My oldest child turned 3 a few months before my water broke with my third baby. Sometime between when I was holding my 1-year-old on my lap, chasing him around, and stuffing myself with eggplant parmesan (I heard tomato sauce could induce labor and he was a week overdue), my baby decided it was time. I thought I was ready.
After all, everyone told me the first baby was the hardest transition and that going from one kid to two was “way harder than going from two to three.”
Everyone was wrong — SO WRONG
'Crazy' doesn’t even begin to describe it
I only left the house once a week for years because it was the only way to ensure we didn’t cause a catastrophe I couldn’t handle. Even then, I was always putting out fires and would start counting down the hours to bedtime as soon as we finished breakfast.
Having three kids close together is a joy a lot of the time, but it’s been the most exhausting thing I’ve ever done. It's not letting up — and I’ve been at it for over 13 years now.
I hate to tell you, Blake, but it doesn’t get any easier as they get older. Just wait until you have three teenagers who need you to drive them everywhere, with a strong side of sass, and wanting expensive things.
Sure, you get better at multitasking and blocking out all the noise, but you'll wonder every day how you’re going to get through. You'll do this until they move out — at least, that's the impression I'm getting.
So, cheers to the parents of three kids close in age — it takes a special kind of grit.
For the rest of you: If you’ve never potty trained one child, with one in diapers, while also nursing or bottle-feeding another child — who is also in diapers — you aren’t allowed to have an opinion on this subject.
