I have had quite a few people ask me what life is like now with two kids under 2. I usually just give the generic response of crazy, but fun. This is very true, but there is so much more to it. So, here it goes, me attempting to sum up what life is like now.
Most weeks are pretty much the same. David works Monday-Friday. I work Wednesdays and the weekends. We rotate working and kid duty with some help from my amazing Mom on Wednesdays. We get up, put a cartoon on for Brady (don't judge) so we can let the dogs out, open the blinds, and make breakfast. We give Brady breakfast and the majority is fed to the dogs. At this point, we pray that the dogs will not get sick. We go over to the pack and play or bouncer and see Ella give us the biggest baby grin. We fall in love with that little girl all over again. We play with Brady, try to read books to him (if we can get him to sit still long enough) while holding a very content Ella, and run around the house and have the occassional dance party. Then we do lunch, most of which gets fed to the dogs, have a nap, get up, play, have dinner, tackle some chores, bath time, and bed time. It's exhausting just typing this!
But in the midst of the every day, God does open our eyes to so much that we do not even have the ability to see on our own. When I am changing my 100th diaper of the day, God gently reminds me of how blessed I am to have the opportunity to be home with my kids so much and to be the one that changes that cute little tushy. When I balance our checkbook and worry about how we will ever pay for college, God reminds me that David and I have chosen to be in careers that we love and that have far better rewards than a large paycheck. When I hear my child scream and cry, God reminds me of all the children out there who do not have anyone who hears their cries. And I am humbled. When my toddler just won't sit still, God reminds me of the amazing grace He has shown us by giving us two healthy kids. When I look in the mirror and am quite unhappy with what I have staring back at me, God reminds me that my body got me through two complicated pregnancies and held in there to have two beautiful children.
I remember Labor Day weekend 2007 when David and I were at Lake Lemon, sitting on the deck with four friends. We were talking about life and I said that I wanted to have two kids. A boy, then a girl. I wanted their names to be Brady and Ella. And 2 1/2 years later, than dream is a reality. We don't know what God has in store for us still. He may have decided that we would be best as a family of four. He may want us to have more children biologically. He may want us to foster or adopt. He may even want us to be the parents who always have an open door to all of their kids' friends so that they feel loved at our home. We truly have no clue what God still wants for us. But we do know that we are excited for this journey and want to be open to His plans for us as a family.
