Life as a mother of 3

I have a few moments of quiet so I thought I would jot down a few things of how we are adjusting to three kids!!! So far it hasn't been too different, but I do notice that I have less time than I did before to myself! The first two weeks little Braylee joined our family weren't too bad because Rand took time off work and basically took the two boys all day to the fair or to grandma's or outside. Life was pretty easy, just sitting on the couch holding baby while the neighbors and friends helped take care of us! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all those who have helped! It was so nice to just relax.

Then, week three hit! Randy went back to work and I had to take care of all three!!!! Not only did he go back to work, but he added 10 hrs. to his work week because he started his internship!!! Mornings were definitely hard that week! Luckily Braylee is a good little sleeper because I was able to get a lot done: laundry, cooking, a little light housework. The boys weren't too bad. They got a long most the time and actually had some play dates with a few neighbors!

Ryker had a hard time adjusting to sister. The first few weeks he kept throwing huge tantrums if he didn't get his way. He even started throwing toys at the wall and screaming at me! He also regressed a little with potty training. He had a few accidents and we had a hard time getting him to go sit on the potty. Now that a month has gone by (yikes! time flies!!), he has adjusted a little better. The tantrums are getting fewer each day, he is going potty again by himself, and he is wanting to share his trucks and tractors with sister! One thing he says a lot to me when I'm holding Braylee is "I want to cute her". I think he means I want to kiss her. He gives her lots of kisses!

This week it was pretty nice because Rayden went back to school! Most the day is quiet and Ryker loves having the Legos all to himself. I'm thinking that I'm going to be liking this school year! Braylee is too little to be mobile and Ryker is easy to entertain!

The main thing that is difficult right now is finding time to get things done! I spend a good portion of the day sitting on the couch feeding or rocking Braylee, and the other portion in the kitchen, cooking and doing dishes. Unfortunately, my dishwasher wasn't working this week so I felt like I was spending hours at the sink washing dishes!!!! Luckily Randy helped me fix it so now i don't have to do that anymore!!! But it just seems like I can't ever keep up on the housework. There is constantly piles of toys, clothes, shoes, dishes, papers, and now.....dirty diapers! So just beware....if you plan on stopping by at all, my house looks like a war zone!!!!

Oh, and if I didn't have enough to do before, it's officially canning season. Not only do I have the regular dishes hanging around, now I have boxes of bottles, bags of rings, big pots and pans all over, bottles of vinegar and spices! During normal circumstances, canning season is so crazy! Throw a newborn in the picture and it's just plain hectic! But, there is nothing better than having a basement full of canned food from the garden that we get to enjoy all year round!

Actually, my mother-in-law has been a huge help so far with the canning. Most of the mess has been at her house and she has helped make it possible to can with a newborn. Yesterday was the first day I canned at my house all by myself and it wasn't too crazy. Yes, it took me twice as long to get the job done, but I got it done!

So, having a third edition to our family hasn't been too difficult so far. I love holding my little Braylee and cuddling with her! Sometimes I just want time to freeze so I can enjoy my kids while they are so little. When I think that a month has already gone by, it makes me so sad. But it also makes me excited to watch how Braylee progress and grows out of each outfit. I'm excited to see how her personality will develop and how she will grow and interact with her brothers! I just can't help but think how lucky I am to have three beautiful and talented children! I truly am Blessed!