Middle Child Syndrome

Two years ago I was holding my two month old in my arms when I sprung the news on my 

folks that yes, we are expecting again. 

They continued talking as if they didn't comprehend. 

Then a look of fear shock happiness came across their faces. 

Before even saying congratulations, my mother looked at Vienna and said,

 'oooohh you're already a middle child'. 

I pulled 'V' in tighter against me to perhaps shield her from the words.

I vowed from that moment on never to make her feel like a 'middle child'. 

Even if I wasn't even sure middle child syndrome was real. 

All I knew was that with a third child the household dynamics change. 

The parents become out numbered and logistics become more complex. 

I decided then that each child will feel as if they were my favorite. 

Because, well, each one is. 

They are each so different that it would be hard to love them the same. 

Kinda like your favorite book. 

I don't think it's possible to pick out which part you liked best (the beginning, middle or end). 

I think each of those chapters adds to make the magic of that novel. 

Each of my children add to my happiness and having a 'favorite' limits my own happiness.  

When we found out Vienna was a girl, I was set on doing a jungle theme for her room. 

I love themes btw. They give an idea some focus. 

Now, I wanted jungle BUT girly and pretty, annnnd in warm tones. 

Sadly, it didn't exist.

All of the baby bedding on the market was either green or yellow (gender friendly) or 

tan and brown which came across more masculine to me. 

So, I researched and found someone to make bedding for me on Etsy. 

I picked out all of the fabrics, we decided on a style and I hired her to bring my vision to life. 

For roughly the same price as boutique bedding I got something totally custom,

 and different from anything I had seen.

With that said, I have to ask - what adds to the middle child thing?
If it's moving them out to share a room, I'm in trouble.

I have officially sublet her bedroom to her younger brother.
Do I sign her up for therapy now?

I thought I would post some images before I dis-assembled everything.

The room actually never got quite finished. 

I needed additional tie backs and more curtains to make 

them fuller...but getting pregnant a month after you have a kid puts some things on hold.

So this mural took me about six months to do (but I was pregnant at the time). It's a 'transfer' from a company called Tatougue. You can find this mural and a ton of other fabulous ones here. 

Each piece of the mural comes individual, so it took a while for me to place them on the wall. 

I would put it up and have to stare at it for about a month before I decided it would work in that specific spot. It's smooth against the wall, and it's really easy to do. 

I think it came out kinda cool.

The name over the bed is actually a vinyl decal. 

I found a vendor on Etsy who had the perfect pattern. I think it personalized the room a touch. 

Really simple, easy and only about $15 bucks. 

They have a ton of people that do really creative work with the decal's like this seller if you are looking for something a little more fun. 

Before you pity Vienna for being kicked out of her room - take a look at what she's moving into. 

In a kid's world, I'm pretty sure it's an upgrade... 

although if we asked Adryanna about sharing her room she wouldn't quite think so. 

When 'A' first got this bed I wanted to be in it more then her. 

It's kind of like an indoor tree house...but without the tree. 

What a place for a child to use there imagination. 

I don't have a full shot of her bed in her room so this is the manufacturers image. 

Dan made steps to climb up instead of the wall climbing ones which I thought weren't really age appropriate. You can find a bed similar to this and other play houses at playhousedesigns.com

The girls will be sharing a room now so they can snuggle, tell bed time stories to each other and giggle.

Well, in my version anyway ; ) 

We actually got the dresser off of Craig's List (yep, I shopped there) because I blew the budget on the bed. The dresser was white and we added our own flair to it. The lamps are fun and probably one of my favorite things in the room. You can find them in a bunch of other punchy, fruity colors here.

I came across this book shelf/doll house in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. 

It was about $400 bucks. 

So, I  bribed bargained with my husband to make 'A' her own.

Taaada!!

So if you want to have a little fun you can play 'I spy' and look for my laundry baskets in some of the images above. I'm not lying when I say I live out of our laundry baskets! 

For some reason I can never get the clean clothes back into the drawers. 

I'm working on that though, as well as the notion that it's okay to let some things go...like laundry or a spotless house. 

I try not to let that define me, just like I won't let being a middle child define her.