Take Two: A Fresh Look

This week's GBE prompt is "Take Two: A Fresh Look", where we are asked to post something from the past. This post originally appeared on  May 6, 2010.

You Have How Many Kids?

It seems whenever I run into someone I haven't seen in a while, the conversation always goes the same.
"How are you?"

"I'm fine." (I don't like that response and have made a goal to say something else, like 'fabulous')

"So, how many kids do you have?"

"Seven."

"Oh. My. Gosh. I can't believe you have seven kids!"

"Yeah, some days I can't believe it either."

It's not like you start out your family thinking about the end result, anyway I didn't. We always said we wanted six kids, but did we consider the logistics? Nah. We just really wanted a baby. So, we did. And he looked like this-

He's cute and sweet and you love him soooooo much. So, what do you do? Yep, you have another one.
And he looks like this-

And, he's cute and sweet. He doesn't sleep much and he's very demanding (refusing to be weaned from nursing until he's 11 months old and causes you bodily harm and you say NO MORE!) But, he does smell good, and, so, you decide you're on a roll. Let's have another.

And the heavens smile down and send you this-

Oh! Life is amazing. She's cute and sweet and a girl. Yes, three is hard, but cuteness and sweetness win over and before you know it, you have these-

(One at a time, thank you very much. Triplets would've landed me in a psych ward!)

So, now, you have your six children and your family is complete. You've done your part in mulitplying and replenishing the earth. You're looking forward as you've never done before, thinking about missions and college and just getting them through jr. high.

Then, heaven chuckles and says, six is not enough. You say, "40 is too old to have a baby!"  (Unless you're in Hollywood, of course, but I've never even been to Hollywood!) But, there's no going back now.

Then, he's born and he looks like this-

You're in love all over again.

How did we get 7 kids? Now you know. They're sneaky, babies are. They reel you in with their cuteness, sweetness and that baby smell. (Which doesn't last, you know. Teenagers do not smell as good as babies!)

The conversation would have the same last question-
"So, are you going to have more?"

I bite my tongue. I want to say, "Are you kidding? Do you know how old I am?" or "Not without a serious medical miracle."

But, I don't. I just smile and politely say, "No, we're done."

Of course, that isn't true. You're never really done. That's another thing you don't think about when you start having them. Ignorance is bliss.

*A little PS to this post. We added on more child a year ago.  She didn't arrive like the others. We got her all grown-up and house-broken. I guess I was right, we weren't done.