Sunday, May 15, 2011

From Mommy of 2 to Mommy of 3

And here they are...one, two, THREE peanuts!



How does one go from zero to two and two to three? When we begged and pleaded for one child we were blessed with our twins. I didn't know much about nothing back then so ignorance is bliss. At least that's what I say. I had no idea what one baby was like so two babies I figured it was the same with a splash of hectic!! After the chaos settled J & I thought we had done pretty good with the twins & really it wasn't SOOO bad. Again we got on our knees and begged & prayed for another baby...with a note to the good Lord, just 1, if you don't mind.

This time the guys upstairs got the order right. We got ONE healthy & happy baby. I'm not gonna lie it wasn't easy being pregnant with one baby & raising two two-year-olds. No one prepared me for that one. But never the less we worked through adjusting our routines and task responsibilities around the house. Having Camila has been no walk in the park. We had expected an easy breezy 9 months. But it was more like hard & treacherous hike up a steep mountain with several moments of fear scattered through out. In the end our 3rd little girl came into the world after just 36 hours of laaaaaabor that began at 3AM on March 17th and finally ended at 3:39PM on March 18th!

Side note: When J & I got married in his wedding vows he mentioned how his life with me had been blessed in 3s...after 3 years, 3months & 3 days of dating we got married, we got married 3 times in one week (long story), and he discovered the 3rd love of his life. I don't think he knew then just HOW significant the number THREE would be in our lives. HA!!

Overall if you add up my good days, bad days, and down right ugly days it's just a joy to have all 3 peanuts! When the planets align and the universe is in perfect balance it can truly be a breathtaking experience to watch all three of my daughters together. It leaves me in wonder how I arrived to this point. We don't always have moments like this but these moments overshadow most of the crazy moments we have together. When people ask HOW do I manage taking all 3 kids shopping or to a doctor's office or to a restaurant? I have to say it's a shot of air, 2 gulps of God Help Me, and 3 thoughts of "I prayed for each & every one of these little ones & I got what I asked for!" And with that we move forward. It's nowhere near easy and it takes a heck of a lot of planning, scheduling, coordination, and PRAYER. Otherwise I would really lose my mind.

And when I say "PRAYER" I really do mean prayer. I find my days are made up of little prayers of help and sometimes big passionate prayers. For example:

-God please let her sleep for about 30 more minutes so I can make a mad dash for the shower & get the girls dressed for school.

-Oh God please help me not to kill the dog that just ate my child's bagel right off her plate & now I have to make ANOTHER one & watch her eat it one tiny nibble at a time!

-God please let this gas last me long enough to make it to the girls school & back home because if I stop this car I know Camila will scream her head off.

-As I'm breastfeeding Camila upstairs & all is quiet downstairs...Oh my precious precious God I beg of you PLEAAASE tell me that I didn't put the dogs on the potty & the girls outside in the yard??!!!

-Dear God please let the girls play nice & QUIET so they don't wake up this baby for the fifteenth FRIGGIN time this hour.

-God please let the girls eat their food without my begging & pleading with them to just EAT the damn food.

-God please let me produce enough milk today to feed my baby she seems to have a bottomless pit for a stomach & if I have to eat another bowl of oatmeal with quinoa I think I'm going to puke my brains out.

-God if it's not too much to ask today, do you think all 3 kids could find a way to fall asleep at the same time so I can get just 15 minutes to myself to eat, sleep, or shower!!

-God PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE it's been a long 12 hours let J catch the friggin early train because I don't think I can handle it today if he calls to say he's going to be late cause he missed the DAMN FRIGGIN TRAIN AGAIN!!

And so my prayers for help and guidance and strength & sanity go on & on. It's been a hectic & down right chaotic 4 months with the arrival of Camila but here are the many many moments that quickly remind me why I begged & pleaded for baby #3.

We meet...it's love at first sight.


Here are my little baseball fans at the Yankee's home opener.

Val and I discuss how a long time ago she too was just as little as Camila. We also talked about how she got to our house :) That was a fun conversation.


Camila's arrival came right around the Easter season...so we visited with the Easter bunny.


And after Spring comes Summer!! Poor Camila was happy to be unbundled & ready for some summer fun.


The beginning of May is always fun cuz we kick off the season with Daddy's birthday!!


Another birthday and J is still as young as the day I met him ;O)


And there's mother's day...which every year I am reminded why I am the luckiest woman in the universe. I get to share my life with these wonderful human beings.


And then probably the biggest event of the year is Cati & Val's birthday! I can't believe they are already 3 years old...God where has the time gone??


And one day this little one will be 3 too :)



It's not an easy job. I would say it's the hardest job I've ever had. There are no sick days or vacation days. Some days I'm on call around the clock. There's no night shift to take over. There's no monetary incentive or bonus at the end of the year. I'll probably never get a raise or recommendation. Many days all your work goes unnoticed and under appreciated by those you are servicing. And many days you definitely like this is some kind of cruel joke & there should be a law against this kind of abuse! I mean who works under these kinds of conditions??

With this job I have just ONE chance to get it right. I have one chance to make sure I do my very best to raise confident, strong, and responsible young women. And I won't know how good or bad I've done for another 20 years or so. I may not always get it right & some days I don't know where I will find the energy to get me through the day. On those days I rely on my spirit and determination carry me through. Because in the end, to me, it's the most important job I will ever have in my life.