My husband and I have had the blessing of being parents for 5 years now. It has been a beautiful journey with many miraculous and wonderful moments, as well as some of the most challenging for me personally as a mother and for our marriage.
Just as marriage has been used to refine us as individuals, drawing us closer to each other and to God…parenting has also refined us and drawn us intimately closer to each other and to God. We rely on one another in ways that are necessary in order for a family to operate in a healthy way, and we rely on God daily to help us navigate this journey.
In the 5 years that we have experienced being parents and working together to raise our children, we have come to understand the immense blessing children truly are. Our son Eliott is 5, Olive will be turning 3 soon, and Wyatt just turned 1. Each of them have unique personalities. Each of them have similar, but different needs. Each of them requiring more of us than we ever knew was possible to give. Yet, the Lord has been faithful to provide.
We found out in early December that we would be expecting our fourth child this year! I am still wrapping my head around four children. I am excited and nervous all over again. I wonder how will we…with many different ways of finishing that question…but the Lord keeps guiding my heart back to His, asking me to trust Him and His purpose for this sweet little blessing.
This first trimester has been rougher than my others. Morning sickness has turned into all day sickness, leaving me queasy and questioning how I will gather the strength to continue on with our regular routine throughout the day. The last few weeks have been anything but regular, yet we are still accomplishing all that is needed as my husband and I work toward our goals for our family together. It is times like this that I am humbly grateful for my husband’s help, compassion, love for me, and his willingness to embrace God’s will for children in our life.
The journey is not easy, but we understand its value. It is worth it.
In the meantime, the other children have learned compassion as they thank God for this new baby and ask God to make me feel better. The perspective this gift has given them has helped me to see just how much they have already grown. Their faith blesses me daily.
Our family is growing.
Today I got to hear this little baby’s heartbeat for the first time. I cried a little, in awe of the miracle of life. I couldn’t stop thinking how amazing it is that God gave us the ability to create life. It is miraculous. Hearing those first heartbeats is both confirming and affirming. Up to this point I have only felt the affects of the pregnancy on my body…today I experienced a part of him or her. It was beautiful.
We know we are blessed to welcome our fourth child this year and look forward to meeting him or her. We decided not to find out the gender and be surprised. We hope that by sharing our journey with you it is an inspiring experience that blesses you and your family.
Children are and will always be a miraculous blessing.
