If I think about all of the benefits Thomas has by virtue of being the third BDR - playmates and entertainment and relaxed parents who understand what they're doing - I also have to admit that there are more than a few drawbacks.
So, for instance, I sometimes forget to bring food for Thomas. It's true! And while he'll eat almost anything we do, our lunches often are baby death traps and allergens: crunchy raw carrots and nuts and yogurt with honey, or cheese, eggs, and wheat.
Or how about the times I - for lack of a better phrase - abandon him places, so that I can take care of the other two children's pressing needs, or give my aching arms a rest. I know all of the secret places at the Please Touch Museum where a little baby can sit and watch while his mama's hard at work applying a bandaid or sipping her coffee.*
Or the fact that he gets one or two or maybe even three books read to him in a day. I try, I really do, but right now the baby's more interested in playing with the big kids or nursing than reading books. Or the big kids see me sit down to read and immediately pull out their favorite, baby-unfriendly books. No, Thomas doesn't quite have the attention span for What Do People Do All Day. (Frankly, I don't know if I do, either.)
I've been trying to make more time for Thomas in our days, which isn't always possible but is made so much easier by Kevin's flexible schedule. It's not much, but taking him away to explore on his own, at his own pace, without whisking him up to follow after Peter and Lucy has to be good for him.
While Thomas likes this time, he also seems to look around with a bit of curiosity, as if to say, "the world is qiuet here. What are those big kids planning now?"
*This never happens. Right? Riiiight.
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