Today I’m thankful for my son James – the “baby” of the family.
By the time your fourth child comes along, you think you know the drill and what to expect. Granted, it had been eight years since I’d given birth to the twins and the Big 3-0 had sailed past in a blur. But just about the time I got cozy with having all my boys in school, you guessed it – baby fever hit. Max and I prayed about whether this was a good idea or not, but after a couple of months, we knew we wanted to have another child.
The entire pregnancy I had a weird skin condition and at one point had ankles the size of tree trunks. I was miserable, but thought it might be a sign that this time we’d have a girl. God had other plans. Not quite a year after we’d been stricken by the baby bug, boy number four arrived. One month early. Adorable with loads of silky black hair and three brothers who doted on him from the beginning. And in the end, God knew James was just what we needed to complete our family.
Poor kid. We dragged him to soccer games and school plays and craft shows from the time he was a month old. We were definitely more relaxed with this late comer, and it showed in his easy disposition. He was easily entertained and entertaining to have around. And he really couldn’t get by with anything because, as parents, we’d learned a few tricks of our own via the antics of his big brothers.
Still, James has always exuded a certain confidence and seemed to know what he wanted and worked hard to achieve it. He’s earned a lot of honors through 4-H, FFA, high school, and in college and made us proud parents, but his greatest feat was in finding Allison. There’s no doubt they were made for each other, and three years ago it was our pleasure to be part of their fairy tale wedding (see picture).
Max and I are blessed by all of our boys and their families. Sometimes it’s more than our hearts can hold, and this season of thanksgiving is a good time to ponder just how incredible the gift of parenthood is. And, of course, we’re especially grateful that we’ve lived to tell about it!