Life à la Moad: Baby Boom

Let's chat about God's sense of humor and how he has manifested that in my life...

Okay.... maybe that's bad wording. God isn't playing jokes on us (although... Lucy was a whopper!) but he has orchestrated things in my life in such a way that I wonder if he isn't up there giggling, just a little ;)

Boom #1 Marji and Clara

Sisters at Christmas 2013

My sister (If you recall from this story) is a wonderful mother to 3 precious little boys. When I made my "we're pregnant" announcement to my family (I didn't know this then) but as I pulled out the little onesie that said "coming Spring 2014" a few select family members looked towards Marji.... hint #1

A month later while the whole family enjoyed a day at Hershey Park... and I stayed off of all the rollercoasters Marji was also avoiding any and all roller coasters.... hint #2

Yup... she was pregnant!

Cousins chilling together while matching at 4 and 5 months!

Harding #4 coming March 2014!!!!

How exciting! My sweet Lucy would have a cousin the same age as her! And by the grace of God my sweet sister, mom to three boys, had a precious little girl; Clara! Her and Lucy will be cousins and friends, I just know it!

This truly came from God because he knew how much help and advice and wisdom I would need, and Marji in the trenches of "newbornhood" at the same time as me was such an encouragement!

March 3, about 1 month before Lucy, Clara Anne made her debut - to MUCH rejoicing from our boy-filled family. There were now THREE girls to compete with the 4 boys! woo hoo!

Lucy at about 1 week and Clara a little over 1 month old.

Boom #2: Gretchen and Elsie

I crashed Gretchen's Maternity photo shoot with Jurina Photography

Remember Gretchen from my "Oh my word are those 2 pink lines!?" story? Well here is a little back story! I met her 7 years ago when I started a teaching job in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We bonded instantly over similar pasts, similar struggles and just finding peace confessing our darkest sins to one another and finding encouragement and humor in the midst of it! We were single together and just really became best friends as we spent a ton of time together.

Really... she had plenty of people to hang out with so why she spent so much time with me was truly God's doing... I on the other hand? She was my only friend... I knew nobody in Hershey, so I sure am glad she liked me otherwise I'm sure I would have moved back to Bucks after 1 year!

Long story short - God orchestrated our lives in such a way that we started dating our now husbands around the same time... got engaged around the same time... got married within months of one another and just all around did things almost in-sync. So when she announced her pregnancy.... I thought to myself, well here it is! The ONE thing we will not be doing together. (Insert God's little chuckle at my naiveté)

Fast forward 2 weeks. I was wrong. (obviously... if you've bothered to read my prior posts)

So again we were walking the same road together... all the woes and joys of pregnancy....

Lucy and Elsie hanging out at 2.5/3 months.

Regular conversations between the 2 of us during those epic months:

G: "Are you experiencing insert symptom ?
M: "Oh my word YES!"

and so it went day after day.... week after week... month after month.
Elsie came into the world March 21st and Lucy just a short (though at the time seemingly long) 2 weeks later.

Lucy's best friend was ordained for her 7 years before she was ever born! (No choice in the matter... they WILL be best friends)

Play date for the Besties.

Boom #3 Stephanie and Eden

New Years Eve 2013

Steph and I go way back! We met in 5th grade... while most of our class was on the soccer field showing their superior athleticism we hung out on the swings. A sign of things to come (for me at least... still not athletic!) We were friends all through middle school... experiencing all the awkwardness of those years together (and ohhh were they awkward!) despite going to different high schools we remained best friends. Then we went on to attend a few years of college together, live together and still our friendship stayed strong; through many good times and bad! God blessed me so much with this dear friend. She married long before me - way back in 2006 she took that leap! (I was still 4 years away it!) So needless to say she started the baby-train long before me. Her precious girl Harper was born in September of 2011. I was glad when I could let her know that Greg and I were finally joining in on the whole parenting thing:

Eden and Lucy meeting each other for the first time!

It was fall and Steph and I were going to lunch! I was telling her how Greg and my plans to go to Europe next summer weren't going to happen....

S: oh, really? Why not?
M: Well... my due date is April 6 so it's just not gonna work out.
S: Your WHAT!?
M: smiling Yup... I'm having a baby April 6
S: MY DUE DATE IS APRIL 11!

Epic moment. We both laughed and immediately called our husbands.

I now got to experience pregnancy with another bestie!

Coolest part?

Eden came into the world April 5th... less than 24 hours before Lucy made her appearance! These girls share a birthday weekend!!!
(So much fun to be had in the coming years!)

Boom.... Boom... Boom!
Beyond that, Sweet Lorraine, a friend from church had her handsome baby boy the January just before these booms and my Cousin Kristin had her baby girl Sophia in February.... so we pretty much have January - April covered in our baby boom!