I've been getting asked lately quite a bit whether we’ll
have a third (or more?) child. Right now, we’re a house divided – or at least
uncertain. I have no idea if we’ll have a third one down the line (we’d
probably stop there). And my second child is still a baby – it’s too early to
be thinking about this! Let me enjoy her being a baby before I even think about
adding a third! And yo, back off the current or future state of my uterus, dawg. That's not your business.
But of course I've thought about it. Come on.
Chris is completely fine (and sometimes even adamant) about
stopping at two. Me, though? I’m totally uncertain. I love larger families (I
was one of four) and love a bit of chaos and love kids in general. But a third
kid would be expensive (Three kids in daycare? Three kids to feed? Three plane
tickets if we went anywhere? A new car to hold three kids [or all new carseats
at the least]?? A new house???]. And a third kid would tip the scales in the
kids’ direction – they’d outnumber us! And it’s not quite that critical mass
number where adding another kid just doesn't matter (that happens at four kids,
I hear). And in the back of my mind is a study that found that parents with
three kids were the least happy. Although I can’t find that study now, so maybe
I just made that up. And we’re in a good groove now. But….KIDS. SIBLINGS.
CHAOS. FUN. I love that; I crave that; I thrive on that.
If we did, it wouldn't (ideally) be until Emmeline is at
least two years old. I really like the age gap between Carys and Emmeline. But
then, I've never had a four-year-old and a two-year-old AND a newborn, so who
knows how that would work in reality (who knows, except, you know, all those
other millions of people who have had that age combo). And maybe Carys will be
a complete terror of a four-year-old or maybe Emmeline will be the most devil-y
two-year-old ever and in two years I’ll tie my OWN tubes with a rusty spoon
just to ensure that no more children enter our house, lest I spend the days covered
in spaghetti sauce coaxing a toddler off of the top of the fridge and trying to
trade her chocolate for whatever dangerous chemical she’s attempting to drink. Although
that’s not all that different than my life now, I guess. And I kind of really
love it now.
Can you keep a secret? I will admit to a teensy massive bit
of baby fever whenever I see a pregnant lady or newborn. I love being pregnant.
I love newborns. I kind of want one now. BUT NO LARA. BUT NO.
I am having the same thoughts. E being only 4 months old I am still in the "I don't know" camp, but I also don't feel done. And I slightly envy pregnant ladies, which is a bad sign.
ReplyDeleteIt was so much easier when you could just toss kids in the trunk until they were old enough to drive, and raise them stacked in a bedroom like haybales.
ReplyDeleteI can kinda see where 3 is a tricky number for the family. 4 is SO much better!
We have two girls (a two year old and a three month old), after having lost our oldest- a boy. My husband is the same as Chris, ready to be done if I'm done. But me? I'm still all, "bring on one more, ideally a twin pregnancy so I can have four living children". Crazy. I'm crazy. But I love being pregnant, too.
ReplyDeleteBut I hear you