Any One That Have Kids Spread Apart, Preg with 3Rd and My Oldest Is 17. - Cincinnati,OH

Well..I don't, but my oldest sister is 34 and my youngest brother/sister are 9, 10 in December....(and I'm in the middle at 25).

Congratulations! My oldest was 15 when my youngest was born. While this was a case of a second marriage, people would raise their eyebrows when I told them that they were all my kids. Because I didn't feel the need to explain the situation to people, when I got "the eyebrows" I would shrug and say "yeah, I had a different hobby for a while".

My husband was 17 and his brother was 12 when their baby sister was born. My mother in law was 36 when the baby was born. They LOVE their sister! Even though they are older they have always been very close with her. She is 12 now and she came with us on our family vacation this year- we all had so much fun!

Don't stress out about it. In a way, you are starting over, but it's in a great way!

We are in a similar boat... I am also 8 weeks pregnant, have a 2.5yr old and a 16yr old. Granted, my 16yr old is my stepson, however he lives with us and my husband has primary custody. Therefore, he is like my own son (known him since he was 7). I say... CONGRATULATIONS!!! And it will all be fine. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks - I don't. Our was planned, so we are thrilled. I am 36 btw. I might be one of the oldest moms in kindergarten, but who cares. We are good parents and love our children, and that is all that matters. Your two oldest will not realize how awesome a little brother/sister is until he/she is here. when we had Brayden 2.5yrs ago, our (then 14yr old) was angry, jealous, and bitter. It took about 4 months to adjust, and now he looks for him when he gets home, picks him up, loves on him, and of course the youngest idolizes his big brother. they have a forever bond now. You will be surprised on how this little one will fit into your family and be loved by all! Good luck! And congrats... hope all goes well, we will probably be due around the same time!

Lucky new baby, lucky older kids, lucky Mamma, and lucky Dad! Enjoy, many of us were just wishing on another post to go back to the baby days one more time. Congratulations to your family!

My children's ages are 17, 15, 10, 7 and 4 months. I can't make up my mind what stage of life I'm in. Drivers license, braces, bedwetting, breastfeeding and diapers. I homeschool also so I have two in HS, a fifth grader, a 2nd grader and a drooler. Congratulations!!! You'll have fun and so will your kids!

Congrats on your pregnancy. Enjoy your family. Who cares what other people think. As long as you and your husband or happy, that's all that matters!!!

My oldest sister is 17 years older than me. LOL!!! It's a common thing and it's fun in so many ways.

Be blessed.

oh yes!!!!!!!!!!! I cried for 2 weeks when my "oops" happened.. I was one week off on my calendar (rythm method worked til then). Our youngest it the biggest blessing of them all... and the two older were so much help and still are with our baby who is now almost 8... our older two were 12 & 8 ... we were just getting our freedom and along came another baby... I wouldn't do it any other way if I had to do it over again :) Message me if you want to talk more

I am 38 and have a almost 4 month old, 2 1/2, and a almost 14 year old. Congrats! Our third was unexpected but is so an angel. It will be great. As for your spread out group. It was easy with the oldest and the 2 and a half year old. Now that there is another little one makes it complicated I won't lie. It is very trying at times and I feel like I can't breathe but you won't have two so close together. I have all boys. We are now in the teenage stage with my oldest so he thinks we are embarssing sometimes. He doesn't like to go out to eat with us or do some things in fear the two year old will throw a fit. My hardest part is not being able to do some teenage things with him. I am missing a lot of that and that bothers me. By the time my youngest is big I feel he will be graduating and gone and I will have missed all those years. In retrospect he is a great helper but I wish I could break away and enjoy a sunday movie or something for us. When you have three you break into groups a lot. My husband and he will go to the movies and I will be home with the babies. Or my husband takes the two year old to the pool to give us a break. I hope everything works out for you. Lots of times it probably looks like we are in a second marriage because they are so far apart but my husband was like yours and was happy and excited. I was probably the one stressed but it is great now. Remeber God won't give you more than you can handle and as for what everyone else thinks who cares it is your family..

My kids were 19,15 and 9 when I had my youngest. (2nd marriage baby). Now the oldest are all out of the house. Realistically, there are good points and bad. Bad first - it's really REALLY hard to lose that much sleep in your late 30's (I was 39 - it may be easier for you). It just takes longer to bounce back the older you are. It is emotionally hard to have kids at such extremes - having a "terrible two" AND a tween AND a teen all at the same time, for example. It makes it a little harder to go to older kids sports and school things, because of dragging around a ton of baby paraphenalia and working around nap and bed time. My 15 year old wouldn't hold the baby in public because "people might think he's mine". And Oh boy! Was she ever embarrassed that her mom was pregnant. She refused to feel him move, barely glanced at sono pics. But she grew quite close to him and LOVES him like crazy now. As he grew it was hard to have the energy to chase him around and then attend all his little league sports, etc. Hard to tolerate his little friends, I just want to relax at night, etc.

Good points - I found in my late 30's I was a TON more patient than in my early twenties. Built in babysitters are FABULOUS (but don't overuse them, or they resent the baby and you). My little guy was always way more mature than his peers because he always played with and hung around with such big kids. The big kids have helped him with sports and homework, too. I'm more relaxed as a parent with him, and enjoy our relationship more than I did with the others. He's the only one at home now and he is such a special guy.

Don't know if I helped or not, I tried to be honest!

