if someone would have told me 7 years ago that our almost 1 year old baby girl, chloe, would someday be a little sister, i wouldn”t have been able to fathom that. i couldn”t even imagine how my heart could fit love for any other children–let alone one ”stealing” her birth order. [yes, people say that to us.] yet, my heart has grown with each child we”ve been blessed with. i didn”t realize that was one thing that really doesn”t only hold a certain capacity.

and here we are. a different child as our oldest. i don”t think this is for everyone. but, i do know it”s for some. it is for us. and missing it because i was more worried about the ramifications of disrupting birth order than educating ourselves & listening to God”s plan for our family makes me shudder at the thought. so many of these ”older children” are really just children. ready to love. ready to make your heart grow again. ready to be the big brother. ready to excel at every new task. eager to serve. quick to learn. ready to be little again.

it”s really been a blessing to watch those things in him. there are also blessings for each person in our family from it.  today i was in the middle of hard and i giggled out loud as i waded through it. i giggled at how easy our lives could have been. you know, when we were on track with our 2 kids and climbing the ladders. getting manicures every week and eating out all the time. able to enroll our kids in private classes & they could have calendars like socialites. seriously–it would have been so easy. [and i”m not knocking anyone…i”m truly saying that”s how i saw our lives at one point.] but, oh, what i would”ve missed. what we all would”ve missed. this kid is right where he belongs.

and so am i.

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Lovelyn is the mother to 9 children who range in age from 11 years to 3 month old twins. Her home is in the Midwest, but her heart is forever changed by a love for East Africa. She has a passion for caring for vulnerable children & families and advocating for waiting children. Sure her hands are full, but so is her heart. She blogs her family”s journey at Moments with Love.