3 Kids Three and Under...

While thinking about what to write for this blog post the memory of taking 3 kids, ages three and under to a doctor’s appointment solo kept coming to mind.

Flash back 7 years ago to July 2013, we had 3 kids - #1 (Aspen) 3 years old, #2 (AJ) turned 1 year old 8 days after our #3 (Emmy) was born. Yep, Irish twins!! And as real life goes, we moved across the state a week and a half after Emmy was born, this time of my life is kind of a blur from lack of sleep.

About a week after we moved it was time for Emmy’s 2 week check up and AJ’s 1 year well child visit. My Husband, Jerry, was gone hauling cattle that day. So, I loaded up all three kiddos and headed to their appointments about 35 miles from our house.

I had recently bent my jogging stroller between the pickup and horse trailer when I was hauling cattle. So I was down to an umbrella stroller for the 1 year old who was not walking yet and the infant car seat for the two week old.

When I arrived at the doctor’s office, I put AJ in the stroller, looped the diaper bag over the handles, grabbed Emmy in the infant car seat, and praised the Lord our oldest, Aspen, was a great listener. As we walked into the doctor’s office I knew I was a sight, because everyone in the waiting room watched me non-stop from the door to the receptionist desk.  

At the desk, I held on to the infant car seat swaying and rocking because Emmy was mad and about to go from whining to screaming. I then released my hold on the little stroller handles to check the kids in for their appointments. At that moment I was reeducated on the laws of balance and gravity, as soon as I released the stroller handle the weight of the diaper bag out weighed the weight of the 1 year old and it started to flip over backwards. My foot shot out, caught a handle before it completely flipped and AJ was only partly freaked out.

Ok, let’s pause right there and step back to look at the picture I must have made from someone else’s point of view. Young mom of three standing there holding her crying baby in the car seat, foot holding up the tipped stroller with a 1 year old in it and a 3 year old standing right by her. My word, now that I look back at it I had to have been so surreal and comical looking that even I can laugh at the thought of the sight now.

I finally got them checked in and sat as close to the door to go in as I could and worked on getting everyone calmed down. The nurse came to get us quite quickly. I wonder if it was out of pity, I laugh again as I think back.

The picture below was taken as we waited in the pediatrician to come in to the exam room.

The kid’s Pediatrician is a dear friend of mine and we got married only two weeks apart. I am so thankful for her! When she came in she showed so much kindness and love to my kids as she checked them and we had a great visit that gave me the energy and encouragement to get back to the car after the appointments were done...

Oh my…. Thinking back to that day is a great memory now, even if it was a very exhausting day at the time. I am pretty sure after I got back home the kids and I just chilled, let the kids watch movies and then went to bed as early as possible!

For the mom who is having a stressful mommy day today, please remember you are not alone! These days do pass; tomorrow they wake up another day older, so seek to enjoy the everyday moments, because the everyday moments make the best memories.

-Heather-