One topic couples often talk about before getting married is whether they want children and how many. When my husband and I had that conversation twelve years ago, I didn’t have a number in mind. I just knew I wanted kids. My husband, always the planner, suggested ten, like his parents. I laughed. “I’m too old for that!” I said.
A month after our wedding, I got a positive pregnancy test. I was overjoyed, it truly felt like a dream coming to life.
That excitement didn’t last long. We experienced a miscarriage just before six weeks. Even though it was early, it was heartbreaking. I kept asking myself, “When will I get pregnant again? Will I lose that one too?”
Six months later, another positive test appeared. I felt a mix of excitement and fear all at once.
Thankfully, this pregnancy lasted, and in March 2010, we welcomed our first child. Life as a family of three was joyful. Sixteen months later, our second arrived, and thirteen months after that, our third. When our third was only three months old, I found out I was pregnant again, number four! I discovered the term “Irish Twins” and couldn’t help feeling a bit embarrassed.
I worried, “What will everyone think? I have a three-month-old!”
Our fourth baby came a little over six weeks early due to complete previa. Suddenly, we had a three-year-old, a two-year-old, a ten-month-old, and a newborn. Surprisingly, I don’t remember life being that hard. I loved being a mom, and after three boys, I was thrilled to welcome our first daughter. As time went on, I stopped caring so much about what others thought.
Healthy pregnancies and healthy babies are blessings, not burdens.
Now I’m pregnant with our eleventh child. My oldest is only ten, so many of the kids are very close in age. We even had twins in 2015, meaning seven of our children are the same age for part of the year. Having so many kids close in age comes with its own set of challenges.
Shopping trips require both my husband and me one cart per child just isn’t enough! Finding babysitters is nearly impossible, so date nights outside the house are rare, usually only when we visit family.
Even with all the chaos, the laughter and love outweigh everything else. I truly enjoy being a mom to a big family. I don’t know exactly how many children we’ll have in the end, but I have no regrets. Every child has brought joy, growth, and blessings into our lives. I wouldn’t trade a single moment of our journey for anything.
