I’ve got three more months to go until this baby makes her appearance.  Life here is definitely getting harder as I waddle through the house taking care of the kids, homeschooling them, cooking, and cleaning the house.  I’m pretty much wiped out by the end of the day.  Despite all this, it absolutely warms my heart that my children are still reveling in this unseen baby.  They still ask to kiss the baby, i.e. kissing my tummy, on a daily basis.  My four-year-old asks me frequently why it takes so long for the baby to come out of my tummy.  Even though I’ve explained numerous times that it was God’s design for the baby to grow inside his mommy’s tummy for approximately 9 months, my darling son still asks because he simply can’t wait.  At this point I can’t wait either.

The absolute melt-my-heart conversation was from my six-year-old.  We recently spent a week of vacation in Lake Tahoe and everyone enjoyed the break tremendously.  As our vacation came to an end, Matthew asked if we could return to Lake Tahoe in the winter time.  I had to break the news to him that there was no way we could return in the winter time because that’s when the baby is due.  He looked up and said, “Wow. . . . THAT’S EVEN BETTER THAN LAKE TAHOE!”  I was very surprised to hear this response as I was anticipating disappointment on his part.  I know he absolutely loved the time we spent in Lake Tahoe and for him to say that having a baby is better than having a great time was so heart warming.

Whether friends or strangers, many have expressed some concern over our family size.  One of the concerns that comes up frequently is whether I will ever slow down and enjoy a break.  With so many little ones running about and another one on the way, it is a legitimate concern.  However, my children are so precious and from the way they love this unborn baby it makes all the work worth it.  Yes, I feel beaten down on most days, but this far outweighs the precious gift I’ll receive this November.