5 Reasons Why Having Another Baby Is A Great Idea
Post by Brad
Ok, so that title might be a little heavy-handed, and I can’t possibly help you decide what is right for your family, but I can’t tell you how much I am LOVING having a baby in the house again! We certainly didn’t “plan” on having 5 boys, but it’s come with so much joy that I’d love for other families to experience.
Here are some of my top reasons why I’m loving being a dad AGAIN…
5 Reasons I’m Thankful We Have A Baby:
1) We Get to Slow Down and Take It In…
Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast with 4 baby boys. There were so many joyful experiences and fun that not many get to do, but as you can imagine, it was more like running an orphanage those first few years than being parents. I can remember laying down at night on a Saturday and realizing neither Jen nor I had really sat down to rest for one minute all day long. From the moment we got the boys out of bed they kept us occupied. When they were sleeping we were working furiously to clean up and get things ready for the next “wake time”. There were many beautiful things about it, but it was exhausting!
We get to sit and stare at Hudson’s glowing smile. When he cries, I often find myself giggling because I think he is adorable when he cries. There is just so much less stress this time around, and it’s all because of the obvious, we have perspective from having 4 babies, and this just isn’t a big deal due to that experience.
2) I Get to Watch My Wife Enjoy It All
I always wanted to watch Jen nurture a baby, spend time playing with him, wear him out and about, and just exercise her gifts as a mommy. She got to do some of that the first time around, but Hudson is an extra blessing that she can just enjoy, and watching her do so is a tremendous blessing to me!
3) Big Brothers Are a Blessing
It’s incredible to watch my almost 10 year old boys thrive in their role as big brothers. I have been so impressed with their reaction to Hudson, and seeing each of their personalities relate to him is amazing. They are old enough that they really don’t resent the attention that Hudson is getting, and in fact, they often fight us for time with him. They regularly try to steal him from Jen and I to hold, change, or try to make him laugh. Sometimes they even try to disappear with him to have some 1-1 time with their new brother.
4) Hudson Is Empty Nest Medicine
One of the things I am already dreading a bit is the day college begins for my boys. Will they all chose to leave the house at the same time to go off to college? Will our home be completely quiet? I enjoy the 4 of them so much also, that this is something I am already trying to prepare for, but also look forward to seeing them as men.
Lord willing, Hudson will be here for many years after the boys become adults. Who knows, maybe marriage and a grandchild will come along for one of the first 4 before Hudson even makes it out of the house!
5) Children Are a Blessing from the Lord
There is no “right” number of children for any family. I think it’s obvious that God has a different plan for children for each and every marriage. Some want children and can’t have them, others choose not to have them, and many just have one or two. I am not prescribing our situation for anyone else. That being said, as difficult as it is, having 5 kids is not nearly the “burden” that I would have thought 10 years ago. Honestly, they absolutely fill my life with immeasurable joy that is hard to even describe.
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Do I get much “me” time? Nope. (Although Jen is gracious to make sure I get some!) But, I’ve been forced through having 5 children to realize that I actually have more joy in my life with less “me” time. So many of the moments of my day are meaningful, it’s worth every moment of work!
Perhaps Hudson can help raise the national average number of children per family! #WinkWink We’ve obviously done our part!