Sweet Sweet Nolan

If you've talked to me lately, you know I've been overwhelmed with the challenges of having three toddlers...particularly toddlers that:

• throw temper tantrums that involve banging their heads on any hard surface in sight
• have major separation anxiety
• don't feel the need to sleep anymore
• constantly fight with each other 

I love my boys dearly, and there are a lot of fun things about this age.  But quite frankly, it's really hard!  I've been really anxious about the winter months approaching.  For a while there, after we dropped our morning nap, we were leaving the house every morning: walks, trips to the park, play dates, going to the zoo, etc.  We kept pretty busy.  The days when we didn't get out of the house were the ones when we saw an increase in behavior problems.  I'm honestly dreading this winter when we're going to be stuck in the house for days at a time.  It's going to be rough.  It's already rough...

But just when I think I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, these boys do things to remind me how lucky I am to be their mom.

Perfect example:

This morning Nolan woke up around 6:30.  He's been waking up several times in the middle of the night lately, and so 6:30 comes early these days.  The other boys don't typically wake up until closer to 7:30 or even 8:00.  This morning, I just wasn't ready to be up, so I went and got him and brought him back to bed with me.  He started fussing and squirming around, so I started to sing to him ("Wagon Wheel", of course).  He instantly closed his eyes and snuggled into me and fell asleep.  Life was good.  Mama was able to fall asleep too!  We both lay together until almost 8:00 when I woke up and saw that he was still sleeping.  He looked so sweet and innocent laying next to me and I just couldn't take my eyes off of him.  After a while, he stretched out and opened his eyes.  When he saw me, he instantly smiled the most sweet and genuine smile I've ever seen.  It made my heart melt. Then immediately after that sweet smile, he leaned in and gave me a kiss.  These are the moments that I need to try to remember when it's 5:00 in the morning and I'm up with a baby who hasn't slept since 1:00. 

Mommy, Someone Needs You

A fellow triplet-mom posted this on her Facebook this morning.  You should read it.  If you're a mom, it will likely make you cry.

http://yourbestnestindy.com/2014/02/27/mommy-somebody-needs-you/

While I don't hear the physical "Mommy, someone needs you" statement YET, I hear all the whimpers, cries, and screams that mean the same thing.

 "Mommy I need changed."

"Mommy I'm hungry."

"Mommy it hurts."

Or the big one right now..."Mommy I want you."

I have complained a lot this past week of being sleep deprived.  This is mostly due to our beloved Lucas.  All three boys have been good about sleeping through the night since 4 months.  They've never really had any problems being put down into their cribs at night and they'd sleep clear through the night until 7 or 8 o'clock.  This has recently changed.  None of them particularly enjoy being put down into their crib at night and would rather be rocked to sleep first.

Lucas for a solid week now has woken up at 3:30 on the dot.  I used to always just go in and pat them or shush them back to sleep without actually getting them out of their cribs.  Recently this isn't enough for Lucas.  So I'll change him into a dry diaper and give him a bottle.  The bottle will generally lure him back to sleep, but as soon as I put him down into his crib, he'll wake up and fuss again.  As soon as I pick him up and he'll instantly get quiet.  Then of course, as soon as I'm able to rock him back to sleep, I put him down and he wakes up again.

It finally got to the point where I'll just take him into the guest room and lay down with him.  He of course has loved sleeping next to his mommy.  And while I've complained about it, I've loved it too.  I love that he wants his mommy.  And while I'll always be his mommy, there will come a time when he doesn't need me as much.

I'm so not ready for that day.