I've definitely seen the progression of how when you bring home your first baby - you are so worried about everything (maybe not all moms - but I sure was). Everything has to be scheduled and perfect for your new baby. Then by the second, you are more relaxed and so is your baby and you realize you can't have perfect schedules so you just try your best and let the rest go. And by the third baby, you realize the world is not going to end over most things and you will survive and you just don't sweat a lot about baby stuff.
I've survived potty training two kids and I know I can do another one. I have taken away the paci from two kids and the world didn't end. I lost a lot of sleep in 3-4 years but there DID come a day when I slept again. And it will happen again. A baby can cry and it doesn't rattle my cage like it once did. If he's crying and I have to go to the bathroom, I know I can go and THEN get him and he will be just fine! :-)
And that's the blessing of having a third baby. I'm not stressed about him. I'm just soaking him up. I just knew with Hollis that she was our last baby so I tried to enjoy her but honestly having two under two was so exhausting to me that I didn't enjoy a whole lot of her first year.
This time around it's going to be hectic, but I know for sure (because we made things FINAL this time), that he is my last baby so I plan to let the laundry go and just hold him on the couch and stare at him. I know how quickly this newborn stage goes by and every time a baby picture of my girls comes up on time hop I want to cry my eyes out. So this time around instead of wishing time away, I'm soaking every last minute up. I never imagined I would actually get this chance again and I'm so glad I did. Scott and I keep saying that we will never be able to imagine life without Will in it.
I'm loving every last bath and diaper change and little baby noise and sweet little baby naps. I don't even care if we are up at night because I love that time of just me and him in a dark house. He will be driving off to college before I know it and I won't ever get this time back. And I'm so thankful I get a third chance at this.
And in full disclosure, I have it so easy right now. I was extremely blessed that my parents offered to take the girls to their house for a week so I could spend a week with Will Holden and recover before we jump back in with both feet next week in real life. Next week I will have all three kids and will be back to car lines and school lunches and homework and nursing a baby somehow in the middle of all that. And it won't be easy but I will figure it out!
Right now I am so thankful for a week to spend just alone with my sweet newborn. I always say that's the one thing you don't ever appreciate is how magical that time is when you just have your first newborn home with you. Most of us don't realize how precious and sweet that time is until you have your second or third and you don't get to just sit around holding a baby 24/7. You can't ever get the magic back of just having one baby at home. So for a week - I'm loving every second of it. And I can't drive which is probably a gift so I am forced to just stay home and rest and hold him.
And my girls are having the time of their life at their grandparents. They have a play tent and the country to run around in and make-up to put on and are making sweet memories of time spent alone with their grandparents.
And for a moment, I'm trying to make time stand still.
