I have this friend.
She is so awesome. And cute. And sweet. And skinny. And smart. So I wanna hate her.
But instead I love her.
And she is having a baby.
Her second.
I was there when she found out for sure.
We squealed and hugged and cried and jumped around together.
She looked at me through joyful tears as she held the pregnancy test and said "Oh my gosh I am freaking out!"
And I knew what she meant.
Cause I've been there.
There are so many things I want to tell her. A thousand pieces of advice I want to give.
But the truth is, we all have to figure it out on our own. How to be a mother to more than one.
It is a sacred thing, this opening of a mother's heart. It comes in waves during pregnancy, between the busy-ness of caring for your older child and anticipating the one to come. There is less time for reflection or daydreaming about what life will be like with another baby because you are busy with your first. Time flies.
And then they are there. And you look at them and your heart just doubles in size. And within a few spare moments, it is as if there was never a moment they weren't there with you, or a part of your family.
It is amazing and wondrous.
You will watch your children meet and you will cry because it is your dream made flesh, right before you. You will watch your older child kiss your newborn and your heart will burst.
You will lie in bed with your hand on the baby in the bassinet and listen to the other one on the monitor and you will smile at the wonder that is your life.
You will nurse the baby while making lunch for the other. You will hold both in the rocker and read. You will hug them both while they cry and then cry yourself.
And there will be a day when you will be tired and frustrated and you will look at them both and think you are not good enough for either one. You will wonder if you can do this. You will be beside yourself and the day will seem endless.
But it's not. It's not endless. And you ARE good enough.
You will look at both of your children together one day, and they will be playing side by side, in that sweet silent companionship that can only be shared by someone of your own blood. You will watch them and know that long after you are gone, they will have each other. You have given them a profound gift- a companion for life.
Being a mom of two is a huge transition. It means less rest, more noise, more chaos. But by God's grace it also means doubled joy and laughter. It means your family is one bigger, one stronger. It means you grow as a mother, as a child of God, and as a person.
It is another step on the journey of parenting, one that is momentous and huge- and so so worth it.
