How We Got Here

People call me crazy. And to be totally honest, they are right. In a world where women are looked down upon if they are stay at home moms and have more than one boy and one girl, I am crazy for raising all my children. Here is a little back story of how I got to a half dozen kids.

My husband and I met when I was in 7th grade. We started dating when I was 15 and got married right out of high school. He is a software engineer and I am a stay at home mom. We had our first child very young (more on that later) and I have been blessed to be able to stay at home with him since he was born. When Luke (number 1) was 3, we learned we were expecting another little one. Our princess Loralei (number 2) was born in 2010 and we were "done" with our family. In fact, we were so sure, when she was 9 months we were ready to make it permanent. But before we did, we learned we were expecting another bundle. Jackson (number 3) was born in 2011 and after spending 10 days in the NICU for being a month early, we were pretty sure he was our last (again). Well, things changed and I begged hubby for one more to even our our family at 4. (Hubby wanted 2, I wanted 8, so 4 seemed like a good compromise). We tried for number 4 and soon got pregnant. At our 8 week ultrasound we saw Jacob (number 4)... and Juliet (number 5). After a very stressful pregnancy and traumatic birth (more on that in another post) Husband was done! Me, however, knew God had other plans for us. While we tried to figure out the best way forward, we spent a lot of time praying, and waiting on God's timing. When the twins turned 1, we learned we would also be welcoming number 6 in August 2014. Bradley (number 6) was born a few weeks early and also had a NICU stay, but is now healthy and happy! He has been a true gift and is the perfect addition to our half dozen. I'm not sure we are done at 6, but for now, we will live, love and have fun raising a half dozen. I hope you enjoy our antics, tips and everything that goes along with a super-sized family!