I took our youngest two with me to the grocery store yesterday. In my mind that was a nice break. Two kids is easier than four! Well, it is now, but I was reminded yesterday that
it wasn't always that way. As I was shopping a stressed mom with one small child, looks at me and says
"Oh how do you do it with two!?". My first thought was, "What! This is cake!", but I saw the look on her face, the pure stress of being in the grocery store with her first child, and I remembered, it wasn't always easy to me.
I remember having my first baby, and being so stressed by every part of my day. He cried constantly, was a "high needs" baby, and I was so obsessed and preoccupied by every little detail of his day. I could rarely make it out of the house without crying most days! When Adelyn was born, I thought it was the busiest I'd ever been. I thought I was going to lose my mind with these two children 20 months apart! Fast forward another 19 months and Xander was born… then along came Asher. By the time the third and fourth babies were born, being a high needs baby was no longer an option.
But I had changed too - my perspective was different, maybe I had been a high needs mama!
The funny thing is I actually think I am less stressed with four children than I ever was with one or two. I love having them around me. I love teaching them. I love praying with them. I even love disciplining them (love/hate), because I am instilling the truth into their hearts.
Yes, it's
busy crazy! Yes, it's
messy disastrous at times. Yes, I'm sure I make
a few a lot of mistakes. And yes, I really do love it!
But telling her all that wouldn't have been encouraging. Rather I just smiled at her and said
"It's worth it… and it gets better". Then I dreamed about my Econo Van full of children as I cruised through the produce aisle….. :-)
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| Avery, 6 months old |
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| Avery with newborn Adelyn |
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Easter 2010 - I can't believe I'm not the one crying in this picture!
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Xander 1 week old
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Our "three", 2011
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Welcome Asher, 2013
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| My not so good attempt to get myself in a picture with the kids recently. Oh well! |
I remember having my first baby, and being so stressed by every part of my day. He cried constantly, was a "high needs" baby, and I was so obsessed and preoccupied by every little detail of his day. I could rarely make it out of the house without crying most days! When Adelyn was born, I thought it was the busiest I'd ever been. I thought I was going to lose my mind with these two children 20 months apart! Fast forward another 19 months and Xander was born… then along came Asher. By the time the third and fourth babies were born, being a high needs baby was no longer an option. But I had changed too - my perspective was different, maybe I had been a high needs mama! 
Yes, it's 
Amen sister. Two was WAY harder than four. I was just as you described, a high-needs mama- though I didn't realize it at the time. I wouldn't have thought it then, but raising them and letting them tear my house apart enriches my life much more than working ever did. And when I think about all the "free time" I had on my hands with just 1/2/3...sigh. Oh well. Now I contemplate what shall I do with myself when they're all grown?! The house will be too quiet.
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