Our Gracie Girl
One tiny little person can make a big impact.
“Imagine you’re drowning, and someone hands you a baby.” -comedian Jim Gaffigan.
I found out I was pregnant with my last baby right around my 33rd birthday. My youngest boy was three, my twin daughters were six, and my oldest son was ten. I had several complications with my previous C-section delivery, and I did not think I would ever have more children. And then I found out I was expecting again. My initial reaction was that of shock, fear, and a sense of overwhelm. It was already incredibly challenging care for four children; how would I add this tiny human to the mix? My now-husband also had a ten-year-old son, so we would be combining families to create a 21st-century addition of The Brady Bunch. Three boys and three girls.
My initial fears were assuaged by a few signs from above that all would be okay. At one of my early prenatal appointments, I was walking up the stairs to the office, and looked down and saw a tiny handprint on the steps. It looked like a small child had gotten something sticky on their fingers and set their little palm flat on the stair. It reflected in the light, a tiny handprint, and I had a sense of peace come over me. There was another tiny life growing inside me, and I wondered who that soul would be. I heard the heartbeat that day and the idea of being a mother again became more real.
After the appointment, I got into my car and immediately the country song “Thank God for Kids,” by Kenny Chesney was playing on the radio. I had never heard the song before and it struck me that there was a reason I was hearing this song. God was reminding me that children are a blessing. It was another sign that everything would be okay.
The Lyrics are very fitting:
If it weren’t for kids have you ever thought
There wouldn’t be no Santa Clause
Look what the stork just brought
Thank God for Kids
We’d all live in a quiet house
Without Big Bird or a Mickey Mouse
And Kool-aid on the couch
Thank God for Kids
Thank God for kids there’s magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile
Do you ever stop to think? or wonder why?
The nearest thing to Heaven is a child
Daddy how does this thing fly?
A hundred other where’s and why’s
You really don’t know but we try
Thank God for Kids
When you look down in those trustin eyes
That look to you, you realize
Its love that you can’t buy
Thank God for Kids. 2
It was the only time I’ve ever heard the song played on the radio, and I’ve never heard it since. I know I was meant to see that tiny handprint and hear that song.
Leah Grace was born in August 2018, and she is such a sweet blessing to our family. She was like the ‘glue’ as she just brings everyone together. All the kids love her and spend time with her. She is the tiny person who has a specific knock when she comes to our door in the middle of the night. She likes to sleep in the middle, eat mac’n’cheese as a main food group, and smile at everyone she meets.
Life doesn’t always follow a specific path or plan. Sometimes things or people that come into our lives unexpectedly offer us the chance to grow and change. To learn to love more and worry less. Big blessings come in little packages
