Third Times A Charm? (Andrew, 9 Weeks)

The transition to three children has been going a lot smoother than I had envisioned. So far, I would describe Andrew as mellow and easy going. I'll just go ahead and say that Andrew has been the easiest baby to care for of our three children :0) 

Amelia was our firstborn, so we had no idea what we were doing and we stressed out about everything. We had little confidence in our parenting skills.  When we had Alex, he had colic and Amelia was only 16 months old. They were both completely dependent on us. That transition was tough too. We were so overwhelmed with two babies!

With Andrew's birth, I feel things are much different. Things feel so much more calm and under control. Amelia and Alex are more independent and don't need constant supervision. In fact, they are very helpful with helping me care for their little brother. They play with Andrew, help me with diapers, and even help me put him down for naps. When Andrew cries, Amelia is the first to run over and try to make him feel better.    

I feel like I have more time to devote to just Andrew. I feel more confident in my abilities. I'm older and have more experience. Most importantly, I have a different mindset.When Amelia and Alex were babies, I was in survival mode. 

Andrew will most likely be our last baby, so I'm cherishing every moment with him and have much more patience. Knowing that every little milestone will be my last experience with a child makes me appreciate everything about him. It makes everything extra special.  

Andrew is already sleeping in 4-6 hour periods at night. Many times, he'll only wake up once at night! He took to breastfeeding very well. He has a great latch, eats regularly, and I've had no pain at all. His cries are very soft and easily soothed. He smiles all the time and has already started giggling!  

The only real issue we've had with Andrew has been his baby acne. At times, it seems to bother him a lot.  He is constantly scratching at his face and sometimes it gets red and raw.  It's heartbreaking! We are hoping he grows out of it soon.

Andrew is very resilient. Many times, I have to wake him up to take his siblings to and from preschool. Andrew also comes with me to my hospital volunteer work. In fact, I took him to an FRG meeting when he was just two weeks old and he went to his first fundraiser at three weeks old. He is such a good kid!