Still a little whacked

My hormones must still be a little whacked, cuz I got all sentimental putting away my maternity clothes the other day. Well, most of them are in storage again. I still have some stretchy maternity pants that I wear. Anyway, it made me a little sad to put them away.
What if that's the last time I am pregnant so I never wear these clothes again? That whole long phase of my life is over!? I won't feel him moving in there ever again.
Then I thought "Ummm, my hormones must not have fully recovered yet." Although my pregnancies are relatively easy, it doesn't mean I want to be pregnant forever!
Why is it sad to have a waistline again (almost). Why is it sad to be able to run up the stairs without wheezing? Why is it sad to be able to eat and eat and eat and not have heartburn?
It's not. It's not sad at all, because I have my new little one here to hug and kiss and hold. That's way better than carrying him inside.
It's a funny thing the way hormones really do affect you after the baby comes. I must say though that this has been my best recovery so far. Physically and emotionally. I haven't just started crying for no reason, like I did with the other two. I haven't really felt overwhelmed yet, like I did with the other two. I attribute that to having a summer baby instead of a winter baby. There's something about getting outside every day that instantly lifts my mood. It makes me feel that everything in my life is just where it needs to be. Everything is just right.
I highly recommend having a June baby, if you can plan it that way. The only craziness so far was feeling sad about putting maternity clothes away. But even that only lasted a few minutes. Hooray for summer babies!

3 days old

Look

The one thing we've heard the most since having Baby is: look how much he looks like his brother! Are they twins, separated by 2 years?!
When he was first born he did look like Buddy's new born pictures:
Buddy:
Baby:
But as he gets a little older, I see more of Lulu's face in him. Maybe it's because all 3 of them look a lot alike?
Lulu:
Baby:
Lulu:
Buddy:
Baby:
I guess he will have his own little look, a cross between Lulu and Buddy. We'll see as he gets older, because as you know, babies change a lot in the first few months. It is fun to watch them grown and change.

Keeping Busy

Luckily I haven't been all by myself with the 3 kids yet. Yes, I'm spoiled. I've had my hubby home for a week, and my mother in law for a few days, then my mom has been here helping me too. I appreciate the help a lot. It's not that I've had a hard recovery, or that I won't be able to handle all 3 by myself. It's that I've had someone here to watch the older 2 kids so I can nap in the mornings. All 3 kids have been up almost every night, which makes for very little sleep. So, it's been nice to get a few naps in, and someone to help me clean and keep me company. Someone to take the kids outside to play while I'm nursing, and someone to laugh with at the baby's funny sleeping faces.
We took pictures outside yesterday with my mom. It was perfect weather, and 2 of the 3 kids were happy. Well, Lulu was happy. Baby was sleepy: Buddy was very angry because I had woken him up from a nap. So, I tried to bribe them with otter pops, their favorites. It worked on Lulu:Then later when Buddy really woke up he was happy: We should have taken pictures with Grandma again, but we didn't. These ones are pretty cute though.

1st week

Dear Baby,

You are the sweetest baby. Maybe it's because you are still so sleepy, but even when you're awake you just quietly look around. Let's hope this lasts!
It is amazing, even the third time around, that a perfect little human being came into the world through me!
I love your soft hair, your little pouty mouth, and your teeny eyelashes. I love your dry little toes, your hairy shoulders, the wrinkles on your thighs, and the dimple on your elbow. You have the cutest button nose, just like your sister and brother. I love your sideburns and the way your forehead wrinkles when you lift your eyebrows.
I have had lots of time just soaking you in while you nurse, and I think you are absolutely beautiful and just perfect.

