Moving to Zone Defense

As of Spring 2019, we will officially be outnumbered by our children as we grow to a family of 5! Although I’ve always said that I want 4 kids, the decision to have Baby #3 was not an easy one. Just Google “Having a third child” and you will find more than enough evidence to suggest that 3 kids is by far the most stressful number for most families. Here’s just a small sampling of the worries/fears that have been circling my brain as we prepare for our new arrival…

How are we going to fit 3 car seats in our SUV?

How do we coordinate schedules for sports/ballet/school events as they get older and support each kid equally?

How will this affect vacations and flying home to see family?

How will Aria react to being a “middle child”?

And most importantly, how can 2 people make 3 kids feel equally loved??

Well, after a bit of panicking after the pregnancy test said “+”, here’s what I realized…We can do this!! We bought a third row vehicle specifically because we anticipated this situation. We already limit the kids to one extracurricular activity at a time so they don’t have stressful schedules. Travelling will be tricky, but not impossible. Aria will be a great big sister. And most importantly, our kids know how much we love them and this new baby is already so loved.

Just prior to leaving Zambia we decided that if we wanted a third child we only had a small window to make it happen without having to endure a medical evacuation from abroad where I would have to come back to the States to have the baby due to a lack of proper medical care in our locations overseas. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. Baby is due April 1^st, meaning that we will have just over two months after his/her arrival to prepare paperwork (orders, passport, visa, etc.) and pack up and head back overseas. Although, the hardest part will be leaving our families again knowing that we’re taking yet another grandbaby so far away. But, we’ve discovered, they’re much more likely to come visit when there’s a new baby than they would if it were just Chad and me! 😉

So, now that I’m past the panic stage, the excitement has really set in. The kids ask almost daily how much longer until their new baby brother/sister will be here, and they’re constantly hugging and kissing my belly. They are so excited to help with the baby and feed and cuddle, but they both agree that Dad has to change all the dirty diapers. Aside from diaper duty, I have no doubt that they’ll be great helpers. Now we just have to figure out how to fit another tiny human and all of its accessories into our already cramped apartment…