The Third Child

Note: This post is random. I just feel this is a topic of conversation so much for us lately, that I'm putting it on the blog.


The third child. Kate Alma Lancaster. I have three kids. Three. It sometimes is hard to believe that I'm grownup enough to have three children. The question "How is handling three kids?" gets asked quite a lot. And just today at a birthday party, I was asked "How has juggling three kids been? Do you feel so crazy about it all?" I laughed and answered. We continued the topic for quite a while about three children.

The third child always makes for a fun conversation with people. Friends who have more than three feel its a breeze, strangers who have no kids feel its a lot and ask how I can handle it all, and those who are in the same position as me with three children completely understand. Some feel three is a lot, some feel three isn't enough. And most of the time, people tell me that three is the magic number that just sends you spiraling into crazy land. When I was pregnant with Kate, SO MANY people told me that three was the hardest. Three will feel like your drowning and three will feel like you are in pure chaos all the time. You are out numbered.  It scared me. I mean two was a transition enough, but now three?! I was a bit worried. And by a "bit" I mean I was frantic. Then little Kate was born. I now have three children and this is how I feel about it.


   This is totally my perspective, my opinion and what has taken place in MY HOME! This has nothing to do with others views or how others feel. So please don't get angry with me.

I will flat out say that three has been totally doable. I panicked at first with learning to juggle everything and keep everyone happy. Once I found my footing, things fell into place and we haven't looked back since. Don't get me wrong, I am still learning, I'm still failing but I am also having a lot of wins too. In general terms we are happy. Our little Lancaster clan is happy and I am so glad Kate, the third child, is apart of that.

The third child's transition into our family has been smooth and pretty easy. Kate is such an angel and I think that plays a huge role into why we haven't gone completely bonkers. So here is where I say, I think it depends on the child. To us, the second child (Owen) was a WAY harder transition than any. (Sorry son, if you are reading this years from now, but buddy, you are a HARD child. I love you though!! SO SO MUCH) I struggled more for that first year with two children than I have ever struggled before. Things are easier now but some things are harder.

Also, the third child is just another add on. I mean we kind of already were in chaos, so what is adding one more to the mix really going to change?

I'm just going to say it. One child is easy. It just is. You don't see it when you only have one child, obviously, but it really is just so much easier. I love when I get to just take one child with me somewhere. I think Holy cow how did I ever complain about having one child?! Hahaha. But at the time it was hard. It's hard making that transition from being this free person, to raising a human being. Then when we had our second, it just threw us for a complete loop. I mean we were set in our ways, we only had to lug around one kid and then all of the sudden we have this little boy, who doesn't sleep, who cries all the time and is just throwing us off. THAT WAS HARD. To me that still is hard.

I think thats why the third just hasn't been that big of a deal to me or to Dan. I think we both, as parents have learned to take a step back every once in while. With our third we now know how quickly that baby is going to turn into a toddler and just how quickly life goes for these little ones. We already know how to adjust our schedule or not feel too disappointed when plans change because of a kid. We know that it can't last forever. So with Kate, we now are able to embrace so much more and really focus on the important stuff. Not feel so rushed with everything. That has been such a huge part in our transition to three kids. We know that it just keeps getting better.

Three is awesome. Three has it's challenges. It completely consumes me. Good and bad.

So there you have a little taste of the Lancaster third child life.