Love,
Mom

Here are some pictures from my phone of Baby's 1st week of life. Usually I have my cell phone next to me, and not my really nice camera. So, there are a few gems on there.
In the hospital:
Going home from the hospital:
In his cradle:
Enjoying the beautiful Spring weather outside!:

He's Here

I'm not sure what to call this baby on the blog, seeing as we all have nicknames to try to be a little careful. For now, maybe he'll just be baby. :) I had contractions Tuesday morning and thought the baby was on his way! The contractions decided to stop, but started again that evening after Lulu and Buddy were already in bed. So, we left them in the care of Grammie, Ollie's mom, and were off to the hospital. This labor was different from my first two. The contractions were so strong I thought I would die, and I was only to a 4 after an hour of being monitored. Finally I got moved into a Labor and Delivery room and had my epidural at 1:30 am. Baby#3 was born just before 4 am on Wednesday the 8th. He was 7 pounds 5 ounces and 21 and 1/2 inches long. All of the pictures we took when he was first born are kind of gross. Of me and of him. You know how it is. I look terrible, having been up all night for two nights in a row. Plus experiencing that kind of pain for 2 hours. I've never felt anything like it. I knew mentally that I needed to relax and breathe, but I just could not do it. Thank you epidural! However, he was worth all the pain. Of course. He is such a sweetheart! He is a great eater and sleeper. Hopefully his mild mood will stay too! And now, for a million pictures... Daddy with his new baby: Such skinny little legs and tiny feet: He opened his eyes!: Buddy and Lulu came to meet Baby and take us home. They had wristbands like mommy and daddy that said "brother" and "sister". They were really excited to meet him, and to watch cartoons on my tv. Here we are, ready to go home: He looks so tiny in his car seat: Lulu is absolutely in love with her new brother. She wants to hold him ALL the time: Grammie: Buddy got worried when Baby was crying. He brought him a toy and the boppy and asked in such a sweet voice if he wanted them. Then he tenderly kissed his hair and pointed out where his elbow is. I decided to humor Buddy and sat Baby in the boppy: And here are the two brothers together: What a sweetie pie. I just love him so much. I can't quit kissing this little face: So far I have had a great recovery, which is good considering it was a bit of a hard labor for me. I hope we all stay healthy and the kids keep on loving him. So far so good.

Any Day

This is such a weird feeling.
Any day now I could be having a baby. Even within a few hours if my body decided it was time. And yet it feels like I may be pregnant forever. I feel the same today, 2 days from my due date, as I did at 6 months.
And so it puts me in this weird mood, where I know logically that something big is coming but I can't really feel it. I have no anxiety, good or bad. I'm just going day by day, living life the same. I feel like I should be freaking out, at least a little. I mean, 3 kids!
Can I do it? Can I cope with the lack of sleep coming? Can I cope with the baby blues? Will Buddy handle it ok, not being my baby any more? Will my labor go smoothly? Will the baby cry all the time? Will I make it to the hospital in time to have an epidural? Will Ollie be at work or at home when I decide it's time to go? Will my mother-in-law have time to drive down and stay with the kids, or will we be rushing out the door with the kids and meeting her at the hospital? Will my labor last all day, longer than Buddy's was, and I'll get frustrated?
It's just all a little surreal because even though I have all these questions, I don't think about them.
Although every few days I stop and really think about it in the middle of the night when I'm battling heartburn and smashed bladder syndrome, and I get a little excited and a little scared. That's when I feel normal.
But then I finally fall asleep and when I wake up I go about life with my big tight belly and only 2 little ones and the process starts all over again, wondering why I'm not freaking out!
The truth is, it's kind of a nice to not be freaking out or having anxiety for weeks. My life feels so peaceful. I guess this is just my way of dealing with change. It's inevitable. It's a good thing. And I have no idea what the answers to any of those questions are, so I'll just deal with it as it comes and do my best.

More Performing

Lulu wanted to do another dance recital. She thought the whole experience was just so fun! She was a little sad to hear that she couldn't just go over to the amphitheater and do it again. It was a one time thing.
So to cheer herself up, she put on her outfit and took the stage at home. Our stage happens to be a window seat. Just the right size for two silly little performers. She was nice enough to let Buddy join her on the stage, and they let me video a little bit of the action.
She is known for making up songs, and for making up words in said made-up songs. So I'm not sure what exactly this song or dance is about. Possibly a little witch? But I like Lulu's little legs and Buddy's high notes: