Mr. Handsome and I have been married five years and are in the early stages of our parenthood journey. We were talking the other day about how interesting it would be to have our readers tell us about their families. Some of you have done this in the comments section of other posts, and we have really enjoyed that.
So here goes: How many children do you have, and how far apart are they in age? Did you set out to have a specific family size, or did it just kind of happen? If you don’t have children, we still want to hear from you! Do you have a spouse? Live with other family members or roommates? Or perhaps you live alone? Hoping to jump-start an interesting conversation.
Megan
This is cool! So I wanna give a few more details 🙂 I’m 31 years old and I live in west MI. I am married and we have a one year old beautiful daughter. We plan on expanding our family but the pandemic has made that decision a tough one to make. Thank you for this blog! It’s so nice to have a positive uplifting source to come to.
Ellie
Hi Megan! That’s kind of the situation we are in. Wanting to have more but wanting to see how things shake out with the pandemic. I actually just talked to my friend whose husband works with COVID patients in a large hospital, and he says things are looking up. Still a long road to recovery, but he says that he and the other members of the medical staff are no longer feeling terrified like they have been. So that’s good news for both of us! 🙂
Ellie
Megan
Best wishes to you and Mr Handsome! And many thanks to the doctors, nurses and all essential workers!!❤️
amanda
i am 35, married for 4 years and we have 2 kids 2.5 and 9 months. i wanted them close in age, but wish i waited a little longer. looking back last year when we brought baby 2 home my almost 2 year old( they are 22 months apart) was still a baby herself. we wanted 2 kids, and have a boy and girl, though i was stopping no matter what they were haha. i also work full time in a school as a behavior specialist.
Ellie
What do you think would have been the ideal gap between the two kids, Amanda? I’m always curious to hear that.
Anonymous
When I was growing up there was a gap of 3 and 1/2 years. That meant that when I started jr. high and high school, my older sibling was not there. That was good because my sibling had caused trouble and I didn’t want that shadow cast onto me, who was nothing like that. I was glad I could make my own successful way without them around to remind everyone of the relation.
Regina Shea
Hi Ellie! This is a great topic. Well my husband and I have been married 27 years and have three daughters ages 19 , 23 and 25. We hadn’t really planned how many children we wanted. We just decided whatever God gave us. We almost had five but we lost two and I ended up having hysterectomy.
Even now in my “advanced” age I would love to have more children.
All my daughters are involved in some sort of ministry at church. My 24 year old who lives in CA does the audio visual at her church and is on the worship team. The 23 year old does nursery and occassionally we work the same Sunday together and the 19 year old is on the worship team.
It’s been interesting “parenting” if you will adult children. By parenting I mean advising them when they ask for help or warning them to be careful in we see them heading towards something that could endanger them or just being a listening ear. Just because your children are adults doesn’t mean you stop being their parents.
Ellie
Thank you for sharing, Regina! I SO enjoy your comments. It’s always fun to hear about your family. Are your girls all out of the house, or do either of the younger ones live with you?
Ellie
Regina Shea
Yes the two youngest girls live at home especially with the COVID-19. They don’t do very well with any type of respiratory illnesses.
Ellie
Hope you all are enjoying some extra family time! 🙂
Kanadiangirl
1 husband
Married 31 years
16 children 30-2;
6 miscarriages
We didn’t plan any children
Ellie
Oh my! What’s your secret to sanity?
Kanadiangirl
No secret. I am insane!
I want to commend you on how you answer every poster with interest and kind words. Thank you!
Ellie
I’m sure you’re not insane. 🙂 Thanks for being a loyal reader. I always enjoy your comments!
Gert
My husband and I have been married 52 years. We have a daughter who is 48. Our son on 6/11 will be 43. They are 5 years 2 months and 5 days apart. Our daughter sucked a pacifier / paci so long that she could talk with it in her mouth. You basically have to go with your desires on determining the number of children you would like to have.
Anonymous
One and done. Quit while we were ahead. Pregnancy was terrible and did not care to repeat for fear of major problems. Child now grown and living far away, successful career, no spouse, no grandkids for us. Parents, who we cared for when they moved to a separate house nearby, both gone. In-laws both gone. Aunts and uncles gone. A cousin gone. We could hold a family reunion in a phone booth with who’s left. Other side of the family scattered across the country. See them only weddings and funerals. But retirement life is good. Can’t complain. Coasting happily into the sunset, long as the joints and the 401K hold up.
Ellie
Glad to hear that you are enjoying retirement! That’s definitely a blessing. How often are you able to see your child?
Ellie
OhioMama
There are 6 of us in my family, my husband, our 2 boys, myself and our 2 dogs. (Yes i count the dogs, while car shopping i made sure we had room for them too). We have been married for a year will be 2 years in August. Our oldest is 4, he was a surprise baby but a huge blessing, our youngest will be 1 at the end of the month. We agreed to have another baby after we were married just didn’t think it would happen so fast. I think a 3 year age difference is good they are still close in age but not both in diapers at the same time. Our oldest was potty trained way before his brother was born. He also is a big help with his brother. I would like to have another baby but my husband hasn’t decided what he would like. I’m okay with stopping at 2 if he wants. If we do have another baby it will be at least 2 more years before we get pregnant. My husband works and I’m a stay at home mom. I hope to find a job that will let me be there for the kids once they are in school. I would probably be working now of daycare wasn’t so expensive, but I enjoy having this time with our boys.
Ellie
Thank you for sharing, OhioMama! Very applicable info, considering that we hope to have a second child sometime soon-ish. How did your first react when the second was born?
