New life in the garden

I really never post on here. I think about it so often, but still never get around to it. I can only hope I'm spending my time wisely, although I suspect otherwise!

I was about to post some research I am doing in preparation for studying the 10 plagues with the girls, when I realized I should probably post the most important event of 2011: Our 3rd daughter was born!

I've never been consistent about my decision to use their names or what names to use for them on this blog. So here we go, my little flowers they shall be. Daughter #1 will be my Rose, after her mama. She is so like me in many ways, the dear little dreamer. She is currently 4 1/2. Daughter #2 will be Daisy, a sweet pretty little thing. Actually, when I was pregnant with her, her Daddy said when he pictured her he saw a daisy. A tiny girl, she loves things to be in their place and to make people smile. She is currently 2 1/2. And daughter #3, oh I can't decide! I barely know her! Since she is just a bud, we shall call her Sunflower unless she blooms and shows us otherwise. She is our calmest baby yet, perhaps just because she is the third. She is eager to see the world around her and very patient with her mama and her adoring older sisters. She loves to sleep on her Daddy's shoulder, smile and "talk."

This tiny bud of a flower was born in February, our largest baby and my most intense birth to date. I was blessed to have her here at home, my first planned homebirth, and I couldn't have been more thankful to be here. She took her own sweet time to start breathing, giving us quite a scare. After the intensity of labor and the uncertainty of her first few minutes, I felt very very little. The world seemed huge and looming, I felt tiny, and I felt surrounded by God's love in a way I have never felt before. I was almost laid flat by the intense knowledge that my Abba loves me and cares for me in ways I could never imagine or anticipate. I looked at all 3 of my birth experiences and sensed His hand in my life in a way that shook me to my core. A friend, upon hearing my story in detail, said, "Honey, that's the fear of God!" What a gift this birth was, and as always, this baby is.

A few things I've learned since this wonderful little girl made us parents of 3:

• With 3 kids, I am never alone, and suspect I never will be again. And that doesn't scare me!
• With 3 kids, you suddenly have to take the garbage out 259 times a day.
• With 3 kids, I spend every second of every day realizing how much our obedience to our Father in Heaven must bless Him. I spend every second of every day leaning on Him.

So welcome to our garden. Enjoy hearing about the Rose, Daisy and Sunflower, if their Mama has time away from tending them to write.