My Baby Turns ONE

My baby boy turned one today. It is so strange to feel like he is still my new baby and, at the same time, feel like it has been years since I was waddling around the house and hyperventilating after I walked from my van to the front door.

 

Time is flying by. I am so happy that I learned how quick my life was flashing by early enough to take advantage of my fertile years. I managed to give birth to 9 babies in a 20 year spam. Every once in a while, one of my kids will comment on their disappointment that I only have 9 when I easily could have squeezed in 2 or 3 more. They mean every word too. All of my kids experience day in and day out the indescribable joy of having a large family. Whenever they become complacent, they spend quiet time at a friend’s house and begin to miss the chaos of their home. The silence may be a much needed break for a little bit but soon, the homesickness begins to weigh them down.

I have only experienced this one time in my married life. I went to Branson with Roy for the weekend. It was just the 2 of us. I have never looked forward to a vacation more in my life. I counted down the months, weeks, days and hours like a child going to Disney World. We drove 3 hours, stopped at Walmart and bought all the bad food that we knew we wouldn’t have to hide, picked up a couple bad movies (OK. Stop it. They were PG-13!), and planted ourselves on the couch in our beautiful and QUIET condo.

And we just sat there.

And sat there.

We looked at all our “sugar” cereal on the counter – right out in the open – and started missing the kids. They needed to be there with us! What were we doing?! I wanted to hide all the junk food and pull out my ninja-matrix-stealth moves to get to it. THAT is what makes life so exciting!! Having what I want, when I want it is SO boring!  (I could totally put in a plug for Natural Family Planning here but I won’t)

Roy and I muddled through the next day and came home early.

From now on, our alone time vacations will be sneaking ice cream after the kids go to bed.

I don’t want this part of my life to end. I want to go straight from having my own children to having grandchildren. Life is priceless. Each child is priceless. I wouldn’t trade any of my kids in for anything – Not for a cleaner house, more money, a career, a newer car, a college degree, more free time, sugar cereal out in the open – Nothing.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!