Ellie
OhioMama
We talked about it a lot too him how things were going to change but our love for him wouldn’t change at all. We also told him how fun it would be to have a baby brother or sister. He was very excited he went to all of my appointments with except for the ones where they had to exam me. He went to all the ultrasounds and got to see the baby. When we would go out and people would ask about my pregnancy he would say that’s my baby in there. He kept saying that it was a baby sister but he wasn’t too upset when we found out it was a baby brother. We took him to build a bear and he made a stuff dinosaur for his brother and his brother got him the 3rd how to train your Dragon movie as a big brother gift. The day after our youngest was born my husband and our oldest went out for breakfast and then came to the hospital too see us, he climbed up on the bed and booped his brother on the nose. He is doing really good as a big brother. We tried to prepare him as best we could while I was pregnant. Plus we took a fun family vacation to great wolf lodge just because we wanted one more getaway with just us 3 before we became 3.
Ellie
Sounds like you prepared well for the new addition. I’m definitely going to keep all of that in mind. Great advice!
OhioMama
For being 2 years old when I got pregnant with his brother he understood it a lot and adapted very well. He does still get jealous sometimes but its not too bad. He is very protective of his baby brother too. Personally I didn’t want two in diapers but i also didn’t want a big age gap, I feel I got lucky with my oldest because we were potty training him before I got pregnant but we weren’t over pushing it, but once i found out I was pregnant I really pushed it and he got fully trained (day and night) in a month.
Ellie
That’s great to hear that he had a good reaction. Makes me hopeful. 🙂
OhioMama
I also grew up on a big family, so I’ve seen how children react to a new baby in the family and how to help prepare them for a new baby. So it made it easier plus my parents helped us too. In July they took my oldest to TN for a vacation (I wasn’t comfortable take my youngest that far away) so he got some special grandparent time to his self.
Ellie
They definitely chose a good place for their vacation! 🙂 Hope they all enjoyed it.
Ellie
Jennifer
My husband and I have been married for almost 16 years. Note- we both had been married and divorced for about 2 years when we met at church. We have 4 boys. His boys are 30 and 32 and they both live on their own. My son ( who my husband adopted- story for another
day) is almost 20 and is in college. He has since moved home due to virus and working online). Our youngest son is almost 15 and a freshmen in high school. Both of us wanted children, and it was one of the conversations we had before we got married. My husband is 16 years older than I am, but we agreed right away we wanted at least one more. Our youngest was a true miracle with a complicated birth. We decided that He blessed us with 4 amazing boys and stopped. They are all very close and consider themselves brothers. ❤️ Blending a family takes time, love, courage, bumps, and prayers, but our family is amazing.
I have two god-daughters that are 9 and 6. 💕
Ellie
What an uplifting story, Jennifer. Sounds like you and your husband have worked hard to create a close bond between your sons, and it sounds like your hard work has paid off. Way to go!
Ellie
Abagail
I love reading your blog. I am single and have been single since my husband (who claimed to be a Christian) left me to be with another woman in 1968. I am 68 (soon to be 69) and I wish things had turned out differently for me. In reading your blog, it is nice to be included in happy family life. I don’t have relatives and reading your blog and watching the clips from the Duggars and Bates is uplifting and helps to fill the void in my life. I wish they wanted old people at Big Sandy if I could afford to go (which I probably couldn’t). Thanks for all your time spent on this effort.
Ellie
I’m so sorry to hear of your heartbreak, Abagail. I’m sure it’s still painful to recall, despite the years that have passed. I’m sure they would love to have you at Big Sandy. Perhaps you could reach out to them and explain your situation and see if they might give you a deal on the conference price. Surely a single person would cost less than a large family. 🙂
Ellie
Anonymous
My husband and I live with our three year old dog who we have had since she was a puppy. We love her dearly and joke that she’s our baby, but we’re not the kind of people who genuinely think a pet is the same as a child. We’ve been waiting for the right time to expand our family with a human baby but lately have been wondering if we will ever feel ready. And we also wonder how our dog would adjust to having a baby around! Big decisions!
On another note, we have been married for almost 5 years. We are both currently working from home and this is the most continuous time we’ve spent together in our marriage! It’s been a relief to find were not sick of each other or getting on each other’s nerves!
Ellie
Aww, how sweet! I hope your dog adjusts well if you and your husband feel led to have kids. All the families with a dog and young children that I know say that the dog loves the kids. But I’m sure every animal is different. And that’s wonderful that you are enjoying being together. Do you work in the same room, or do you have separate work spaces?
Ellie
Anonymous
We are very fortunate that when we bought our first home, we found an affordable 4 bedroom. We didn’t set out looking for a house with so many rooms, but it’s the house we found! So we each have a separate office. I’m very thankful for this! While I know we would make things work if we didn’t have designated work spaces, it’s been so nice to have one less thing to stress about! Do you have an office space at home for your writing and blogging?
Ellie
That’s great! I do have an office space, which is wonderful. We’ll have to see how we rearrange as we have more kids thought.
Anonymous
We think about that, too, despite not having any children yet! Our spare bedroom is large enough for two young children but I’m sure one of us would need to give up our office space at some point.
Ellie
I guess that’s when you build a man cave or “she shed.” LOL We actually have friends who built a great office for the husband in a shed. Has heat and electricity and gives him a quiet space to work while the kids are home. He loves it.
Ellie
Mira
I’m still single, but there are 12 kids in my family!
Ellie
Wow! What is the age range?
Mira
31-10 (soon to be 11), no twins, all single births.
Ellie
That’s incredible, Mira. Where do you fall in the lineup?
Mira
I am the second oldest, but oldest girl. 7 girls, 5 boys, and we definitely don’t come cheaper by the dozen!
Ellie
LOL! Sounds like a busy but exciting life. You must be very responsible and mature, as the second oldest with so many younger siblings.
Mary
We have 2 children ( 4 yrs and 9 mos.). We had a miscarriage in between. We’re hoping and praying for another, but I don’t know if we would have more than3-4 kids with me having precipitous/fast labor.
