Mama chats: Is it really triple the workload with three?
I have to stop myself because I keep referring to Joshy as my 6-month-old when it reality he's 7 months pushing on for 8! You see, I'm stuck in this blissful bubble holding onto the baby phase and wishing it would last forever.
He is such a wonderful, sweet little boy and I still marvel at how lightly we've gotten away with general sleep deprivation third time around. I mean, I've never had a baby go through the night as quickly as he did without needing feeds or comforting and *touch wood* this is just another happy coincidence of his incredibly relaxed character coming into play.
It's funny because whenever I mention to people that I have three 3 boys so close in age it is often met with wide eyes and some sort of well-intended comment about me being a 'supermum' or a genuine query about how on earth we manage.
The funny thing I've learned through my journey as a mother of one all the way to three boys so far, is that whether you are a parent of 1 child or more, you have your good days and bad days just the same as any other parent and you just simply get on with it. No, it isn't always easy but nothing worth having in life ever is, is it?
To dispel another theory I've often been asked about: No, I don't feel like I have triple the workload compared to life when we only had Noah. I think this is because with your very first baby it's all quite intense and 'full on' because the shift in becoming a parent in the first place is so great. I remember thinking at the time 'I don't know how people ever manage with two babies or more!'- But looking back that was just a reflection of where I was at in that moment. All my time and energy was spent on Noah and I couldn't comprehend how I could slot another baby into that scenario. You're a newbie parent and you watch like a hawk, read all the books, take heed of all the advice thrown your way and simply do the very best you can. But then Jonah came along and everything shifted again! My focus as a mother divided into two overnight and the beautiful thing I discovered was that it wasn't a lesser love for each child as the law of maths might have it. I loved each baby with my whole heart, fully and unconditionally. The love grew overnight.
As Noah and Jonah have a similar day routine, they have their meals together and play together beautifully. (That doesn't mean tidily or without the obligatory daily dose of mud, creepy crawlies and wrestling matches) But they are extremely close to each other and so their (generally) contented play does allow me to get on with household tasks when they are entertaining each other- They don't 'need' me to facilitate their fun.
Joshy's routine is really very easy because he's such a happy little thing. He has his breakfast with the boys and then has a nap, followed by playtime, and intermittent feeds and naps for the rest of the day. When he's awake he loves interacting and playing with his brothers and they totally dote on him. Often I find I am able to get on with the laundry or answering emails simply because the boys are enjoying each other's company next to me and there is peace in the house! (Even if just for a short while!)
It's such a privilege being a mummy to three boys and my only hope is that in the future I will look back at these years with satisfaction and with some of the best memories of raising my wild little ones into men.
