One

Well hello, my bloggy friends. It's been too long! Since our last visit I have been battling the crud that just won't leave me alone, Baby Munchkin had his first ear infection, Big Brother and I have been hard at work on his big Literature Fair project, we've planned and hosted a little carnival party, and...

my sweet baby boy turned 1.

In fact, he's been 1 for almost a week now, and I can't believe I haven't sat down to tell y'all a little something about this special little guy. Let's fix that.

Daddy-o and I always wanted at least 2 kiddos. When the oldest was about 2 we learned that we would likely have a tough road ahead if we wanted more babies. All of this made us really appreciate the miracle that our first baby was, but we definitely wanted our family to grow. Our particular issue causes early miscarriage, and we experienced 5 losses over about 5 1/2 years.

During much of this time, I put lots of things on hold, waiting for another child and planning and preparing for that day. I didn't want to return to teaching because my plan was to stay home until both of my kids were in school. I thought about more kids when we were making big purchases, like our house and cars. Gotta make sure they're big enough for when we have another baby. And I put off losing weight and getting healthy, saying I'd do that after my next pregnancy.

About 4 years into this journey, I finally realized that I had, in some ways, been missing out on the joy of my many blessings because I was waiting for this one more thing. I surrendered my plans and chose to trust that whatever God had for our family was what I wanted.

This was the beginning of my journey to health, when I decided to stop putting it off and to live each day the Lord gave me, with all of its joys and challenges, to its fullest.

So, you see, my baby boy is not only an amazing, long-awaited, miraculous answer to prayer, he also represents a journey that truly changed who I am. As we waited for him, I grew closer to God, gained a greater appreciation for the miracle that is my first baby, grew in my relationship with my husband, learned to surrender my plans and my will, and became a healthier, happier me.

Both of my kids really are my inspiration when I run. It means the world to me to see them on the course and at the finish line. And although it's not an easy, stress free job, I am forever thankful that God has made me a mommy.

My 2 high energy boys certainly keep me busy. My house stays messy, and I'm not at all sure I'll always be able to afford the grocery bill it'll take to keep these boys fed.

But they keep my heart full, and I am a proud mommy.