Three Kids...First Thoughts

I know it's early, something like 1% of the precincts have reported, but so far, I'm willing to go along with the wisdom I've received that:

"the transition from 1 to 2 kids is more difficult than 2 to 3."

0 to 1 is, of course, a paradigm shift of epic proportions, so that's a different category.

But, especially with the whole bedrest experience, I feel pretty confident and at ease in my ability to manage the other 2 (playing zone) while the NFO takes on Nitzahn (man to man) [btw, a lot of folks have asked-no nickname yet...you can't rush the evolutionary process]

Besides, it's proportionally not that big a deal. Going from 1 to 2 is a 100% increase. 2 to 3 is only a 50% increase in the number of kids!

There was a moment over the weekend when the NFO was napping and I found myself in the den with all three kids at once. Caught myself thinking...whoa, I have a brood here.

That was a bit crazy, indeed.

I understand why non-first children feel a bit neglected sometimes (the NFO is #4) b/c you just don't have as much time.

On that topic, I am a bit concerned...how do you allocate time, my most valuable asset, to the kids in the right proportion?

I feel like Paco has been given a bit of extra time lately...my gut tells me that he needs it a bit more, so I've focused on it. But, I don't want Tonka to be left out of the mix and tonight, I apologized to her for not having as much 1:1 time as I would have liked today.

They had a solid day and we had fun (and a big assist to my brother, Barak, and two rock star sisters who came in for some middle inning relief work), but knowing when to give time to each, all, or none [need to have time to blog, of course] is something I'm going to have to learn.

Regardless, it's pretty cool...my ego tells me that I'm a mild patriarch now.

What's interesting is the absolute blurring between work and life, particularly in the digital age.

I've got a desktop pc and 2 laptops, deployed strategically around the house. Plus a smartphone. I move seamlessly from one to the other as I alternate between work and home responsibilities. Send an email, go change a diaper, pick up some toys, and then analyze a spreadsheet.

The digital revolution empowers me to be at home and do more than I would if I were at an office, but knowing what is "work time" or not is more and more becoming a thing of the past.

The NFO has been great about not asking me to get up too much in the middle of the night (she asks for 1 time so she doesn't have to get out of bed to change diapers) and I've becoming a devotee of the "whenver I can get it" nap, so all in all, I'm not too exhausted....yet.

Honestly, a bigger challenge recently has been that Paco (who usually naps for 2-3 hours in the PM) hasn't been going to bed [and has been getting out of bed multiple times a night] until 10pm.

So, yesterday, even though he threw a tantrum, I wouldn't let him nap at all...made him take a bath when he was tired, just so he would stay awake. I worked, but it was a 1 hour long tantrum. Need to figure out a way to get him 'over the hump' so he catches his 2nd wind without the kicking, screaming, and crying of "I want to take a nap!!!"

Bottom line, Nitzahn is a beautiful kid. Her siblings and mother adore her (as do I) and we're adjusting...one day at at a time. As I've often quoted my mom:

"The days are long, but the years are short."