Looking back

As much as I love looking forward to the future, it's also fun to look back to years past! I have been reminiscing the time in our lives when Miles was born. He will be 5 on Friday and he is eagerly waiting for his birthday festivities!

This is my favorite pregnancy photo. I was approximately 38 weeks pregnant with Miles and I love the bright and cheerful feel of this picture.

This is Miles the day we brought him home. His coming home outfit was so so SO sweet! It even had a little giraffe tail :) :) :)

 "Siblings by blood, buddies by choice"

My kids are buddies! They are almost 5 years apart and they truly enjoy each other! (Not all the time, mind you, Acilia is going through a phase where things annoy her, including little brother at times!)

Oh my soul! My children have my heart! I was sharing these pictures with Miles today and he started crying. He is my sensitive boy and the pictures made him cry, he said he wanted to be a baby again. I feel you buddy! I miss the baby stage too! My baby turning 5 is doing something to me that I have never felt before! I've always enjoyed watching my kids grow, this birthday is hard.

And, then to further torture myself, I pulled up some pictures of Acilia when she was 5, I am going to take lot's of pictures of Miles on his birthday and compare the two at the same age :)

Here is Acilia, enjoying her 5th birthday:

And, here are a few of my kids today, enjoying the snowy days of this long, gray winter!

I am so thankful for pictures! They are such a wonderful way to look back on a life well lived!

And now, is where I share, we are talking about whether or not to have a 3rd child. I believe if I keep praying about it, God's will will become clear. I've always wanted 3 children, it's always been important to me to spread them out by age so I can enjoy each baby individually and they can each experience their bitty baby days/years as one on one time with mom. I look at my kids and feel so very blessed, almost to the point where I feel like we have 2 wonderful kids, why change the dynamic of our family and have a third? We are an even number family, one child per parent so to speak, 3 kids would outnumber us! I know deep in my heart that if we don't go ahead with having a 3rd child, I will most likely regret it someday and furthermore I believe if we DO go ahead with a 3rd, we would never regret it. On the other hand, it's so hard to picture going back to the pregnancy phase (although I miss those little flutters and hiccups and the whole birth experience and nursing and and and...) and baby phase, the stroller lugging and the immunity building and the no sleep at night, and, and, and... I know I would love that child as much as my other two kids and our family would feel complete. I remember agonizing over the decision to have number 2 as well. Afterall, Acilia was unplanned and as tumultuous as that time was for me, it worked out and it truly felt like it was God's will for me to start motherhood when I did. I find it hard to decide when the "right time" is to have another child. So, I guess that's where I say...Stay tuned? :)