Random postpartum thoughts

My daughter is 3 1/2 weeks old and I am just now sitting down to write anything. Surprising? No, not at all.

Life with three kids has not been nearly as bad as I'd feared. The transition from one to two when G was born was harder and my memories of that time are not all good ones. I was an emotional mess, D had more difficult time adjusting and things were pretty overwhelming for a while. I expected a replay of all that, only possibly worse because now I have three, not two.

What has happened has been much smoother, and boy am I grateful. D is older, and although he'll always be sensitive, he's mellowed out some as he's gotten older. He's also not used to being the only recipient of my attention. G has never had me all to himself all the time, so for both of them, adding another little person to the household hasn't been too traumatic. Plus, they have each other and that has made a world of difference. They've bonded over the summer in a way that makes me so happy. G's language skills have improved dramatically and I think that's made it easier for he and D to play together. They have fun, they fight and do what brothers do - but keeping each other company has been a big part of what's made life easier for me now that there are three of them.

And it helps that Little Miss is quite the easy baby. She's mellow most of the time, sleeps a TON, nurses well and doesn't cry a whole lot. Sure, there are times when she won't settle enough for me to put her down for long periods of time, making it tough to get anything done. And my expectations are much lower than they would be without a newborn; its a win if I get a shower, and we're all dressed and fed regularly throughout the day :). And I do look forward to getting more than a couple of hours of sleep at a time. But all in all, I either hit the jackpot with my daughter or she's going to make me pay for this when she's a teenager.

I'm taking things one day at a time and trying very hard not to dwell on the fact that I feel fat and out of shape, or that none of my clothes fit, or I can't find a decent nursing bra that is both comfortable and supportive enough. It isn't always easy having a newborn to care for, let alone a newborn, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. But I know how quickly they grow, how fast things change, and I'm trying to enjoy things for how they are now, even though it can be a little crazy.

More than anything though, I'm so amazed at God's graciousness. I look at my beautiful children and almost can't believe I would be blessed so tremendously. I couldn't possibly have asked for a better scenario - my two kick ass boys and my beautiful little girl. She's like the icing on the cake - and not just any cake, the best, most delicious cake you've ever had.