THOUGHTS ON THREE

*Disclaimer: All of this was done via iphone because my computer decided to die which has accounted for the lack of pictures.

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Recently the idea of having a third child came up for discussion with my husband. To be honest having a third child is not something that I had envisioned myself planning for. I was quite content with having two boys, needing only two car seats/booster seats, not having to switch over to a big huge SUV or minivan, but now I think about it, the more I love the idea of having an SUV or minivan. There would be so much more space and it will make road trips even more fun. Oddly enough I never envisioned myself having three small children but I have envisioned myself having three adult children, heck even four! It's just getting there that was the scary part.

*Joshua and Lucas. Summer of 2010*

Pregancy with Joshua was a breeze! I did of course suffer through the dreaded morning sickness but that only lasted 4-5 weeks and literally as soon as I hit my second trimester it was like I was walking on clouds. I didn't start showing until I was 18 weeks and even then it was just a little bumb. My pregnancy with Lucas however was a whole other story. I was sick for TWENTY weeks and I started showing at 8 weeks not to mention every part of my pregnancy with painful in some way. I vowed to never get pregnant again!

I look at these two, and think about how much I like things the way they are. At least now I have one kid for each hand, I dont know what it would be like juggle the little ones by myself. Wrangling them can be difficult as it is,  but it's not overwhelming to the point where I fear going out in public with the two of them alone. Aaron and I are an equal team. One handles Lucas, the other handles Joshua then ..1..2..3..switch! That is the art of tandem parenting, and it works because we are not out numbered.

But then I realized I was living my life based on fear.

Really, what was I afraid of? Many parents have three children and some of those parents are single, surely I was loving enough and able enough to raise another child. What I needed as a large dose of self confidence. I have to look at all the thing's I've been able to do well as a mother then look at the things I had not done so well and use them as learning experience. I have to push myself and test my own limits in order to see what I am truely capable of.

*Some time in early 2011*

So Aaron and I talked about it, actually we texted about it...or, it could have been an email. We decided that filling our home with more love and laughter was going to be the best decision ever. There were a few other deciding factors for me, the honest to goodness truth is, that neither of my boys were planned, they were just wonderful surprises. I missed the experience of planning a family, I missed out on taking a few months to a year in order to get my body ready with the right vitamins, calculating when I would ovulate, talking to the doctor about it and all that fun stuff.

Aaron and I decided on the year and month that we would start the baby dance, so to speak, but before we do there are a few things the Smith family would like to accomplish before baby number three comes along.

Disney world with TWO kids

Get to my goal weight (20lb to go!)

Our second honeymoon, just the two of us

Take a family vacation to the Carribean

Purchase our first home

Get a second car

Get promoted (either of us)

I was really inspired by The Art of Making a Baby blog. I never knew that such preparation when into planning for a baby, then again this is coming from the mom-by-surprise. They prepared  for their pregnancy 6months to a year before they started trying and remarkably they ended up getting concieving on their first try! In efforts to cure this bout of baby fever I've decided to start monthly or at least semi-monthly pregnancy theme posts Once my blog grows I would love for those to be guest posts! If you are interested email me and you don't have to be currently pregnant or even a parent to participate!