Baby #3 :: Preparing our Hearts, Preparing our Homes

photo credit: Matt & Jen Misener

The doorbell rings... so does my cell phone... child #2 wakes up from his nap as #1 runs out the door to see who has come to our house. Another pile of laundry?!? where did that come from... and more hungry mouths to feed... better figure out what's for dinner tonight!

With the busy-ness and yes, sometimes chaos that fills our lives these days it's been difficult to prepare for the fact that baby boy #3 will join our family in just about a month! Thankful that we don't need to BUY any more baby stuff - we already have a house full of boy clothes, cars and all things boy.  But shouldn't i be preparing?! Our third son's addition to our family is just as eternally valuable as #1 & #2 - yet i have found that that i have had so little to give this time round. Can I suggest 2 ways to prepare for #3 without BUYING more things...

:: Preparing Our Hearts ::

As i started to reflect on God's word, my heart was drawn to Psalm 139...

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 
[Wow. He knows what's going on inside me... when i can't even keep up with it!]
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; 
[He knows my exhaustion, sometime 6:30am wake up call and falling into bed sometime before my toddlers!]
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, [...and He understands it...]
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 
[uh, oh. help me, O Lord, to be nice to my family even with pregnancy hormones surging around me!]
5 You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it...

I love how this Psalm speaks to the depth of God's knowledge of me and what my life looks like these days, but also how it speaks to how God knows all about the little one inside of me...

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. {Psalm 139:13}

... did you know that in Polish the translation of "inner parts" is actually "kidneys"? That is especially moving to me, as a really dear friend of ours has had a kidney transplant and yet God made his kidney too... he sees and forms our inner parts!

I'm also reflecting on the truth that, 
"Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him." {Psalm 127:3}
Too often in our society, children as seen as a burden - not a gift. But when i think of all the women who labour not in childbirth but in the pain of infertility, I am thankful that the Lord has allowed us to have children. And I pray for them that God would allow them to conceive and bring forth life - and that in the meantime He would be all they need as they trust Him to sustain them and give them hope.

How good it is to be reminded that,
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." {James 1:17}

:: Preparing Our Homes ::

These are the things I'm doing these days to mentally prepare and physically prepare our home...

1. packing the hospital bag (bringing a mug & silverware in on the hospital website... interested to see what this Polish birthing experience is like!)

2. setting up the baby bed (it may be a little early but a good reminder that little one is coming and soon all those sleepless nights will at least be holding him, instead of having to run to the bathroom 3x!)

3. getting out and organizing newborn clothes & blankets (ok, so i did buy a few really cute new outfits for #3 from Gymboree that were on sale! They still have some great sales on - 50% off selected fall items!)

4. thinking through newborn photo shoot ideas (we have done this with each of our kids and LOVE capturing the sweetness and smallness... if you don't have a good DSLR, look for a family member or friend who does or search out a professional photographer in your area to see what they offer!)