Celebrating Hannah

Six years ago today, we welcomed our third-born into the world. Hannah Faith arrived at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital with a mighty cry after a mere thirty-minutes of labor. Puffy and pink, our second little girl was an answer to many prayers- both mine and her big sister’s. We’ve often said that Lizzy prayed Hannah into being. After all, on the very day a home pregnancy test confirmed that my morning nausea wasn’t just a touch of the flu, Lizzy declared that she had made a special request to the Lord. I was still savoring the secret of the itty bitty child within me when two-year-old Lizzy piped up from the backseat of the van, “Mom, I just prayed and asked God to put a baby sister in your tummy.”

Shocked, I turned and looked at my small daughter. How could she know what I’d only just learned two hours before? I hadn’t even shared the news with her unsuspecting Daddy yet.  Trying to keep the mood light, I teased my curly-haired toddler, “That’s nice.. but what if God wants to put a baby brother in my tummy?”

Unruffled, Lizzy replied with characteristic child-like faith, “Oh, He won’t… I asked for a SISTER!” And nine months later a sister is exactly what Lizzy got! A sister that we aptly named Hannah FAITH, meaning “favored by God.” 

Though Hannah was quickly given the honorary title of “MOST DIFFICULT BABY IN THE UNIVERSE” (little did we know babies number four and five would both attempt to steal that title), I managed to savor her more than my previous infants. I’ve often wondered why I was able to truly appreciate the time I was given with Hannah, my third child who came out crying and never stopped until her first birthday. But this morning as I paged through my old journals from those first few years of Hannah’s life, I think I discovered the answer.  You see, from the moment Hannah was placed in my arms, I believed she was my LAST child. My plate was full, our family felt “right” and my husband wasn’t a big  fan of zone defense (which is what parenting becomes when the children begin to outnumber adults!) And so, with that in mind, I treasured motherhood the third time around a bit more.  I enjoyed the little things about my thirdborn as she grew- Hannah’s ability to light up a room with her smile, her spontaneous prayers, her infectious laughter, and her generous hugs. I tried not to get hung up on the passing frustrations of parenting and I focused a bit more on the passing time that I could never recover.

Turns out, Hannah wasn’t my last child after all. In His perfect wisdom, God grew our family two more times. But today, as my MIDDLE CHILD celebrates her birthday, I am grateful that I lived as if she were my last. Because with each passing year that she grows, my lap seems to shrink. And before I know it, we won’t fit in the rocking chair together.  I’m glad that as I rocked my “last child” six years ago, I realized that children don’t ‘stay small forever, and I penned this poem to remind myself just how quickly Miss Hannah will grow…

Today’s Treasure:  “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…”  Deuteronomy 33:27

(The pajama party was a hit 🙂 Everything is just more fun when you’re wearing cute pjs!)