Mine were 15, 12, and 9 when my fourth was born. When I would take the baby to the oldest's school functions sometimes I would get 'that look' that questioned who was the mom - me or my teen daughter! LOL But aside from that it's been wonderful. My 'baby' is now 18 and the other 3 are long grown, married, and out of the home. The youngest really was/is like an only child for many years.

We have a 15 and 10 year old and now have a 14 month old and are loving it. Our older two are crazy about our little one and a lot of help too. Sure you'll get a few comments about the age range, but its actually a lot more common than you realize.

my mom had my youngest bro when i was 17. It was nice b/c we could help out.

lol! Me! And I am 44! I have a 16 year old, 12.5 year old, and now a 6 week old girl. We are having a ball! We've been highly amused with ourselves since we found out, a bit in shock, but I'd asked DH several times about adopting and he nixed it. So, the man upstairs had other plans :) I had SO much fun yesterday sharing her with everyone at work (I'm a teacher) and I go back in Dec. Had plenty of raised eyebrows, since I am 44 after all, during my son's middle school orientation. And you are only 34, so you're in a typical age group for having kids. My 12 year old is the best at getting baby quieted/asleep, 16 year old a bit nervous when she cries but getting better. The 16 yo also was ambivalent about it up til the delivery day, where she hopped into our car (son was at camp) and was there for the whole delivery lol. They are both tickled with her though, especially now that she smiles and has started to coo a bit. You're going to love it, once you get past not sleeping (we're cosleeping again, works great, and we are sleeping).

Yes. My son was 15 years old when my daughter was born. They are great...both are like only children because of their age difference but are so cute when they interact. My daughter LOVES her big brother...BTW, I was 34 when she was born.

Yes! My cousin and his wife had a boy, and then sixteen years later they had another boy. We always said they were practical; they had a baby and a babysitter.

Then there's my niece and her husband, who had a trio of girls... until last summer when a fourth arrived. Two girls are teenagers and the third is in double digits - and then there's the baby! And everybody loves it now. You couldn't NOT love this tiny girl. She goes to her big sisters' games with Mama and Daddy and gets spoiled by her big sisters' friends.

Some people will think you are nuts, but so what? Criticism and scorn are easier than anything. There will always be folks like that. You can't get everyone's approval, no matter what you do. You know better; you are being blessed with another child to raise and love!

(P.S. You might enjoy a 1950s movie titled NEVER TOO LATE. I think Amazon or TCM may have it. It's about an older - older than you! - couple who find they are expecting at the same time their spoiled, just-married daughter wants to be expecting. It's kinda cute.)

I just wanted to say you are not alone. I have 3 kids, all within 4 years of age. My baby is 8 so the age difference isn't as big as yours, but number 4 is due in a few more months. I'm still in shock and awe, and have the same worries I did the first time around. It does feel like starting over, but I'm hoping it's like riding a bike and it comes back fast. :)

My biggest concern is being able to be there for the big kids, and still doing all the things with baby that we did with them, but then I think of how neat it will be for the kids to share our traditions and their favorite things with the baby, they basically will get to relive their youth, and how many experiences the baby will have because of the older kids and their activities.

I am 34 and I have 7 children. Currently they are 15, 9, 7, 6, 4, 2 and 1 month. (and yes they are all mine from the same husband). I feel like I have 2 families: my oldest and then the rest of the kids. We make it work and the kids have fun playing with each other. My dilemma is like yours but more because I have so many kids. I get comments about how I have my hands full and I respond....no just my heart. It does take a little more effort but it is worth it. I am also a sibling of children spread apart....my sister is 5 yrs younger than me and I have 2 brothers that are in their 20s that I don't know as well because they basically grew up while I was away at college. It can work and don't let the comments get you down. Find away to respond to them if you have to like I do. I don't have my hands full just my heart with all the love that we have for our family and our uniqueness in today's society.

God love ya! Babies are blessings for sure..... My husband and his bro are several years apart (not quite 17, though). They love each other and are very close. Congrats!

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God love ya! Babies are blessings for sure..... My husband and his bro are several years apart (not quite 17, though). They love each other and are very close. Congrats!

I know you have a ton of answers already, and I haven't read through all of them...but I thought I would offer my perspective. I don't have kids spread apart... but I am an older mommy. But more to the point.... I have one sibling, who is 12 years younger then I am.

Apart from my mother thinking she had a "built in babysitter" and not understanding why I would get upset when she assumed I would babysit without asking me and then consequently ruining my evening plans.... it was GREAT! My sister and I were and still are very close. I was old enough I could be the "cool" sister ... take her places and do things with her that her friends siblings couldn't do. When she was bout 7 or 8 I took she and her friend to Cedar Point ... the 3 of us had a blast!!

And since I had already been there done that with mom and dad I could offer lots of advice, which she has since told me was very helpful. When I was in college my parents would bring her up for sibling day and we would have tons of fun for the weekend.

I know my mom has mentioned that in my sisters circle of friends she is the oldest mommy...but it's never bothered her and the other moms never seemed bothered by it. Relax. The new baby will keep you young! I'm 37 and just gave birth to twins and have a 3 year old...so I totally understand the whole older mommy thing.

As far as the kids... I think you're going to find it's very fun. Just remember to allow your 11 year old a life of their own. Ask before assuming they will babysit... talk about it...work out a plan. I didn't mind babysitting... what I minded was my mother just ASSUMING I would.

Having kids spaced out like that really allows you to get to know your new baby in a way you can't if you have other small children. It's like having a first all over again. Good luck and congratulations!!!