Ellie
Praying that you are able to have another child, Mary!
Vickie
I am married and child free. My husband and I came from large families and feel no desire to have children. We instead have taken care of nieces and nephews as guardians while our various siblings have been unable to do so themselves.
We both work with the public but are deemed non essential so we are staying home as much as possible and watching a lot of cooking videos.
Ellie
That’s great that you have been able to invest in the lives of your nieces and nephews. What unique dishes have you made from the cooking videos?
Kanadiangirl
That is very commendable, Vickie! Blessings!
Benita
I have been divorced for 15 yrs after being married for 20. I have3 daughters-34, 28, 26 and twin boys who are 25 and the only 2 that are married. No grandchildren. They are all too career minded.
My twins are both in the AF, same state but different bases. My youngest son had been approved for a transfer to his brother’s base before Covid-19, so he and his wife found a house and now waiting to close on it. But she will be the only one to move in for now because my son’s base has issued orders that the soldiers can only travel within a 100 mile radius. Their new house and base is 4 hrs away. When he finally gets to his new base, the older brother will have to salute him, and I find it funny because he always rubbed it in about being the oldest.
My 28 yr old always calls everyday, but today she had a story to tell. She had decided to work from home, and when she was through, she noticed water seeping into her living room, but she couldn’t find the source. She called her landlord, and he discovered it was coming from her neighbor.
The neighbor didn’t answer the door, so he let himself in with his pass key and discovered the woman asleep on the couch. She had stopped the sink up to wash dishes, and while the water was still running, she went to lie down on the couch and fell asleep. I don’t know what the neighbor’s apartment looked like, but my daughter said none of her belongings were damaged.
Out of the blue, my ex husband sent me a basket of flowers for Mother’s Day. Big Surprise.
We didn’t really plan our children because we thought we were only going to have the one girl, but when he got back from Desert Storm, it was boom, boom, boom. He was very blessed to come back at all. He was in transportation, and one night, after making his supply run, the moment he pulled into his base camp, it was bombed. My ex said that the force of the blast was so strong, it lifted his truck in the air and flipped it over, but he came out unharmed, not even a scratch. He said he felt a force shield surround him.
Ellie
Sounds like your family has a great legacy of serving our country. Thank you for the sacrifices that you all have made! And what good news that your daughter decided to stay home and that she was able to prevent major damage from occurring.
Leina
I live in Northern Europe with my husband and two kids, 3 and 9 years old. We have been married for 13 years and both work full time as pastors.
Ellie
Very neat! Do you work at the same church?
Jessica
I’m a 38-year-old single mother from Sweden 🙂 I have two daughters aged 12 and 13, 20 months apart (my oldest will be 14 this summer). Their dad and I split up (we were never married) when our youngest was a baby, and he has unfortunately chosen not to be a part of their lives. I/we are close to my family though, my parents and my sister & her family (she is married with three boys).
Ellie
How sad that your daughters’ father does not want to be part of their lives, but way to go for powering through as a single mom! I’m sure your girls will be forever impacted by your resolve to take whatever life brings in stride and make the most of it. Way to go, Mama! And wonderful that they have extended family in the picture.
Kate
My husband and I have been married ten years and have two boys ages 5 and 2 with baby #3 due in November. We chose to wait five years before having children although I don’t think I’d recommend waiting that long to anyone because I think it made the transition to parenthood more difficult after getting used to doing your own thing for five years. Plus, we really enjoy our kids so in some ways, it would have been nice to have had them sooner.
As far as family size, we’re not sure how many we’ll have. We’ve never had a definite number in mind, although I’ve always wanted at least 3. We may be done after this one or we may decide to have more, we’re not sure at this point.
We chose to have a three-year age gap between our first two which has worked out well for us. Our oldest son literally.did.not.sleep. so we needed some time to recover before having the next one. Also, by the time our second was born, our oldest was potty trained, didn’t need to be carried around anymore, and enjoyed being helpful. They are still good buddies even with the age difference. Our third will be 2 1/2 years younger than our second so it will be interesting to see how it goes with them a little closer in age.
Ellie
Thanks for sharing, Kate! Are the boys excited about the baby? Do you plan to find out the gender?
Kate
The boys are very excited about the baby. We are not planning on finding out the gender (we let both our other babies be a surprise, too!) We are kind of hoping for a girl but of course we’ll be happy with either.
Ellie
I hope you get your girl! But another boy would add a fun dynamic, as well.
Lisa
I have been married for 28 years. My husband and I have two young adult children, a daughter who is 24 and our son who is 21 1/2. We had hoped to start a family sooner than we did but we had infertility issues. We were very thankful for our two children, felt lucky that we had one of each, and decided that was enough. I had surgery before we had children and two c-sections and we just decided we felt we were blessed. Between our two children, my husband lost his dad suddenly in a commercial truck accident. Our son is so much like my husband and his paternal grandfather, even the dry sense of humor and the build.
Ellie
How neat that your son is carrying on the personality of his father and grandfather. My husband also has a dry sense of humor. And so does his dad and grandfather. LOL
Bridget
I am still single! There are four girls in my family! Ages 17-7
Ellie
How fun to have 3 sisters. Where do you fall in the lineup?
Bridget
I am the second one. I have an older sister who is 13 months older than me, and then 6 years between me and my younger sister. The last sister is 9 years younger than me.
Ellie
Oh how nice! Are you closest with your older sister? I’m guessing the two little girls are close friends.
Bridget
Yes, my sister and I have always been very close, and we do a lot of things together. When we were younger, we were the same height and my mom dressed us the same so we pretty much passed for twins! Now, I am three inches taller than she is, so people ask me if I’m the oldest 🙂
The two younger girls are close friends, but they do have their arguments, and they are more frequent now that they are home every day! 🙂
I also have a year-and-a-half mini goldendoodle 🙂
Ellie
I’ve always wanted a sister, so I’m definitely a bit jealous that you have three. 🙂 My friend just got a mini goldendoodle. It is adorable!
