Bobby!

Look, honestly, it's probably for the best that we live in different cities. It’s actually a good thing the kid gets to spend time with a family member who clearly gets this excited about them.

Grace Anderson3 said:Look, it’s honestly a blessing we live in different cities. It’s actually good for the kid to have that connection with family members who are this excited about them.

Duh. Who wouldn't be stoked to see Baby? When they visit, they're more than welcome. 🍿

Grace Anderson3 said:We knew from the start that we wouldn't be getting much help from grandparents—unless my parents come visit us here or over in the States. On the bright side, there’s less outside interference.
When I mentioned Hans's family, I was primarily referring to his mother. Jean would love to visit us, but two separate trips have already fallen through—likely due to the friction with Hans's father. That man has a tendency toward both alcoholism and belittling others. He had a birthday recently and expected Hans to drop by😕 (it's only about an hour and a half drive) but we were just being discharged from the clinic; I was still recovering, and the Baby had just finished therapy. It seems irrational to me if Jean misses out on seeing us because of him. It hurts to see Hans so disappointed, though it doesn't surprise us—at least, it doesn't surprise me.

That's a shame.
It's a difficult situation when someone possesses such a toxic personality—so many people end up suffering because of them. :/

Grace Anderson3 said:You all seem genuinely interested in this. 😁 Did any of the older kids feel jealous when a new addition arrived? A friend of mine has two sons—two years apart—and the older one was incredibly jealous for quite a while, making things difficult for his mother. But after about six months, he completely shifted into protector mode for his little brother.👍

Just make sure Jean doesn't decide to dive back into drinking after so many years of sobriety. 🤔

No way—it’s not like we can throw wild parties with three kids running around. 😁
She might have one or two beers, or maybe a glass of wine throughout the entire evening, and that’s really it. 😁

For the sake of peace, nothing excessive.
The oldest often complains about being left alone in her room when the little one decides to sneak into our bed.
I’ve actually ended up sleeping in her room myself a few times—those twin beds in the kids' room actually offer more space than our master bed does when there are two extra kids in there. 🤣

Both of the older ones are extremely protective of the youngest.
They are all jealous—honestly, more than I care to admit.
The eldest is 6 years old and weighs about 50 pounds; I try to explain that it's others' turn now, but I still have to discipline her occasionally. 🤣
Meanwhile, the boys practically fight over who gets to sit on my head. 🤣

Anthony Nguyen81 said:...
Both of my older ones are super protective over the baby.
Everyone’s just jealous that I don't carry them enough.
The oldest is 6 years old and weighs 25 lbs, and I’m wasting my breath trying to explain that it's someone else's turn now—sometimes I have to let her take charge too. 🤣
Meanwhile, the little ones are practically fighting over who gets more space on my head. 🤣

Maybe find a group activity so you can actually give everyone some attention at once. And watch your head.. 😁

Grace Anderson3 said:We knew from the get-go that we wouldn't be getting much help from grandparents, unless my parents come visit us here or over in the States. There are perks to it, though—less unsolicited advice and people sticking their noses into our business.
When I mentioned Hans's family, I was mostly talking about his mother. Jean would love to come see us, but she’s already had two trips fall through, likely because of the friction with Hans's father. That man has a real habit of being condescending and struggles with alcoholism. He had a birthday recently and expected Hans to drop by😕 (it's only about an hour and a half drive) but we had just been discharged from the clinic; I was still recovering, and the little one had just finished therapy. It honestly drives me crazy thinking that Hans's mother might miss out on seeing us just because of him. It breaks my heart to see Hans so disappointed, but then again, it didn't really surprise us—at least not me.

Man, I really feel for Hans regarding his dad.
The grandmother will probably end up visiting less often than she'd like because of all that drama, but I'm sure she'll still make the trip.
You clearly see both sides of the coin when it comes to being distant from family. If they're too close, they're constantly meddling in everything, but if they're too far away, you barely see them at all.

I noticed you asked Anthony Nguyen81 about sibling jealousy.
Once again, I can only give you examples of people with kids from my own circles.

To be honest, I haven't seen a single case where the older child wasn't jealous, to some degree or another, once the competition arrived.
With some families, it's pretty mild—maybe just demanding extra attention from the parents or insisting that both kids have identical toys, otherwise they'll fight over the one they have. But with others, it's so intense it's actually hard to watch.

I know this little boy, maybe three and a half, who pushes his younger brother, gives him a smack on the head whenever he gets the chance, refuses to share a single toy, snatches things right out of his hands, acts like everything belongs to him, and even steps on or kicks the kid's clothes. And he does the whole thing with a smile on his face. I feel so bad for the younger one, and I really hope he grows out of it eventually.

Grace Anderson3, I’d suggest looking into finding a wet nurse if you aren't producing enough milk. Personally, I’ve been a surrogate for two moms, and let me tell you, I have a real appreciation for the female anatomy right now.

I’m actually going to suggest to Grace Anderson3 that she records Baby on Voice Memos so we can all finally hear what he sounds like.😬

I’d suggest Grace Anderson3 ignores those suggestions 🤣

Me too,
but I'm waiting until Baby finishes recording and lets us hear it. 😬

hiddenmarlin14 said:I’d suggest Grace Anderson3 just ignore all these suggestions 🤣

Look, my suggestion is actually solid—seriously. This store-bought milk isn't nearly good enough for the Baby.

Grace Anderson3 said:Maybe find a group activity—something where you can give everyone attention at once. And watch your head... 😁

They're still little, though—I can actually handle them when they swarm me all at once by just tickling them sporadically. 😁

The peak chaos is when one jumps on one knee, another hits the other, and a third lands right on your head.
Time to play pony, Daddy! 🤣

Nicole Myers said:I'm with you there—
but only once the baby records it and lets us hear it. 😬

Recording Bebot sounds like a plan. 😁

Nicole Myers said:Same here,
but only after the baby is recorded and we actually get to hear it. 😬

I have no clue how I'd pull that off, 🍿 but since newborns make totally different sounds than adults—like rapid breathing, whimpering, groaning, whatever—it's a different ballgame. 😁

Unbelievable... Just managed to crash for 4 hours in the garage. 😲

Way to go. 👍

That whole thing about recording was just me messing around—maybe I'll bring it up again once they actually start talking.

We’re going to record his very first word. 😉

Do you guys remember what your first words were? Apparently, mine was "watch out." 🤔

Mom!😍

Grace Anderson3, did your mom make it in yet?

My youngest son’s very first word was actually "Dad"—I even have a recording of it.

stormygardener93 said:Grace Anderson3, did your mom show up yet?

Yeah!! 😍

Grace Sanders24 said:Mom!😍

Walter Baker2 said:My youngest son's first word was "daddy"—I actually have a recording of it.

That's actually pretty sweet.. 🙂