Abbie Turns Five - An Interview

Just the other day...or actually about 1,825 days ago, my little miracle baby arrived. I call her a miracle because, well, some people who will remain nameless, thought we should stop having children after two. I, however, couldn't shake the feeling that God had one more blessing to give us. So I prayed and waited and prayed and believed and sure enough, that person who will remain nameless came around! Our precious and always entertaining Abigail turns FIVE today!! Unbelievable. Where has the time gone?

My very first post waaaaayyyy back in 2008 was an interview with our oldest, Sydney, when she was 4. I also interviewed our middle princess, Kylee, when she was 4. Needless to say, I couldn't leave "baby" Abbie out, so today, as she turns 5, I want to share her interview here. I may or may not have almost let her turn 5 without interviewing her. Poor third child! She gets the worn-out, not-quite-so-organized me as a mom. Heaven help her.

1. What do you think heaven looks like? There are no bad people there. The sky is blue. There are trees and a sun. There are animals, like horses and giraffes...and Adam and Eve are there. It's warm! There's no thunder. They don't have money. Oh, and there's a sea with boats!

2. What does Dad do at work? He does stuff on the computer and hmmmmm...he teaches people.

3. What do you think your husband will be like? (She giggled at that question!) Maybe like Daddy. He'll have light brown hair, a car, and lots of shoes......and we'll have a baby!

4. If you were going to spend one year on a desert island and could only take three things with you, what would they be? A book, "Cuddle Kitty", and a princess dress.

5. Who is your favorite aunt and why? Aunt Schuyla, because she has baby Jacob.

6. Who is your favorite uncle and why? Uncle Allan, because he has Alayna.

7. What do you think Joseph and Mary heard in the stable on Christmas night? Angels, birds, and coyotes.

8. What do you think Joseph and Mary smelled in the stable on Christmas night? Food.

9. What is the nicest thing I ever did for you? Hugging & kissing me...oh, and taking me places.

10. When is a time that I hurt your feelings? When I hit and kick and get in trouble for it.

11. When is a time that you were really mad at me? I'm never mad at you!

12. If you could be a movie character who would you be and why? Elsa, because she has powers.

13. What is your favorite outfit? My costume.

14. What is the hardest part of being four years old? When I can't get to sleep.

15. What has been your favorite childhood memory? When baby Jacob was born.

16. If you could be an animal for a day, which one would you be and why? A dolphin, because I like them. We see them at the beach!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET ABIGAIL!!!

Number Three Turns Four

Just the other day...our precious Abigail made her debut in this world. As a matter of fact, it was four years ago! I thought singing the birthday song all day and talking about her being four would make the reality of this milestone more real, but so far, that has not happened. I still can't wrap my brain around her being four!

Abbie's arrival was full of joy, but soon met with overwhelming anxiety. You can read that story here. I remember countless hours spent rocking and singing my sweet Abbie to sleep. I also remember the tears streaming down my face while my other two girls played just outside the door, unable to fully take care of them anymore...or so I felt. My heart was pulled in so many directions after having our third. I was in survival-mode far too often. I can only pray my kids don't have to dish out mega-bucks in therapy fees as a result!

If any child has been a challenge from day one, Abbie has been it! She is sneaky and head-strong. If you tell her "don't do it", she's going to do it...with a twinkle in her eye! This is my child who actually laughs as she's being scolded for getting into trouble. But for all the mischief and grief she has put me through, she is as sweet as they come...and I'm not just saying that!

Abbie loves fiercely. She's the first one to let out a long, southern-twanged, "Awwwwww!", when she sees something cute, like a puppy or a baby. She's the first one to jump up and say, "I'll help!" when asked. She takes care of her big sisters just as much as, or at times even more than, they take care of her. And, Abbie gives the tightest around-the-neck hugs I have ever experienced. You know it when you've had a hug from that little love bug!

Abbie also loves to talk. I thought my ears were tired before she came along, but oh wow, they were just being conditioned for the years to come! The child has something to say allllll day long! She's the kind of child that  "never meets a stranger", so consider yourself warned. She'll have you roped into a conversation in a skinny minute!

Being the baby that she is, Abbie is also incredibly cute. She oozes cute! Everything she does is cute (well, almost). From performing made-up dances in the living room to singing worship songs to the top of her lungs to saying the prayer before we eat, the child will melt your heart. And there's not a heart alive that has been melted quite as much as her daddy's heart. Those two are so taken with each other!! The bond they have is really beautiful to watch.

Sometimes I think about how we almost didn't have an "Abbie"...and it makes my heart ache in a big way. Oh the blessings we would have missed out on!! There was excuse after excuse after excuse for not having a third child, but then someone in ministry made us really stop to think about the root of all of our excuses. Simply put, all of our excuses were purely selfish.

From day one, our sweet Abigail has taught us surrender in a way we previously hadn't known. She has been a catalyst to giving up control and letting God take the reigns in a greater way. Two children?  Well,that felt "do-able", but three has honestly been more than I felt I could handle in my perfectionistic, do-it-all-just-right head...and that's a good thing! My crew keeps me at the feet of Jesus, right where I need to be kept.

I'm sure the days ahead are faced with more challenges as I try to parent this one who is often a puzzle. However, I am just as positive that there's a ton of love and hugs, lengthy conversations, and utter cuteness around the bend. And you know what? I can't wait to soak in the joy of it all, thanking God each day for the beautiful gift He has given me in my precious, spunky Abigail!

"Children are a heritage from the Lord,

    offspring a reward from him."

Psalm 127:3

I, Very Humbly, Became Her Mother

Just the other day...March 2, 2004 at 8:20am to be exact...life as I knew it was forever changed. A beautiful, rosy, wrinkled baby girl was placed in my arms. In that moment, I tasted the most overwhelming love I had ever known. I will always remember those tiny cries that first night and how my exhausted husband said, "Can you just let her sleep next to you? She doesn't cry as much when she's with you."