Bridget
I have always wanted a brother, but I guess I am stuck with three sisters. It can be annoying sometimes, because there is a LOT of drama! It’s definitely not all it’s cracked up to be, but for the most part, life is awesome 🙂
Ellie
LOL, I suppose the grass is always greener. 🙂 The drama definitely would be a downside.
MarriedUK
I have three boys- there is a 2 yr 11 month gap between #1 and #2 and a 2yr 2 month gap between #2 and #3. I would have had my second sooner but I had two (very early) miscarriages. I like the age gaps that I have. My eldest was toilet trained and fairly independent when his brother was born and that was nice for us!
I was told that when your first born comes to hospital to meet his sibling, you shouldn’t be holding the new baby; your arms should be open, to reassure #1.
I love having my three boys but I’m quite looking forward to my youngest (just two) getting a little bit bigger- I’m just so tired!!!
Ellie
My sister-in-law read that same piece of advice and put it into practice when she had her 2nd and 3rd children. Thank you for the reminder! I will definitely keep that in mind.
Anonymous
I have two children, ages 27 and 25. My children are almost 3 years apart. (2 years and 10 months). I have always felt like the age difference was perfect. Oldest was out of diapers when the baby came and they always played together and hung out together and to this day are very close, even though they were a boy and girl. I am a widow now so I don’t know what I’d do without the blessing of my children. My 25 year old daughter and her husband were thinking of starting a family, but then covid hit. I think they are going to wait for a vaccine before getting pregnant since the doctors aren’t sure how covid would affect a baby in the first 3 months of pregnancy. So, might be a bit longer before I become a grandma
Ellie
So sorry for the loss of your husband, but how lovely to have 2 children who get along well. And exciting that you will be a grandma someday soon!
Ellie
Margie Carrick
Hubby and I are married almost 27 years, married later in life, and chose to not have children. We both grew up in alcoholic and abusive homes. We thought if very important to invest time in nieces and nephews over the years: having them spend the weekend 1 on 1 doing what they wanted, staying overnight, attending church with us, going to their sporting events, graduations, etc. Even had a niece live with us for 13 months when she was in high school. While we will have to answer to God for our choice, we are confident in our choices.
Ellie
That’s wonderful, Margie. I am confident that your nieces and nephews will be forever grateful for your influence in their lives. Do you have any grand-nieces or grand-nephews yet?
Margie
We do! 8 in total, that I can remember. :0)
Ellie
Wow! That’s amazing!
Alayna
I’m married, will be 15 years next month. We have 5 girls. 11, 10, almost 8, 5 and our suprise will be 1 in July. We had fertility issues before we got pregnant with our first. We thought we would try again, thinking it would take time and it didn’t. So our first two are 15 months apart.
Ellie
What is the family dynamic like with 5 girls? Sounds like it would be a lot of fun!
Alayna
It can be fun and a lot of drama sometimes to. Ha
AmyRyb
I have two boys, nearly five years apart–ages 7 and almost 12. Initially we wanted kids three years apart. I always felt like the four years from my older brother kept our school lives just a little too separate, with him always moving to a different stage just as I was getting there–so we rarely had anything naturally in common. But when we got to the point where I’d have to get pregnant, not only was our son a massive handful, but the thought of paying double daycare for two years left us panicked. So we waited, but then when we wanted to try a year later, things didn’t go so smoothly. It took about a year. We eventually figured out I had borderline PCOS, which meant I wasn’t ovulating regularly. I probably had it with my first because we had a few months of trouble but got lucky. When I couldn’t even get a positive ovulation test the second time, we got some help (just some meds and a shot in the butt!) and it worked on the first try. Our boys sadly do not get along too well due to the age difference and tricky, opposite personalities, but I’ve heard lots of people say five years is great because the older one can be really helpful and take on a teacher role with their sibling. Maybe someday!
Ellie
Thanks for sharing all of that, Amy! I wonder if your sons might start to become better friends as they grow older. I’m sure they will.
Shela G
Hi Ellie and mr Handsome. My name is Shela. I have been married for 11 years. My husband and I did not find eachother until we were older. I was 36 and my husband was 43. We wanted to adopt children since I am anable to have kids of my own. Adoption did not work out for us but 2 years ago God brought a 15 year old young man to live with us. He needed us as parents and we need him. He may never actually share our last name but he has become our Son!! I also can not forget that we have 4 fur babies in our family 2 boy dogs and 2 girl dogs all rescued from shelters. Our home is filled with a lot of Love!!
Ellie
How wonderful that you took him in. That was so incredibly kind of you!
Ellie
anonymous
It is a different question but I wonder how come you believe strongly in monogamy when the Bible refers to other than that? And in today’s world what are the rulings on marriages in other countries? How would you feel if your husband exercised his right to yet another spouse or relations with a servant? If you moved to a mid eastern country it would be legal there. This is what has challenged and changed my view of life. People take certain standards very, very seriously. Yet in the Bible other standards are mentioned. What is a person like within in their hearts before God to not be proud and to be willing to yield to what is true? What is true?
Ellie
That’s an interesting question for sure! The biblical model for marriage (one husband and one wife) was set in Genesis with the creation of Adam and Eve. I had never considered this section a marriage passage, but the man we saw for marriage counseling before our wedding did a wonderful study on it, and it helped me see it in a new light. I especially like Genesis 2:24, which says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Unfortunately, when sin entered the world, so did the concept of having multiple wives. Thus there are some men in the Old Testament who have multiple wives. But we must note that God never endorses this lifestyle. Humans are fallible–we all make mistakes. It is also interesting to note that with the story of Leah and Rachel, the idea of having multiple wives is painted in a negative light. And the New Testament clearly supports marriage between one man and one woman, in multiple verses.
