On Mother's Day 2008, I was about 25 pounds heavier than normal, having a tough time sleeping through the night, and anticipating the birth of our firstborn, Baylor Martin. He came just over a month later. Those blue eyes still get me every time. Mother's Day 2010 found me a little more tired, a lot more swollen, and four months away from delivering our second son, Joseph Cain. With a combination of more blue eyes and wild blond curls, he's got me right where he wants me. Here it is, Mother's Day 2012, and I'm starting to notice a pattern. Thankfully, the 25 pounds hasn't hit me yet, the fatigue is slowly fading, and I'm a half a year away from delivering Baby Number Three.
It's kinda strange. For some reason, I was a little nervous about announcing our third child to family and friends. As Brantley will tell you, I sometimes worry a little too much about what other people think. So, my anxious thoughts went a little something like this: Will they think we are crazy for surpassing the average number of children per American household, three is just a little more than 2.5?! I bet they will think we've really lost it considering we already fill up our humble abode pretty well with only two children... and an abundance of toys. Will they picture us years down the road as cranky, wrinkly, and worn out parents? Immediately, the Holy Spirit laid this verse on my heart: "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them..." (Psalm 127:3). I decided to adopt that Psalm throughout this pregnancy when I start to feel a little overwhelmed. Instead of being anxious, I should celebrate. God is creating new life, a life which already has a future and a hope in Him. That is a reason to jump for joy this Mother's Day!
In honor of my third reason to celebrate on Mother's Day, thought I'd share with you some of the most common Frequently Asked Questions we are receiving this third time around.
#1 -- Do you plan to follow in the footsteps of the Duggar Family? (Asked with a little sarcasm as if "we don't know what causes it.")
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have 19 children. We have two with a third one on the way. There's a pretty big difference there if you do the math. If God chooses 19 children for us, I pray that He'll throw in another bathroom sink along the way. Nineteen kids and one little sink might send me over the edge!
#2 -- Oh, I bet you're wishing for that little girl this time around, aren't you?!
Seriously, the thought of another son is awfully comfortable for several reasons. And, now, the thought of a daughter makes me excited. It hasn't always been this way, though. Oh, they 're cute for the first decade or so. No offense to the little girls of the world (I was one myself), but having been exposed to many preteen girls during the few years I spent teaching in a public classroom, thoughts of raising a young lady between the ages of, say, 10 and 16 scares me. Some have a tendency to be dramatic, high maintenance, and kind of strange. (Again, I experienced these ages myself.) Plus, I only know how to put hair up in a ponytail. If I paint my fingernails, it's not even a color. I use clear. I have to be in a mood to shop, and that mood only comes around about every Leap Year. Something changed though when Mama died. My thoughts towards a daughter became a little more relaxed and forgiving. For the first 18 years of my life, I had a Mama who did anything she could to influence me in a positive way to help me see the future and hope of my life. For the next ten years, she wasn't physically able to do for me, but her influence was still there and very strong. So, yeah, maybe part of me is wishing for that little girl to share life with and to experience that special mother-daughter relationship I yearn for so strongly some days. Boy or girl, I still have the awesome responsibility to influence this child for Jesus Christ.
#3 -- How have you been feeling?
As long as I don't smell a hotdog, I'm fine. And, as long as I'm able to work in a short nap (two hours is ideal) most days, I'm feeling good. And, as long as I don't see an elderly man eating his meal alone at Wendy's or hear a country music song about summers spent in a peach stand or with grandpa, then I'm sailing through time around! Despite the nausea, fatigue, and hormone overload, I'm just grateful for the blessing to experience pregnancy for a third time. I pray daily for continued good health, a strong baby, and a good epidural when December rolls around.
All of that simply to honor a special day and the special women (who were once preteen girls) who make this world go 'round. God gave me a wonderful Mama who I'll always admire. He's given me a Mema, aunts, teachers, and other people's mamas to help out when my Mama just couldn't quite do all she wanted to do. And I admire them for those sacrifices. Despite the hardships that sometimes accompany motherhood, I wouldn't trade it even on the hard days. And, who knows Mother's Day 2014 may hold!
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