Loving It

For as long as I can remember, I've always said that I wanted to have at least 5 kids. In fact, in seventh grade me and my best friend Mavis even made up a contract. She decided she was going to hold me to it. In it, it states that if I don't have 5 kids (and I threw in there that even if I was unable to have children of my own, the contract would still apply :) ), I have to pay Mavis $25 dollars. She told me a couple of years ago that she still has it. So funny. I thoroughly intend to be the winner in that contract. Of course, it is ultimately up to God...but that's where I stand.

Whenever I would make that statement, more often than not someone would make some comment like, "Yeah, just wait until you have the first one...you'll probably want to stop there." I always wanted to haul off and slap those people. Well, I've had the first...and I liked it so much that 13 months later I had the 2nd. Then, oh no, I didn't stop there...19 months after the 2nd baby I am due to have the 3rd. I'm already scheduling in my head when I'd like to have the 4th. :) Somehow I always knew that God had placed that desire in me...to be a mother of many...and when God has placed a desire in you, He will see it through. It might not be exactly the way in which you thought, but nonetheless it will be seen through.

People ask us all the time if there's a "cut-off"...if we know how many we want. I would truly have 22 (at least :) ) if time and my body allowed. But, even to have more than my professed 5...I got started a little late. Not that I won't...I really don't know...but, I really thought I'd have those 5 children I talked about in 7th grade by the time I was 30. But, I was 29 when I had Grady. God's timing is perfect though, and we plan to adopt also (a huge passion of mine...since an early age too), so we're not sure how it will all work out. But, we'll see. It's very exciting.

Can I just tell you that I am LOVING IT though...having children and being a stay-at-home mama is the best job on earth. Could be that I think that way because I feel I am so called to it...I'm sure not everyone feels that way or is suited for it. But, it is totally for me. Things that get on some people's nerves...I love. Grady asking a million and one questions a day and saying the same things over and over...love it. As I posted earlier...the sibling rivalry thing...love it. I love seeing them grow, and grow through these things...I love trying to figure them out and seeing how they are different and seeing what their gifts are and what their love language is, etc. It is just so much fun. Challenging at times too of course...but what I was made for. I love it.

Grady has starting asking "What's that?" about 200 times a day. It is so fun to watch him explore his world and learn all about it. Just all the little things...like the other day we went for a walk and I showed him a fire ant bed and taught him about fire ants and the hills they make and how he should avoid both. It's so fun showing someone something for the first time and teaching them all about it. His mind can't grasp the "why" of things quite yet sometimes...so he hasn't started asking "Why?" over and over...but, I know that will come soon too. Grady's latest thing: He is constantly saying things like, "Get it, Mama, get it" or "Fix it, Mama, fix it" or "Kiss it, Mama, kiss it." Every phrase he says twice with "Mama" stuck in the middle. I love hearing him ask me to do things. He says "Mama" constantly. He says it so much that he even calls Joel that lots of times, just because it is such a habit. I've heard women say "I'm going to change my name" because they get so frustrated hearing their kids call "Mama." Some people say it jokingly, but I just don't think it's very funny. Never in a million years do I ever want to say that. I love hearing that name. I waited a long time to hear it and I know tons of people who are still waiting longingly to hear it. I don't take it for granted. What an honor.