Dear Family and Friends,
Well,
here I am 7 weeks after the birth of our fourth little girlie! Miss Claire is cute as ever and we are doing
great…that’s what I’m supposed to say, right? J! I mean…I don’t really sleep anymore or
remember anyone’s names. Sometimes I
find the milk in the cabinet and put diaper cream on my toothbrush, but
hey…baby and mom are doing fine!!! Four
girls, people…we have four girls!!! I am most certainly overwhelmed and though
my cup truly runneth over with blessings I do find myself rocking in a corner
sometimes telling God that it’s way too much; Has given me too much? These precious little lives entrusted to
Daniel and me. I feel super unworthy.
There was a time about two and a half years ago when we were struggling
to have another baby. We had been trying
to get pregnant for quite some time and my thinking got so bad that I thought
that maybe I had already messed my first two kids so much that God didn’t want
to entrust another life to me. I knew in
my heart that was a lie, but at the time I believed the lie…now look at
me! I wonder what I would think if
myself from two and a half years ago could talk to the me now? I am trying to let all my expectations go and
just focus on the now, this moment. The
laundry and cleaning will have to wait (though that is SUPER hard for me to
do). There is a poem my mom used to
quote to me when she rocked me when I was little. “Cleaning and scrubbing can
wait this tomorrow. Babies grow up we have learned to our sorrow. So quiet down
cobwebs and dust go to sleep. I’m
rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.” So, I am trying to put this poem into
action and when it gets too much I take Claire for a walk up and down the
sidewalk in front of our house. Last
night I did just that around 9pm and as I walked I heard the most lovely violin
music playing from across the street. I
could tell it was live and not a recording, but I couldn’t see where it was
coming from. It was so beautifully haunting.
I felt such a rush of gratitude to my Lord for that little gift of music
and I prayed for the hands who played it.
Claire stopped crying and we listened until she feel asleep.
 |
| Ellie, Morgan, Caroline, and Stephen chillin' on the hammock |
I was
very blessed during the month of July and August to have back to back help come
to visit. First, my dear sister Megan
came the first week in July. She not
only helped with all the kids, but cooked for me, cleaned for me, took me
shopping and even got Claire on a good eat/wake/sleep schedule. She saw the needs before I even voiced
them. Thank you my precious sister! After Megan came there was Christie Sidelko (dear
friend from CO)! She stayed for a full ten
days (bless you, my dear)! She was on
the ball and took care of the three older girls so I could focus on
Claire. She loved my kids so well that
even Caroline started to settle into the fact that everything was going to be
ok. After one week she even got me off my
butt to do a little low impact Zumba!
Then came my oldest friend from Georgia, Beth (we have been friends
since 3rd grade)! We had a
great time laughing and talking till the wee hours of the morning. She was such an encouragement to me. Next, my little brother Stephen came up! We all packed up and went to our cabin in upper
Michigan. Uncle Stephen is so great with
all the girls! He is gentle, patient and doesn’t mind when the three older ones
climb up onto the hammock with him! He
is going to make a wonderful father one day.
Then last but not least my other sister Jenna and her boyfriend Armando
came for a whole week! It was so good to
see them and we had a full week of fun activities, great talks and just plain
good times! What a bless you all are to
me! I love you dearly!
So,
besides the general craziness this season of life is for me I can still say I
am a blessed women! The support system I
have is a solid and a loving one and I must mention my most valuable ally and
support in my life…my Daniel. This is a
man who loves me unconditional and who bares with me during this time when I am
so tired and my self-image is at a low.
He still calls me beautiful and I know he means it. We celebrated our eleventh year of marriage
this month and what a ride these eleven years have been. Baby, you are still the best thing that has
ever happened to me. Thank you for
loving me so much and always pointing me to my Savior.
Thank
you for all your prayers and thoughts over these last months. This pregnancy was a hard one, but now our
Claire is here – praise the Lord!! I can’t
wait to keep you all updated on her growth.
May the Lord bless you all!
Erin
