When is the best time to add to your family?

I know...BABIES?!?! 

You have 3 already!

I know..but we want SIX!

We just celebrated our 13th anniversary three days ago and for some reason I've been seeing "signs" about having another baby now.  We're planning on adding another monkey this fall but...SHOULD we wait?

Now...I'm 32...and I'd be an older mom.  As a birth professional I'm fully aware of the risks, but if you're healthy and eat healthy during your pregnancy...you're normally fine n dandy.  But I kid you not for the past month every other day I have received something talking about adding to the family. :)  I hear the pitter patter of little feet!

Sunshine has firmly left her babyhood and is such an amazing kid....she's potty trained and has been since she was 13 months, she showers, dresses, brushes and flosses her teeth, brushes her hair (she's now learning to put her own piggy tails in...it's SO cute!).  She's doing well with her learning..she knows all the colors, she's counting, knows some sounds, knows TONS of animals and she cleans better than Ben, but then again...that's not saying much! ;)

Tyler & Rhea...well...last week they both come in (I was going through more baby things to send to Jason) and basically asked us to have another baby.  They want a baby brother.  Rhea said twins would be really nice but three would be even better.  I told her my uterus is not liking her right now! ;)  So, the kids are on board...Ben's on board...but I want to wait until the fall.  I'd like to lose some more weight because well..Sunshine's fast now & I'd hate to see me huge & chasing after her!

But, another reason of wanting to wait is that we are going to finish up these extra projects to get the house sold this spring.  We decided to take it off the market since 2 buyers backed out at the last minute even with an ok inspection so we're RE re-doing the bathroom, painting throughout, landscaping, new other things too...oh and we're putting in ... what's the stone called that's a slab?...but we're putting those kind of counter tops in and we're redoing the fireplace (it's just brick and wood right now..VERY VERY rustic/country & I hate it.) Morning sickness is horrible when you're remodeling..been there...done that...got the t-shirt.



But, going from 2 to 3 was really hard on me.  I felt like more of a new mom than I did when I had Tyler.  I don't know if it was because of all the previous loses or if I had postpartum depression but even to hear her whimper sent me into "kill whatever has caused her pain" mode.  I'm protective but wow...I was seriously mama bear mode ...come to think about it it probably was all the miscarriages...(I've an unknown clotting disorder which is doc language for we've no freakin' idea why you've miscarried 9 times but thinning your blood works.).

So...how many mamas out there have gone from 3 to 4? or 5?  Sunshine started off with a twin but the baby didn't make it so twins isn't too far out there as I'm a double ovulater (TMI? ;) can't say I'm not a transparent blogger! ;) )  Am I crazy to think about any of this?  Is there a better time of age to add to your family?  Tyler & Rhea are 17 months apart and they're wonderfully close...and like rabid animals at points but..siblings...and they adore Sunshine.  I worry Sunshine who is just the monkey in the family would not do well considering she'd be around 4 when the baby would be born if I get pregnant quickly this fall. 

So...as I sit and think on this next step in our family's life and my life...I feel the need to ask the advice of those larger families.  After all I and another friend are the only ones with 3...but the majority of people we know have only 2 children...I want to hear the down and dirty of the family with 4 or more monkeys. 

Honey