Baby Fever

Babies are everywhere! Lots of baby news in my life ... oh, no, but not me personally. My brother and sister-in-law had triplets last month (the day before Grace's birthday -- easy to remember!) and they are now home. We received a long email from April about what their life is like with three little ones, and the fact that it can only be done with lots of help from family and friends. Just reading about her life made me feel utterly exhausted. They also have twin girls, age 6, who are big helpers but ... they're still little girls who need their parents. Five children (five girls!) ... I need a nap just thinking about it! They even made the front page of their local newspaper, a fun addition for their baby books. They're beautiful little girls, and the happiness I feel for them is inexplicable.

The Twins with the Triplets

Next we heard that very dear friends of ours had their third child, a beautiful boy, joining his two older sisters. The story of our friendship is very long and very fun, how it all turned out. It broke our hearts to move away from them and our children all miss each other tremendously. Now hearing of their great news, and see pictures of that adorable child ... well, I cried when I saw the Shutterfly slide show. It was just beautiful, but very bittersweet, knowing that our dreams of having our kids grow up together just won't happen. (Cue: anger, resentment, bitterness ...) No, I won't mar the beauty of it all.

It's kind of interesting, all this "life stuff" going on ... the joy and anticipation of new life, new little beings just starting in the world, making their little marks, beginning the first days of their lives. We feel the joy of that while we battle and endure and persevere to save a life ... a life that is cherished and well-loved, a life that has made a tremendous mark and has been a blessing to us all, a life that has been blessed, a life that is not ready to be over, has not run its course. Different lives, different stages, different journeys -- all beautiful, all gifts.

I said to Don, after seeing our friends' little boy all bundled up and sleeping, "Kind of makes you want another one, doesn't it?" I felt the stirrings, yes indeedy ... but not enough to add to our own little brood. Plus, if we had another one, he/she would have to sleep in the bathroom "for there is no room in the inn" ...