Baby three – easy when you know how?

I’m in the privileged position of having learned all about babies three times over.  Twice from experience – my older children taught me a lot as babies – and once from training in antenatal education.  That of course doesn’t count the nuggets of wisdom you pick up from other mums and childcare professionals along the way.

So here we are with 7-month-old baby number three.  And I have to say – so far – it’s been fabulous.  I really know what I’m doing, we have hand-me-downs galore, and those items I’ve bought new have been things I’ve known really work because I’ve seen them in action.  Baby three is relaxed because I’m very confident in what I’m doing.

On the down side, three children is a handful at the best of times.  I am lucky if all children get to bed at the right time, and it usually involves help from my man coming home early from work if so.  Single parents have my sympathy.

Seriously, homework, reading practice, cooking the dinner, feeding the baby, stopping the dinner burning mid-feed, nappy changing, bathtime, stories, prayers, lullabies and then finally lights out, usually an hour later than it’s supposed to be.   And that’s just weekdays.  Weekends we never seem to know if we’re coming or going.  If anything gets done it’s impressive.

Actually, it was easier when baby three drank and didn’t eat.  At least from four months where she was sleeping through the night.  Now we are a month into the eating business, and it’s considerably more time consuming.  But, again, with friends in the know and a more relaxed approach to weaning, we have discovered that jars and puree are totally unnecessary.  Baby three has a go at anything and everything.  Toast, banana, chicken, dry cereal, broccoli; basically anything that we are eating she will get some too.  Usually with a huge mess, but you’d have that anyway, and this way you don’t have to sit there hovering over the baby with a spoon.  Result!

And let’s not forget, with every new baby comes a whole load of extra love around the house.  Now I have three bundles of love (four if you count my man) around the house every day.  It’s harder than two, but it’s also better.  So life is more chaotic, but it’s more colourful, exciting, and to paraphrase Elton John, you can really feel the love.