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<\/a><\/p>\nDave and I just welcomed another baby boy to the world, and we are thrilled! \u00a0Little Chatham is doing well, and we are thankful that he is healthy. \u00a0This whole transition from a family of 5 to a family of 6 has definitely been quite surprising, and we are only two weeks in! \u00a0In the process, I\u2019ve learned a few surprising things to expect when you have multiple children AND a new baby.<\/p>\n
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Here they are, in no particular order:<\/p>\n
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1. \u00a0Expect to lose track of one or more of the little kiddos\u2026or install complicated locks on all doors and windows, along with security cameras and alarms, to get ahead of the problem.<\/strong><\/p>\nDuring this whole pregnancy, I kept telling Dave that I didn\u2019t think the reality of having 4 KIDS had really hit me. \u00a0I expected it would dawn on me the moment I stared into Chatham\u2019s precious eyes or heard his first cry, but honestly, it all seemed pretty surreal\u2026that is until the day we brought him home from the hospital.<\/p>\n
After a rather luxurious hospital stay\u2026really, I didn\u2019t want to leave because they take care of EVERYTHING\u2026we were anxious to get home to our other three boys and settle in as a family. \u00a0So, we loaded up and headed home. \u00a0The minute we arrived, our three boys were welcoming Chatham with kisses and hugs. \u00a0It was a sweet moment that I will always cherish. \u00a0Dave went outside to play with the boys, and I sat down and chatted with our sitter before she headed home. \u00a0After talking for nearly twenty minutes or so, this fear came over me and I asked her if she saw Chandler, our three year-old escape artist, leave the house with Dave. \u00a0She said she wasn\u2019t sure, so we quickly found Dave and asked if he had Chandler with him. \u00a0My fear tripled when Dave told me that he thought Chandler had been with ME the whole time. \u00a0That\u2019s TWENTY minutes of Chandler being unaccounted for! \u00a0So, as you can imagine, I ran out the door, with three-day old Chatham in my arms, yelling his name as loud as I could. \u00a0After about five minutes, Dave spotted him on our neighbor\u2019s deck. \u00a0Chandler was playing with his little friend, at their water table, without a care in the world. \u00a0Needless to say, we were so relieved to find him, but I wanted to make sure this didn\u2019t happen again. \u00a0I thought to myself, \u201cWhat kind of parents are we? \u00a0We lost our \u2018number 3\u2019 the first day we bring home \u2018number 4\u2019!\u201d. \u00a0It was humbling and alarming to say the least. \u00a0I am seriously giving the complicated locks and alarms some consideration, and I am now in the habit of counting heads multiple times a day.<\/p>\n
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2. \u00a0Expect to get one or more of your kids\u2019 names wrong on occasion\u2026or, if I\u2019m honest\u2026DAILY.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
When we had our first child, Dave and I decided to name him Cooper. \u00a0When we had our second child, we thought it would be cute to give him a \u201cC\u201d name as well. \u00a0So, when we had our third, we couldn\u2019t leave him hanging without a \u201cC\u201d name. \u00a0Here we are, four boys later, and we have given all four of them \u201cC\u201d names: Cooper, Connor, Chandler, and Chatham. \u00a0We had a Facebook friend lovingly refer to our kiddos as the \u201cCo-Co\u2019s and Cha-Cha\u2019s\u201d. \u00a0Yes, we totally get tongue-twisted and confused with all of their names, but thankfully, they usually answer to any of them and lovingly correct us\u2026at least for now. \u00a0I used to think it was just because we gave them all \u201cC\u201d names, but friends of ours with multiple kids say that they mix up their kids names as well. \u00a0I pray I get it right more than I get it wrong. \u00a0Some days are just crazy, and I am not beyond using name tags to get it right.<\/p>\n
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3. \u00a0 Expect personal space to be nearly non-existent for awhile.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
After bringing Chatham home, my three year-old has decided to sit on me, piggyback style, while I am nursing the baby. \u00a0It\u2019s really quite a funny image, but it\u2019s pretty painful and awkward to say the least. \u00a0I know he is trying to adjust to no longer being the baby, but I just wish he could give me a one-foot radius of personal space, especially when I am tending to Chatham. \u00a0Let\u2019s face it, being pregnant for nine months, giving birth, and taking care of a newborn are all things \u00a0that invade a woman\u2019s personal space in practically every way and for good reason. \u00a0However, it would be nice to just have a little space to ourselves every now and then\u2026even on the toilet, or what we might as well refer to as the \u201cporcelain peace chair\u201d because it is more often than not the only place to catch some quite time. \u00a0TMI\u2026I know. \u00a0Just keeping it real.<\/p>\n
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4. \u00a0Expect regular daily activities to take FOR-EV-ER, at least until you get used to the new normal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of my favorite childhood movies is \u201cThe Sandlot\u201d, and my favorite scene from that movie includes the little boy with the glasses ending his spooky sleepover story by saying \u201cFOR-EV-ER\u201d over and over, in slow motion. \u00a0When you read number 4, imagine saying it that way, because honestly, that\u2019s how long it feels like it takes me to complete my daily tasks these days. \u00a0It\u2019s so easy to get to the end of a long day, feeling completely exhausted but having nothing tangible to show for it. \u00a0The best advice I have for any new mom, including myself, is to cut yourself some slack. \u00a0Embrace this sweet time of expanding your family. \u00a0Each day is a gift. \u00a0It passes so quickly, even though these days feel like FOR-EV-ER.<\/p>\n
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If you would like to know a dad\u2019s hilarious take on this, please check out my husband\u2019s blog\u00a0\u201c7 Realities About Life with a Newborn Baby\u201d.<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Dave and I just welcomed another baby boy to the world, and we are thrilled! \u00a0Little Chatham is doing well, and we are thankful that he is healthy. \u00a0This whole transition from a family of 5 to a family of 6 has definitely been quite surprising, and we are only two weeks in! \u00a0In the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2139,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[113,115,110,111,112,114],"class_list":["post-391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-baby","tag-birth","tag-new-baby","tag-new-parents","tag-parents","tag-what-to-expect-when-you-are-expecting"],"yoast_head":"\n
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