have gratuity added. There are several restaurants, many of them we did not visit. And for those coffee lovers, Starbucks has several locations.

Yum šŸ˜‹

The water activities were awesome. Maddy spent hours playing in their kiddie pool and took a lap around the children’s lazy river. By far the best experience was the rapid river ride. On this ride you can use a single or double tube. It starts with a section of waves and ends with the rapids. There are several areas where you can get out to avoid any sections you don’t enjoy. After going around ourselves, we decided Maddy was big enough to ride the waves. In typical dad fashion, however, Tim let her do the entire ride. She loved it! I’m happy she went with her dad because I would’ve freaked out!

Atlantis is full of slides. Although I only did one, I think I did one of the scariest! I put on a brave face and took on the “Leap of faith”. The ride takes about 2 seconds but starts with a near vertical drop followed by a lighten trip through the shark tank and ends in a small pool below. It was so fast I didn’t even have a chance to scream. After facing my fears, I was done and spent the rest of the day sitting by the pool.šŸ˜‹

The aquarium was very impressive. There were sea creatures everywhere! If we return, we plan to do a few of the many activities the resort offers (for a fee). Children can feed the sharks and rays, interact with dolphins or even snorkel in the large tank. We opted to walk through the aquarium on a rainy morning. Maddy loved looking for all the different fish!

Overall we would return, however, many activities are restricted by height. Returning when the kiddos are older would maximize our experience.

Creative musings

Spent a little time making earrings this weekend. Years of bead purchases sit patiently in my craft space just waiting for an ounce of attention. I have to admit it was nice to make something other than butter noodles and baby food for a change!

3 years gone

Facebooks daily reminders of your past events is typically happy …and sometimes annoying. But January 27th brings back a sad reminder.

Three years ago our Jackie, and blogs namesake, left us. I’m not sure why his passing is still so raw and today I always spend a few moments reflecting on his life and the experience of his illness. Many dogs have left paw prints on my heart but Jackie seems to hold a special place. I believe his kind nature coupled with his viscous cancer and resulting short life, made his death particularly tragic.

I hope, wherever he is, he is running and playing. I hope he spends everyday doing all the things he loves. Miss you, Buddy!

Manatee Mayhem

Today we visited Manatee Lagoon in Palm Beach. The Manatees are drawn to the warm waters produced by the local power plant. I was shocked to see over 100 manatees! Some were small but many were huge. If your ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping by. Small bonus: It’s free!

6 months in and loving it

Teddy is almost 6 months old. Where did the time go, right!? Teddy is simply the cutest and we love every moment šŸ˜.

Theodore in review:

Weight: ~15lbs

Eye color: hazel

Loves: his sister, eating, babbling, grabbing hair and chewing on his feet.

Happiest moment: diaper time!

Coming up: crawling, real solids and teeth 😬

My first flight!Yummy toes!I love to bounce!

Welcome, Baby Theodore!

After my previous post, I waited for another two whole days before welcoming Baby Theodore to the family. By all accounts, the delivery was uneventful (thankfully!) and now a little over 2 weeks later he is doing well. Ā He only wakes up Mommy once during the night! Ā We are all over the moon for our little man and Maddy is doing an excellent job in her new role as big sister.

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Due Dates Aren’t Deadlines

Sitting here at my kitchen table, two days past my due date, keeping busy, and waiting. Ā Waiting for a tiny person to decide “Today is a good day to enter the world”. Although I don’t know if I would pick a hot, humid day in July that feels like 103.

What do I do while stuck in between phasing out of work and caring for a newborn? Ā I think of all the personal projects that faded from the limelight as my schedule became more hectic and my personal time disappeared. Ā The first victim is alwaysĀ the blog.

So here is my annual blog post. Ā Perhaps I will keep up with it for awhile or perhaps it will fade away once again. I make no promises. Of course Facebook reminds me almost daily I’m letting down my followers.Ā 

Friends and family, stay tuned. Ā At some point this peanut will enter the world – willingly or unwillingly!