Hope this makes sense. 🙂
Ellie
anonymous
It helps that you acknowledge polygamy is in the Bible. Jacob was one of the the main patriarchs of the Israelites and his 12 male children were from his two wives and their two servants. That is a highly honored family in the Bible and that nation. Was it the idea of multiple wives that was negative, or the inevitable resulting negative relations in the family? These people in their life roles all accepted their God given fates, from Leah’s father to put her first and then on down the resulting lineage. Anyway thanks for the response. It is a complicated subject. There is a focus on monogamy in the Bible, but also polygamy is in there and not condemned as in that example.
Marilyn
I am single and live with my twin sister and older sister. We have cousins but all of our aunts and uncles have passed away. We lost our father 30 years ago. Our mom was a few months shy of her 100 th birthday and is gone 9 years now. My father was orphaned at 7 and one half years. He and a few of his siblings were put in an orphanage. It seemed none of his aunts or uncles wanted any of the children. Three of his grandparents were born in Ireland. The other one was born in Holland. My father was one of 13 children, but only a few lived to adulthood. My mother’s father died when she was 12 years old. She was the oldest of five children. She had to leave school to help support the family. My mother’s family goes back to the Mayflower. Her French side, we can trace back to many generations in France. As you can tell we are interested in genealogy.
Marilyn
Ellie
Wow, what a story! Genealogy is so interesting. One of my family lines can be traced back to a ship that arrived around the time of the Mayflower. My aunts have done some genealogy research, and I always enjoy hearing about it.
Ellie
Alyson
My husband and I will be married 3 years in June. I’m currently 30 weeks pregnant with our first. We started later in life so this may be our only child. If we do decide to have one more, it will need to be fairly quick as I am 39 and of “advanced maternal age” lol.
Ideally I would love to space out kids 3-4 years. My brother had 3 very quickly and I remember the oldest still wanting to breastfeed when the 2nd one was born…I think they are 15 months apart. There was A LOT of jealousy and side eye from the first born to the second born…it’s funny how even at a young age they can have those emotions. Same thing happened with second born and third born…they are 17 months apart and again a lot of jealousy between them.
Things that we help us decide on having a second child: how labor and delivery goes, child care costs as we both need to work (I’m an educator and insurance is fantastic.. can’t give that up) and really just how worn out my husband and I are after having one child lol.
Ellie
Congratulations, Alyson! You must be eager to meet your child. What an exciting time. I’m sure you and your husband will make the right choice for your family regarding a possible second child. 🙂
Ellie
MJ
My husband and I will be married 39 years this month. We have a daughter age 33 and a son age 29. I was a stay-at-home mom and loved it. My husband’s job required a lot of travel, and we did not live near any family so I wanted to stay home with the kids. We always planned to have just 2. Initially, we were going to have them closer together, but I really enjoyed being home with my daughter and giving her a lot of time and attention so I thought that I would like to do the same with my second child. I felt that when my daughter went to kindergarten would be a good time to have another baby. It turned out to be the right decision for us. They were always close despite the age difference and still are. They have families of their own now.
Ellie
That’s wonderful that your kids are close! Do you have grandchildren?
Anonymous
Not yet but would love some!
JenniferH
I got married in my late 20s at 27. 9 months later we welcomed our first boy. 8 months later I got pregnant with our second son, so they are 17 months apart. 5 months later I got pregnant with what was a miscarriage 🙁 and 3 months later got pregnant with my 3rd boy! So we had 3 under 3 boys for a little bit 😬 I didn’t get pregnant with my fourth until a month after my last turned one and that welcomed my first daughter just last November, she is almost 6 months old now. So 4 total in just under 5 years! If all that math made sense? 😂 We want as many as God gives us… hoping for a large family 🙏🏻 It’s a lot of work no doubt but worth it all 💓
Ellie
Sounds like a busy but blessed life, Jennifer. How have your older kids reacted when the new babies arrive?
Ellie
JenniferH
I saw that one of the other commenters suggested not holding the new baby when the older sibling comes to meet them for the first time, and that’s actually exactly what I did! I kept baby in the bassinet thing when my husband came in with #1… he after all had a rough night the night before without me and didn’t have me the whole day before cuz I was in the hospital, so it seemed silly to throw a baby at a little 17 month old baby right away. I embraced my oldest and gave him a lot of one on one and slowly introduced him to baby! What a great move I believe it was! Bcuz of that is why I think he was never jealous going forward 🙂 so I did the same thing when 3 came along and it’s a good thing I did cuz 2 was waaaay more jealous 🙁 and then when I had this last baby I did the same thing again. I really think it helps. Especially when they go a night without you the last thing they need is a baby thrown at them when they are little themselves… being home with a newborn and the other littles definitely poses some of its own challenges but oddly my life got easier when I welcomed #2. ZERO baby blues and I had strong baby blues with my first.
Ellie
More great tips. Thank you, Jennifer! That’s all super helpful. 🙂
Dani
My husband and I have been married for eight years. I always wanted 3-kids, but we had infertility issues. Finally, after years of treatment I am 30 weeks along with a little girl. I’m unfortunately is the hospital with health issues for me and baby girl. So hoping they can help us!
Ellie
So sorry to hear that, Dani! Do the doctors think you will be able to return home soon? Praying for wisdom as they treat you!
Stephanie
Great idea! I have 3 daughters, ages 4, 2, and 7 months. I always wanted three kids, and I am so lucky to have them! I struggled with nearly 2 years of infertility before I conceived my first, and some days I still have to pinch myself to believe that less than 5 years later I am a mother of three!
Ellie
Sounds like a wonderful family, Stephanie! You are very blessed.
