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Road Trip with 3 Kids Recap
In May 2022, we drove our family of five, 11 hours to visit friends and family in Ohio. We’ve made this drive before, but this was our first time with three kids and a dog. To say I wasn’t stressed about the drive is an understatement.
Best Gifts for One Year Olds
With my third turning one, I decided to curate a list of the perfect gifts for 1-year-olds. From practical to books to non-toy suggestions. Comment below, what you love giving the little ones in your life.
Getting “Me Time” with Kids
If you’re a parent struggling with feeling life yourself after brining a child into your life, I encourage you to make your own list of 5 things that bring you joy (outside of family time). Then discuss with your partner how he/she can help you get that time. It’s brought me so much joy and peace. I hope you can get that too.
Our Family’s Nighttime Routine
Managing my energy level has been one of my biggest struggles as a mother of three. I’ve never been a “happy” early riser despite my children’s jubilance in the AM.
Why We Dropped Naps
For the past month, we’ve experimented with dropping our 2.5 year old’s naps. His naps were inconsistent up to this point thanks to swim lessons & weekend outings. We noticed when he took his usual 1.5 hour nap, bedtime was a fight.
Our At-Home Christmas Traditions
At the time of writing this post and sharing our at-home Christmas traditions, my sons are 5, 2 and 9 months old. With each child, I’ve added or updated an activity to meet their age and attention span.
Pro Tip: Just Add Water
Just add water, when your kids or you need a mental break. That’s a tip I learned early as a parent. I’ll revise it to say, “just add soap and water.”
Going from Two Kids to Three
A third child is a whole new level of chaotic. I learned that my former routines must be retired. My expectations altered.
Mama, you’ve got this.
I overheard a comment from a woman when I was walking through our small downtown,“Wow, 3 kids.”When I heard it, I felt a prickle on my neck.
How to Read Books When You’re Busy
At the time I’m writing this, I have 3 children ages 5, 2 and 6 months. Since the birth of my third son, I’ve read 17 books. This is a big deal because last year I read a total of 5 books, one of which was less than 100 pages.
My Temperamental 2 Year Old
This is my second go around but it’s 100% different.My second born is both charismatic and unpredictable. He makes me laugh the hardest. He is easy to forgive.
Potty Training Without a Timeline
I thought potty training a second child would be easy. I did it before, I can do it again. They say every child is different. I fully affirm this statement now. Potty training my first, Nolan, wasn’t seamless, but he was fairly adaptable. It took us 12 days to confidently say he was fully potty trained (this includes naps and nights).
Siblings Room Sharing: Update
If you have siblings who share a room that also doubles as a playroom, expect it to be messy 90 percent of the time. We decided to have our two sons to share a room about two months before my third son was born. My oldest son was 4 years old and my then youngest was 20 months.
How Cozy Pajamas Protect Our Family
To you this might look like another cute family photo. I attempted to create the perfectly staged picture showcasing our matching Hanna Andersson pajamas. But if you’re a new family of five, you know the perfect photo is impossible.
I Feel Jealous Sometimes…
I feel jealous when I hear positive breastfeeding stories. I’m human. I sometimes throw myself a “why me” pity party. I search Google for answers as to why I never produced milk after 3 pregnancies. My current theory is that I lack enough glandular tissue. But who really knows? 🤷🏽♀️
To My Last Baby
You are my last baby. You will be my last child I get to wear. You will be the last child I sleep train. You will be the last baby I potty train. You will be the last I watch walk. The last I introduce solids. The last I get to hold that is mine.
I Tried Breastfeeding My Last Baby
The past week of navigating feeding my newborn started out exciting. I felt hopeful this time around. Griffin had an excellent latch. I had help with my other kids to focus and get this thing right.
Are You Ready For Baby Three?
If I were to compare my preparedness for this baby to my previous pregnancies, it would be laughable. I am surrounded by chaos. My house is an active volcano.
5 Favorite Baby Items
As a soon-to-be mother of three boys, I have wasted a lot of time and money searching for the “right” baby items.