Tres

"Waaahhhhhh!"

My first thought, as I hear the human alarm clock that is my 3 month old, is "Where's my wife?"

And then the slow realization begins to overtake me. My heart begins pounding, my head sweating. There is no backup. This is a solo operation now.

My wife has gone back to work.

This summer, we were blessed with our third daughter, A. She has been a fantastic baby. It's as if Superman (that's who I assume sent her) made her super happy and super chill so that we would love having three kids. "Hey Mom! Hey Dad! I don't cry a lot; I smile a lot; you made a great decision!"

We were also very fortunate that Carrie was able to take an extended maternity leave. She was off all summer, returning to work after Labor Day. It was like she was a teacher, but without all the smoking, drinking, and threats.

Our summer was great. We hit up museums; went to the zoo; and all the other typical summer activities. We were able to run errands with minimal hassle. I was able to take a few of the day gigs I normally pass up. After all, I have a live in babysitter, who also happens to be quite the looker.

It was our best summer yet. We really loved being home together.

However, all good things stop. (or something like that)

I totally forgot what it was like to deal with a newborn exclusively. When we were both home, we can share in the diapering, playing, changing. (Carrie was in charge of the nursing; my nipples were too sensitive.) So I had to deal with all of this myself.

And not just A. But two other kids under the age of 4, both of whom, demand more attention every day. L & E were both sad to see their mom go. But I've got to say they've both been a big help. We always assumed L would be a great help, being of the first born persuasion. But E surprised us, but only a little. We thought she'd have a harder time with A. She was our baby before, but now she was the big sister. And she took it on with gusto. She's been as helpful as L ever was. With the two of them entertaining Ava in the bouncy seat, home maintenance has become easier.

And I miss Carrie. It's odd, that I would enjoy having my wife around to help with the kids, share in the kids experiences, and laugh with. (SARCASM) But I do. And I know she misses all of us, too. Her tearful calls from her cubicle tell us so. But she's a champ. And she does a great job supporting us. And by us, I mean Earth.

Three kids have me flustered, but happier than ever. I have to relearn how to get L prepped, and ready to go to preschool; how to keep E entertained and engaged; and how to feed/clean/clothe A. Having three kids isn't that much different than two, but enough to make me start over from scratch with routine. It's almost like learning how to walk again.

Actually, it's more like learning how to run again.