Stacey
Been married 25 years going on 26 years in September. Have one grown son that’s 22 years old lives at home but works full time. I am 44 years old and my husband is 49 years old. Happy to have the one..
Ellie
How nice to have him at home, especially during this time. I’m sure you’ve enjoyed the extra time together.
Federica
What a neat topic, and so interesting to read your and everyone’s story! My husband and I have been married for 4 years, and have a wonderful 2 year old son who is the joy and love of our lives. We also have another child in Heaven. I met my now-husband as a 33-yo career woman, with no intention of ever getting married. My husband, who is a bit older than I am, had recently gotten divorced after a 25-year marriage (no children) started when he was very young, and ended due to his former wife cheating. Divorcing was a huge blow to him, and needles to say, he was not at all looking to have another relationship any time soon. What can I say? Not the best premises, but we were completely blown away by each other, and were engaged within 9 months of meeting. I guess that, being a little older/wiser, financially independent, and free, once we realized that we had met “the one”, we saw no reason to wait. The next year we were married, and within a year,we were expecting our son. We had been told the chances of having biological children were close to none (due to some issues I have) unless we did IVF, but, miraculously and unexpectedly, I got pregnant naturally and our beautiful angel was born, happy and healthy. We would love to have more children, but we really don’t want to do anything invasive (no judgement whatsoever on those who feel differently and do, just our personal convictions), and we realize that it might not happen. The Covid situation put a stop to these plans for the time being, but you never know, buy the grace of God.
Take care!
Ellie
Thank you for sharing your story, Federica. God’s plan is the best plan, for sure. What a wonderful love story!
ALICIA
I’m 47, marries almost 25 years. I have 3 kids: 22-boy (well, next week), 20-girl and 13-boy. I wanted 4, he wanted 2, we ended up with 3 🙂 We tried for a long time with our youngest and we quit trying then 2 years later…baby! I would not recommend that much of a gap. #2 and #3 are quite close, but the gap is a lot. I now have 2 in college and a middle-schooler. He does, however, keep us young!
Ellie
Sounds like a neat family dynamic, Alicia. What is the relationship like between your two oldest and the youngest? Once they are all adults, I’m sure the age gap won’t be noticeable. My husband was a teenager when his youngest sisters were born. And they still have a great friendship. Although they do like to laugh at his age. But it’s all in fun.
Ellie
Anonymous
My middle is a girl and my oldest is a boy. My oldest is VERY self-centered still. He is not very nice to his sister 🙁 She does good by him, but he is not very nice to her….has been that way since the youngest was born and was so close to her. The 2 boys are becoming close (although 9 years apart in age). I keep thinking “one day”
Ellie
I’m very sorry to hear that, but there is always hope that the relationship will improve as they grow older. I am hoping with you that that will be the case!
Netta
I live in Finland with my husband. We’ve been married for 14 years this August. We have three kids: a 12 year old boy and girls age 10 and 7. The older two are two years and two months apart. The second and the third are three years and one month apart. In my opinion it was definitely harder to go from one to two kids than from two to three. I remember feeling stuck with the baby especially when feeding her while the two-year old did whatever he wanted. It was also hard because he didn’t talk a lot so he couldn’t tell me how he felt or what he wanted. It was easier when the third kid came along, because then the older two would play together. And the three-year old could express herself much better. All of the kids were planned. We had some concerns about getting pregnant with our first because I have PCO-S, but it didn’t cause any trouble. I always wanted kids near in age. I only have one older sister and she’s nine years older than me so I never had a sibling to play with. It’s the same in my husband’s family, he’s only got one sister and she’s much older than him.
We might have had more kids, but my husband struggles with mental health issues and he’s also suffered from a burnout, so three is enough. There is a chance that our youngest would not have been made, but at that point my husband’s health was better. It’s also better now, he’s able to work (not full-time, but good enough) but since we’re getting older we’ve decided not to have any more kids. I’m 40 and he’s 41.
Ellie
That’s very interesting, to hear that the transition from 2 to 3 is easier than from 1 to 2. How you explained it makes sense, thought. Sounds like you have a lovely family!
Ellie
Anonymous
I have two children, and my son is 25, and my daughter is nine. I had my son with ex-husband, and my daughter is with my current husband. We’ve been married for 11 years. No, my kids aren’t close because they’ve never lived together, but I realized that I like having two only children spaced so far apart.
Ellie
That’s a very interesting dynamic. Thank you for sharing! By the time they are adults, the years apart won’t matter as much, and perhaps they will develop a close relationship.
Jenny
I currently live with a roommate and my boyfriend has moved in with us during the quarantine. I don’t want kids until I am married, obviously, but I do have two kitties who are very loved and doted on. We call my mom their “Kitty Grandma!”
Ellie
LOL, well I’m sure she is very honored to be called Kitty Grandma. 🙂
Claudia
Hi Ellie!
My hubby and I met when I was 12 and he was 13. We didn’t start dating till 18 and 19. We got married at 19 and 20. We’ve been married three years in June. We have one son who will be two in September and we just had our little girl in April. They are just about 19 months apart. It’s a little closer together than we would have chosen, but God knows what we need. We bought our first house just about a year ago, five acres in a small town and we love it. We’re working on a garden and getting ready to get cattle. We eventually want 6 or so children! But we’re planning probably around four years before the next baby, in order to get a lot of the things done we need to on our home.
Ellie
That’s such a cute love story, Claudia! What did you think of him at age 12?
Anonymous
My husband and I have been married for 9 years. We have 4 children, ages 8, 6, 4, and 2. We didn’t plan for 2 years between each, but I like it. Definitely alot of work when they are little, but they are good buddies as they grow. God recently led our family to become full-time missionaries serving with a ministry called FamilyLife. We are so excited for this opportunity!
