Two's company, three is just right

Before Jacob was born I knew very little about babies. Of course, I’d read plenty of baby care books in the months during my pregnancy, but I had little real life experience.

I had only held an infant once or twice during my lifetime and even then couldn’t wait to hand them off. With their bald heads and inability to communicate except in strange-sounding grunts, I thought of them as an intimidating cross between an alien and a caveman—not exactly an endearing creature.

But having lived with an infant for a whole month now (happy one month birthday, J-cub!), I’ve finally come around to their charms. Their sweet gassy smiles, soft coos, impressively loud gas … I love it all. In fact, I was telling Tom yesterday that “everyone should have kids.” Before Jacob arrived, I honestly thought having a little one in tow might be a bit of a burden. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go here and there at whim—I would have the baby’s schedule to consider—and I knew I would have more “stuff” to store at home and carry about everywhere I went. It all sounded like a bit of a hassle.

It turns out that I was right about the scheduling and the extra “stuff,” but what has been surprising is that it’s not bothersome in the least. What I thought would bring annoyance actually brings joy (even his plaintive cry). When Tom and I head out the door, we know that our outing may include an extra hour of nursing in the back seat of the car, or it may involve cutting a visit short with friends because Jacob’s getting fussy. And, that’s perfectly okay. No matter what he’s doing, we find a way to make it fun.

Sometimes when he cries, we join in to see who can mimic his fire-engine-like-cry the best. Or, when we hear gas, we take guesses on which one of the three of us it was. (The louder it is, the more likely it is to be Jacob.) When he’s falling asleep, we crack up as we watch his eyes roll into the back of his head, and when he’s awake, Tom pulls his bottom lip down and makes him “talk” in a ridiculously bassy voice—or worse, “serenade” him with Biggle Smalls’ famous line, “I love it when you call me Big Papa.”

Basically, no matter what Jacob’s doing, we’re having a blast, not in spite of him but with him. He hasn’t cramped our “young married lifestyle” at all; he’s added to it. Need further proof? Check out our “Pumpkin Head Family Picture” taken last week:

Jacob was sleeping when his shot was taken, and still he made the whole experience that much more fun. They say that “two’s company and three’s a crowd,” but in our case, I’d say that, at least until another one comes along, three is just right.