My husband started to count the family whenever we get in the car. It is an excellent habit! With three, somebody is likely to be the quiet one, so it is easy for two to make so much noise you don't realize one ran back in the house to get something.

Read a childhood development textbook. It will be kind of disheartening because you will look ahead at all the stressful things that are coming. But, when those things happen, it helps a lot to know that all kids go through these stages. Some of the hardest stages are "textbook," and knowing ahead of time that it is normal and won't last forever really helps.

Sibling dynamics change A LOT with three. The youngest is likely to be resented at times and seen as a favorite. And that is totally normal. Don't try to stop it. Be prepared to talk with your kids about how it can be hard to have a younger sibling, but there are also good things. Help them face the reality of jealousy in a healthy way.

Try to schedule a date with your spouse at least once a month. At least while kids are small, you have to hire the babysitter and PLAN the time away. If she does most childcare, he should plan the dates. Whoever does the most childcare is more likely to emotionally struggle with leaving kids behind, but they need that time away the most as well.

Remind your kids, when they are getting older, that if they take care of each other they could be the most important friendships of their life. It is up to them if they want to be good friends forever, and it takes work to take care of each other even from a young age. I started talking about this stuff at about 5 years old. It seems crazy at the time, but little kids are thinking about "when I grow up" all the time, and knowing they can have friendships with their siblings later helps them regulate emotion in difficulty sometimes.