Ellie
That’s wonderful! Will you be serving in the US or another country?
Anonymous
We will serve marriages and families here in the US, helping individuals strengthen their relationship with God, their spouse, and their children. We have alot of encouraging resources, as we all navigate this pandemic, on our website
Ellie
That is so wonderful! I will take a look at the website. 🙂
Regina Shea
I love the Family Life ministry. Have you two been to their Weekend to Remember marriage conference?
Ellie
I’ve heard amazing things about Weekend to Remember!
Regina Shea
Tim and I went last year in Scottsdale and it was wonderful even though the high temps during the day was 108+.
Ellie
Oh my! I can’t imagine having those kind of temps on a regular basis. I can barely handle the high 90s and low 100s that we have in TN. LOL
Andrea
Attending the Weekend to Remember has been the best thing we’ve done for our marriage! We try and attend one every couple of years (at least). We keep our car maintained on a regular basis, how much more does our marriage need to be invested in 🙂
Tina
After reading all the comments as I usually do on your posts, I just wanted to point out that you keep what’s best from each person’s comment and you have always sth nice to reply. That is great and very gracious of you.
I am 30-31 an single. And Greek!
Ellie
Thank you for your kind words, Tina. It is my goal to see the best in people. What are things like in Greece right now, with Coronavirus?
Tina
We are dealing with it like pros from the beginning. I’m a teacher’s and schools have been closed for over 2 months now. So I’m staying home
Ellie
That’s very good to hear that your country is handling it well. Have you enjoyed your time off?
Tina
Yes but I also miss my babies
Ellie
I’m sure! And I’m sure they miss you, too. Teachers play an important role in children’s lives.
Sarah
Married for 11 years, I am 39 and have an 8 yr old boy, 6 yr old girl, 3 yr old girl and 5 month old boy. The first two are 25 months apart and the others are both 2 years and 9 months apart. I love the age gaps. I have miserable pregnancies, sick the entire time, basically useless to the world. It was great with when I was pregnant with our second because our first was too young to know what was going on so I just read him piles of books the entire pregnancy. The bigger gaps for between the other kids were because I needed more time between pregnancies to recover from my being so sick. Adding baby 4 has been a dream as we have the older 2 that are truly capable of helping me now.
We planned loosely on 2-3 kids before we had any but after each baby we prayed that God would keep our heart open to his plan for us. SO glad we did otherwise we would not have our sweet little baby #4.
When you are ready for baby #2 make it your sons baby too. Talk about the baby all the time, include little Buddy in Dr. appts to hear the heart beat. We have done that with each new baby and they are always so excited to meet their baby at the hospital that seeing me is secondary 🙂
Ellie
That sounds like a sweet family, Sarah. Thank you for sharing! And thank you for the words of wisdom. I’m SO looking forward to adding more babies to our family, but I’m also a little nervous about the transition for Little Buddy. I’m sure all parents are.
Beth
I’m 48 single live along with my cat Miley. Still live in my childhood home. Both my parents have died.
Ellie
Miley is an adorable name! And how lovely to live in your childhood home. Have you had other cats in the past, or is this your first?
Beth
I’ve lived in it for 48 years . Parents moved in 2 months before I was born. This is my second cat.
I also have 2 older sisters. They are 13 months apart and i’m 15 months later were close in age.
My cat Miley is named after Miley Cyrus .
Ellie
Very sweet! I just told another commenter this, but I have always wanted sisters.
Beth
I have always wanted a brother.
Alicia Mae
Oh this is fun! I’m still single, the oldest of four kids, ages 26, 24, 17, and 12. There are two brothers in the middle, and my sister and I are the bookends 🙂 The four of us are very close, despite the spread in ages.
Ellie
So glad you shared, Alicia Mae! I always enjoy your comments. Is your little sister spoiled, with having 3 older siblings?
Alicia Mae
Haha, yes and no! In some ways yes, because all three of us can drive with her to go grab food or do something fun. But all of us can be a bit parental at times too, pointing out how she should fix this or do that differently. Understandably she does not appreciate it when we all get bossy!
A bit of a tangent, but I wanted to add what I love in particular is the unique relationship I have with each of my siblings, and how everyone pulls out a different facet of our personalities! Much better explained by this C.S. Lewis quote from his book The Four Loves: “In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets.” He goes on to say that when one of his friends Charles Williams died, not only did he lose that friend, but he also lost the part of J.R.R. Tolkien that Charles Williams brought out. The dynamics of more people can be so incredibly fun for that reason! There is a new level of depth to everyone 😃
Ellie
That’s a great quote, Alicia Mae! I’ve never thought of it that way, but it makes a lot of sense. I’m going to save that quote for future reference. 🙂
Ellie
anon
we knew before we got married that i couldnt have children, but being an only child orphaned at 13, my husband wanted a large family with at least 8 kids! just before our 12th anniversary we found out we were pregnant!! unfortunately our son died that christmas but we thought that if i could get pregnant once, maybe there was a chance again so we went to a fertility specialist. had the same tests done as michaela bates keilen (a little over a year after my son died) and they found what they called a ‘folicle’ directly outside the fallopian tube but inside the uterus. they decided to ‘watch it’ lol and we were all surprised that 7 months later that ‘folicle’ weighed 7lbs 2oz (as a preemie). 17 months later we had our 3rd son. when he was 2, i got pregnant with my twin daughters and lost one so was put on bed rest the remainder of the pregnancy (4 months). by then i was 37 but we didnt give up and really hoped for more but that wasnt to be. we were more than grateful for the children we had, but also more than willing to go thru the pregnancies again, none of which would be considered routine or normal.
my daughter has 2, a boy and a girl 2 and a half years apart and although they’d love another one, even before the pandemic they worried that this wasnt the best country to be having more kids in between both of their lineages so sadly they’re done. they also have my grandrabbit.
neither of my boys have any kids, nor are they in relationships right now but both jump into the ‘uncle’ role with their friends kids. my youngest son reminds me of lawson bates when he’s around kids! lol, they all love him! this son has my grandcat and granddog and my granddog from my older son lives with me
Ellie
That is nothing short of a miracle that you were able to have the family that you and your husband wanted. And how wonderful to have grands as well!
anon
i am absolutely beyond fortunate! although my husband died when my daughter was 13, he never got to meet his grandchildren. but, they know all about him and recognize his picture. plus, their dad was my 2nd sons best friend growing up so there’s pictures of all of them/us together, both families, and lots of memories related to them they can actually ‘visualize’ !
