It’s not uncommon to hear our kids ask, “Mommy, is there a baby in your tummy!?” Kids are so honest, it’s their best and worst trait, right?! Then one day Rylee asked Anthony too, and then I sopped being offended. And realized, she’s not messing around, this girl really wants a BABY!
Tanner has talked about a brother for as long as I can remember. It’s not in the wishful, hoping, longing kinda way. But very matter-of-fact, as if he already exists.
Over the past few weeks, multiple people have asked me if I’m pregnant. Perhaps it’s because my KIDS have been telling people I’m pregnant and/or that I’ve gone off my non-baby preventing medicine (haha, that’s one way to explain birth control)!!! Another friend flat-out told me I was lying when I told her I was NOT pregnant…but I digress.
And yesterday, I overheard this conversation at the pumpkin patch:
Rylee has an obsession with baby dolls. It’s the one toy she’ll play with over and over again. There’s this children’s museum we frequent. There’s TONS of fun things to do, but she never ever wants to venture from the baby doll station.
And then my sister Chelsea had baby Scout. For 2 weeks straight, from the time she woke up, 'til the time she went to bed, I heard one constant request: "Can I go see baby Scout?! Is she still SO little! Can I go hold her??!!" And no matter how many times she sees her or how long she holds her, it's never enough. Partings bring lots of tears, the big fat heavy ones. Good thing she's our cousin-- cuz we are in love!!!
All the above leads me to this story, this conversation on the way to church-
Rylee asks me, “Is there a baby in your tummy?!”
Me, “No, not right now!”
Brooke, “Well WHY NOT mommy?!”
Me, “That’s something you can’t always control. You need to pray to Heavenly Father and ask Him if that’s something you would like.”
Brooke, “Okay – can we PRAY RIGHT NOW!?”
Me, “Ummm, I'm in the middle of driving. And we’re almost to church. How about we pray when we get home from church!”
For a brief moment, everyone is happy. Brooke & Rylee both shout hooray, and as Tanner begins to think, he chimes in, “Okay, I’m going to pray for a BROTHER!”
Rylee shouts in anger, “But I want a SISTER!”
Brooke, “Yeah, I want a SISTER TOO!”
Tanner, “But that’s not fair. You girls have each other and I want another BOY!”
All then it’s all out warfare arguing about the sex of an unborn baby, which is a lovely mood to prepare you for church :)
{Fast-forward a few hours} We’re at home, re-united with dad after his 4-day weekend dental conf in Dallas.
We kneel together as a family to pray. Pretty sure Tanner says the prayer, and pretty sure he asks for a baby brother. As soon as we say the words, AMEN, Brooke shouts with excitement, “So there’s a baby in your tummy now!!!” Oh, bless her heart.
So YES, we’re hoping for a baby around these parts. And if all else fails, we have a back-up plan: we’ll get a dog!
