A wonderful surprise

I never know what the date is. The month I usually know, but I can never keep track of the date. Maybe it's my lack of brain cells these days or maybe it's because it doesn't really matter in my little world. Anyway, I was thinking this morning that it was about time to introduce Graham to baby food. I went to the calendar to find out when he would be 6 months old, and I discovered that TODAY is the 24th. He's 6 months old today. So, I guess I need to go get some baby food - the plain cereal is probably getting a little boring!

It's difficult to explain how quickly these past 6 months have gone by. Really, this past year is a blur. It's been on my mind all day. It seems like it was just last month when we found out we were pregnant with #3. I used to think that I wouldn't want Graham to know what a surprise he was, like somehow he would feel less loved if he knew he wasn't planned. That seems so silly to me now. Many of life's greatest blessings come in the form of surprises. God had him planned all along, and he was anything but an accident. However, I can't even express in words how shocked and overwhelmed Michael and I were. Ben was only 8 months old and life with 2 little boys was just getting settled and do-able. God whacked us over the head and drew us to our knees like never before. I will definitely admit that it took me a while to get excited. And then came the news of baby BOY #3. That one was hard to swallow as well. 3 boys in 3 1/2 years. Yikes! But Graham came into our family and blessed us beyond words. This sounds so cliche, but I can't imagine our family without him. I look at these 3 little guys and feel like I could burst with joy.
In saying all of this, I will also admit that these past 6 months have been harder than I imagined. These little guys wear me out and exhaust me. I have been sleep deprived. I have had a difficult time getting anything done. And have you ever tried grocery shopping with a 3 year old, 1 year old and little baby? Let's just say I would rather starve than do that regularly. We don't have a lot of down time or date nights right now. There aren't many quiet dinners or afternoon naps. I don't get many nights out, and there are no weekends away. Sometimes it's easy to start feeling sorry for myself, like I'm somehow missing out on something. But then I look into these sweet little eyes and quickly realize that I'm not missing a thing. Happy 6-month birthday, Graham Oliver!


By the way, these precious pictures were taken by my sweet friend Krista. Thank you, Krista, for blessing us with your talent and your friendship!