Laney Rae is 3 months old!

Our precious baby turned 3 months old on Saturday. It is hard to believe that 3 months ago Laney Rae came into our lives. It seems like yesterday and yet I can't imagine life without her.

She is truly special.

She is truly a miracle.

She is truly a blessing.

I love mothering my two girls. It is a joy and a privilege.

She has started to smile, laugh, 'coo', and roll over. She is still such a content and laid back baby. I prayed for this.

This weekend at church I was reminded of how short our time is with them in our homes. It seems like one morning you wake up and they are all grown up.

Before Sunday, we had our minds made up. Our next child would be our last.

Did you hear that statement???? 'WE HAD OUR MINDS MADE UP'. What is wrong with us? Who are we to decide when we are done?

Although it may be what the Lord might want, we have never even asked the Creator. Both of our girls have brought us nothing but joy and delight. I have to admit that my motives in wanting 3 children were purely selfish.

But now......BRING ON THE BABIES!

Tears swelled in my eyes as our pastor read the most beautiful reminder of this. I don't think that there was a dry eye in the entire sanctuary. Here is a letter that was written by Judy Hendrick, Aaron's mother.

I grow increasingly convinced that God values children much, much more than we do.

We value a clean floor more than children. We value free time more than children. We value the good dishes more than children. We value going out to eat or watching grown-up television shows more than we value children.

All the world, including the church, tells us that children are a bother, perhaps even a mistake. If you don’t believe that, introduce a family with many babies into your church and see how long it takes for someone to say, “They know what causes that, don’t they?”

We have let the world convince us that a large family is a curse, when the Bible clearly teaches that many children are a blessing, a sign of God’s great favor.

If I had the choice right now, there would be more children in my family. And I think I might be brave enough to let God decide how many.

I remember that it seemed a little frantic around my house when the children were little. I never got “it all” done, whatever “it all” is. There was not much privacy or money or free time. There was lots of laundry and garbage and stinky stuff. The boys were going to be 2 and 4 forever. It was never going to end.

Don’t get me wrong - I enjoyed my boys. But it was all colored by that worldly, selfish, hurry-up-and-grow-up attitude. And then it was over. I woke up one morning and they were almost as tall as me. The next day, or so it seemed, they didn’t even live with us. Now there is not much garbage or laundry or stinky stuff. And there is much more privacy and money and free time.

I’d trade in a heartbeat.

I would do laundry around the clock if it meant I could have one more day with my little boys in my home. I want the piles of blue jeans back. If my family had been larger, perhaps I would have grown in wisdom and learned to treasure the tiny victories and agonies of everyday. Perhaps not, but at least it would have lasted longer.

You think they’ll be little forever. You can’t imagine being able to handle – afford – care for another little life. But you can. And it will be over before you know it, with plenty of years left to use the good dishes.


Oh-
And in case you are wondering, we do call her 'Laney Rae'. Even though 'Rae' is her middle name, we would still like for her to be known as 'Laney Rae'. I introduce her to people as 'Laney Rae', but you know how it is with an infant. You say the full name together every moment you get a chance to when they are new so people just assume to use the first name. I've been asked this several times by numerous people and wanted to publicly proclaim her as being LANEY RAE!