Children, Babies, and Husbands

As I get closer and closer to my due date, I am anxious to have this baby not only to relieve those aches and pains but to meet my newest little family member. As so many people apparently think, we must lay in bed unable to sleep, stressed out about another mouth to feed. How sad.

Tonight Jake is working later, so it will be up to me to tell him the events of the day instead of hearing it from 4 mouths all talking at once competing for his attention and affections. And as always, one of us will mention how the love we have for this family just continues to deepen. We are both so excited to see who child #5 is and what she will bring to the mix! We already have four, so very different - all wonderful. I can't tell you how much I love my life, more and more each day. Not to say that 4 children under 6 isn't stressful at times.... hahaha, I'd be struck down by lightning for telling such a fib ;-) But it is great.

What I don't understand is the response of those around me to having a large family, and not only a large family but many children so close in age. I am not surprised by the attitude of the "outside world" where children are an inconvenience and burden. But I am surprised by the attitude of those in our church and the other Christians we know. I could list a hundred responses I've heard regarding my pregnancy and my darling little daughter on the way... here's a few that shocked me to come out of the mouths of Christians, who seem to feel they know us well enough to pry into something so personal.

"Do you know what's causing this??" Well yes, and I don't think you really want any information about how wonderful life in our bedroom is.. but since you brought it up.... Sheesh!

"You are done after this one, right?" Ah right - because Nora was the accident after we had our perfect 1 boy + 1 girl family, and Liam clearly had to have been a mistake somehow with moving into the new house.. new house, new baby you know, child #5 was obviously from a moment of temporary insanity because we would never really CHOOSE this life intentionally... right?

"Doesn't Jacob know how hard this is on you?" No, he forces me to run around barefoot and pregnant all the time. He has no idea that I'd rather be a professional mom with 1.2 children and a career. Oh my lost dreams.

"Where are you going to put this baby? Isn't your house already small?" Well, it's a mansion compared to the shacks families in Africa live in..... but here in AMERICA, you're right - we're overcrowded in our house. Our poor children, who are well fed at every meal and 3 snack-times every day, with more than enough clothes to wear, far too many toys that I end up stepping on, and a toasty warm house are subjected to - GASP! - share bedrooms. I know.. please don't tell the local news, it will shock the nation. Horror of horrors.

Sorry if the sarcasm was a little heavy - silly questions seem to ask for silly answers, no? I guess it's hard to feel so completely isolated. I love my family - which little darling would I have chosen not to have? Augh, the thought is sickening! I'm already in love with the little one I can't wait to hold in my arms.

I am blessed to have the family I have. I am blessed to have the husband I have, who dotes on each of the children and myself as if we are more precious than all the wealth in the whole earth - and works so hard to care for us. I am blessed by God to be a woman - yes, to be so fertile and able to conceive and carry these children, all these children close together! I am blessed by laughter, ballet dancing, story telling, pirating for lost treasure, discovering new letters and words, cookie baking, ice skating, t-ball playing, hide and seeking, singing and dancing, reading of books, and on and on.

My life is so wonderful, please don't wish that away for me - you aren't doing me any favors!