Three 3and Under---If List.....

I love "If Lists..." so of course I had to do one on this subject! Believe it or not, I survived my first full week of caring for the 3 kids by myself and love it! Does that mean it was easy or that it's not hard to find time to go to the bathroom sometimes? No. But what it does mean is that all of my kids are precious to me and I love having another one in spite of the work involved. I have found it to be incredibly stressful to babysit regularly for one or two extra kids in the past when I only had one or two of my own, but having 3 now that are all MINE is wonderful!

Here's my list! I'm sure I'll be adding to it as time goes on. After all, I've only been at this 2 weeks (seasoned moms of 3 or more are chuckling over what I have yet to experience!) Many of these things could apply to moms in general even if you only have one or two kids!

You Might Have 3 Kids 3 and Under If............

*You've ever been so busy you've "forgotten" to eat

*Before you are allowed to eat at any given meal you must fill 2 sippy cups, prepare and warm up 4 people's food one plate at a time, re-fill sippy cups, re-fill plates, nurse the baby, wash kids' hands, encourage toddlers to eat, pick food off the floor, and wipe your preschooler. Then, and only then, you can sit down and eat your food while holding the baby.

*You can do just about anything while you're nursing, including typing at the computer without missing a beat, cooking supper, reading, talking on the phone, going to the bathroom and doing it successfully, chasing after a naughty almost-2-year old, reading stories to your other kids, doling out a consequence for bad behavior, cleaning house, etc.

*You get comments all the time from random folks at the grocery store who say "You must be one busy mama!"

*You get sick of people thinking that you have a baby every single year just because the oldest is 3. In reality, they are all about 2 years apart.

*Your husband gets teased by co-workers about why he has so many kids.

*You are dubbed a "babymaker" by some of your relatives who don't understand why you like children.

*You have been either pregnant or nursing for the last 50 months!!!

*You have 3 adoring fans who love you more than anyone else in the world.

*You have 3 chubby little faces to kiss and cuddle all day long.

*3 three and under is a natural birth control. Huh? Both you and your husband wonder how some couples have the time and energy to even conceive a fourth.....

*In the blink of an eye you went from an economical college car to minivan full of carseats, from roller blades to a double jogger stroller, from a sporty mountain bike to a bike with kid cart attached, and from backpacks to diaper bags.

*You have unbelievable amounts of toys, even though you carefully rotate and don't buy many for your kids.

*Your storage shed holds baby paraphernalia in all shapes and sizes. You own all stages of carseats, swings, bouncy chairs, exersaucers, and slings. You have enough receiving blankets to make a parachute.

*Your doctor thankfully decides to skip the main spiel at the hospital about taking home a newborn and just reminds you of a couple of the biggies!

*Talking on the phone with screaming, crying, and whining going on in the background is normal for you so you don't even notice it and talk above it. After all, you relish a little adult conversation and if you waited until your kids were quiet, you'd NEVER talk on the phone!

*You have a secret energy source. Whether it's a Big Slam of Diet Pepsi, 10 cups of coffee a day, or a huge mug of strong Hot cocoa (this is mine), super vitamins (these help) or going jogging, you have found a way to keep yourself going.

*You don't sweat the small stuff anymore. In fact, you get a kick out of the first-time mommies who do, since you used to be them!