Five or Six - It's O.K.

One thing that’s harder then having a baby is not having a baby.

And that’s exactly what I did last year.

I did not have a baby.

But, it’s not for lack of trying.

Let me tell you how it went.

The very minute I felt like I could handler my brew, all my chick-a-dees, my mini-me’s (I think my baby girl Eden was two years old, 10 months and 13 days) I said to the counselor “Wow!  I think I finally came up for air.”  And I breathed in real deep to demonstrate just how much air my lungs could handle.

He didn’t understand this little life metaphor either, so I rephrased it as: “I think I can finally handle another kid.  What do you think?  Let’s have another baby.”

And if you know the counselor, he’d walk into a Turkish prison with me – for life!  I don’t know why he loves me this much, but he does.

Anyway, the counselor and I want six kids.  It’s not just a number; it’s what we’ve dreamed about since back in the day - when we were dating.

 I’m not sure I’ve told you the story.

Here’s the story.

When the counselor and I were dating, we had a conversation one night that went like this:

Counselor: “How many kids do you want?”

Me:  “I don't know. How many do you want?”

Ok, I have to interject here because do you really think I wasn’t sure how many kids I wanted!  I’m Mormon!  I’ve been dreaming, journaling, goaling and praying for 12 kids since I can remember; however, when I was about 18 years-old I decided 12 kids (6 boys and 6 girls) might be a little much, so I cut it down to 6.  6 seemed doable; however, I didn’t want to tell the counselor I wanted 6 kids.  What if I scared him off?  Maybe he wanted 2 and I wanted 6 and we’d decide we weren't compatible.  I already loved him, so I wasn’t about to do that!

Back to the conversation.

Counselor:  “I don’t know, maybe two?”

It’s me again, making the point that I was right!  I knew I shouldn’t tell him I wanted 6 kids.  We weren’t even engaged at this point; just crazy love birds living for the next time we were able to run into each others arms.  I hadn’t met his parents.  I didn’t know if he’d even want a pet dog. We’d never done our laundry together.  The last thing I needed to do was tell him I wanted 6 kids, but something deep down told me if he couldn’t handle the idea of 6 kids then I needed to know. I had to be honest.

Me:  “I want six kids.”

Counselor: “Me too.”

It went just like that and he took me in his arms and gave me the biggest hug of my life.  I don’t know how this man does it, but time and time again he makes all my dreams come true.

Back to last year – 2013 –  the year I didn’t get pregnant with our 6^th baby and it was tough.  I grew emotionally then digressed and I was reborn spiritually, but then I died a bit inside.  I tried to live in the now while praying for tomorrow.  Some days I cried my eyes out while other days I was relieved (and then I just felt guilty because why would God send a baby to me when I wasn’t even sure I could handle the five I already had).

In the end, well, I don’t know if it is the end of baby’s and lactating and maternity clothes, but I sure do appreciate more those precious five of mine and the man who went from 2 to 6, but for now is stuck with 5.