third times a charm

It is amazing how much easier having a baby is on this third go around. When I had my first baby, I was so nervous and had to learn everything as a beginner Mommy. On my second baby, I had some experience to draw from, but now had to learn how to have more than one child around. I had to figure out a family rhythm that worked for everyone. Now that we have established a routine that works for us, we just had to make a few adjustments to add one more to the mix.  Bed time is normally 7:30 for the kids and John and I usually fall asleep  around 9:00. Now bed time is 7:00pm for the kids we can be in bed by 8:00. Since the baby wakes up to nurse every 1.5 - 3 hrs, that gives us a good 10 - 12 hours to try and get 8 hours of sleep in. It has been working great. Although we are still tired, we are so much more rested then with the previous 2 newborns. The kids wake up around 6:30, so we also asked the them not to wake us up in the morning. They have been getting up quietly and doing their morning job of unloading the dishwasher and then working at their art table or reading books together until we wake up. Having Jetta and Pilot around has been such a big help. They have been so excited for months waiting for him to be born and the thrill has not worn off. They both want to hold the baby all the time and that makes it easy for me to get breakfast made and even take a shower. Wow! Every night we go around the table and each person says what they are grateful for. For the entire 9 months of my pregnancy Pilot would say "I'm grateful for the baby." At night before bed he and Jetta would give my belly a kiss and say "goodnight scout, we love you". And now that he is born Pilot still says "I'm grateful for the baby" at dinner and at night they kiss their brother on the head and tell him "I love you". It is this third baby that has brought out so much love and gratitude in our family. What a pleasant surprise. Third time really is a charm.