Ellie
That must have been very rough to lose your husband. But how wonderful that you have such a close family!
Ellyn
I’m 36 years old, and my husband and I have a 3.5 year old daughter and a son who is almost 1! I love the age gap between them (about 2.5 years). They are already buddies and always have a little playmate at their side. I can’t imagine either one of them not having the other one to keep them company.
My husband feels 100% done having kids now (having 2 little ones really is truly exhausting!), but I’m hoping to either have one more, adopt/foster eventually, or both. We will see!
Ellie
How cute! That’s wonderful that they are such good friends.
Florence
Hello,
We’ve been happily married for 35 years and have 3 grown-up children. I wanted 4 children but my hsuband wanted only two: so we had 3 in the end! We planned them 3 years apart, which was ideal because when n2 was born, n1 was starting nursery and same with n3. As they are not so far apart, they developped strong bonds and have kept them.
Ellie
That’s wonderful that your kids have close relationships with each other, Florence. Thank you for sharing!
Lynda
Hi Ellie! My husband and I have been married for 11 years. We have 2 children -a boy (almost 5) and a girl (18 months). I had difficult pregnancies (terrible nausea with my son and I broke my foot while I was pregnant with my daughter) so we are done. Our family feels complete. We like the age gap for our kids – our son likes to help out by getting her toys when she cries and can get her to give the best belly laughs. In the first days as a new family of 4, our pediatrician told our son that our daughter had picked him to be her big brother and he really took that to heart – he’s very protective of her. It’s so much fun to see them together!
Ellie
That is so lovely, Lynda! You must be so thrilled to see your son enjoying his younger sister.
Sabine
I have posted before on your blog, probably you remember me 🙂 i live in the Swiss Alps with my family. Met my husband who is originally from India in Alaska whilst working on a cruise ship. We have been married for 11 years and have three kids who are 5, 3.5 and a newborn.
My last pregnancy was quite the journey with some complications…. i had to stay in the hospital from end of March, had my daughter via emergency c section in mid April. Due to the pandemic no visitors were allowed. It was hard not having my hubby by my side for the birth and not seeing my kids for over three weeks. But I am eternally grateful we are all healthy and happy together.
Really not sure at this point whether I could go through another pregnancy. I am just embracing the now and enjoy my family 🥰
Ellie
Hi Sabine! I definitely remember you. I’m so glad you commented. So glad to hear that you had your baby and are doing well. How are the older kids reacting to their new sister?
Ellie
Sabine
Hi Ellie
Ah so fun you remember me 😉
The older kids are very fond of their little sister. They are cute and so loving. I still try to do little things with them individually and involve them a lot in our day to day life. Jealousy does not seem to be much of an issue thankfully.
I am not sure about the „ideal“ gap…. for us, the kids came in their own timing… early on in our marriage I didnt get pregnant, after the first one however it happened rather quickly 🙂
Ellie
That’s wonderful that the kids are enjoying your new baby. That makes all the difference that you spend time with them individually!
Elizabeth
Married for 5 years and have a 2 year old and a 2 month old. Kiddos are 25 months apart, a boy and a girl. We are finished having children now. Two is enough:)
My brother and I are 23 months apart and I loved our close relationship. My husband is an Irish twin. Definitely wayyy too close of an age gap for me, but they are best friends!
Ellie
How wonderful to have a boy and a girl! I’m sure they will be close growing up, with a 25-month gap.
Anonymous
When we got married we decided to wait for a few years to have a baby and my husband wanted one. Our son surprised us 10 months after the wedding. He was such a good baby we decided that two would be perfect. It took 5 years of trying and we ended up with a total of 3. Twins! The day we found out it was twins we bought more life insurance on my husband because I really thought he was going to have a heart attack or stroke. We have been married 31 years and all is well. Not what we planned but it worked out perfectly.
Ellie
That’s so sweet! And you’re probably glad to have had a bigger gap between the first and the twins. I’m sure you were busy with three littles!
Lucy
My husband and I live in Washington state. I’m from England and met him on a trip to Washington with some mutual friends in 2011. We hit it off and 5 months later he flew to England to propose! As soon as we could get all the paperwork done I moved over and we got married. We just celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary. We have a 6 year old, 4 year old and 2 year old. The first two (boys) are 18 months apart. I love that age gap! Our third (a girl) we were expecting when our second born was 20 months.
Before getting married we’d liked the idea of 4 children, having 2 close together and then a bigger gap and another two close together. Our third surprised us much sooner than we’d planned, and I’ve been working on getting back in shape before we can hopefully continue to grow our family. Hopefully in the next few months! I just love the fairly close age gaps and we hope that our future kiddos will have a sibling close in age too.
Ellie
That is a beautiful love story, Lucy. Do you miss England? Hope you are able to grow your family soon! Good for you for wanting to get back in shape. That’s what I’ve been doing, as well.
Ellie
Lucy
Yes, I definitely miss England. Mainly family and friends, but sometimes the place too. But, Washington definitely feels like home now. I love the area we live in and how close we are to both the mountains and the ocean, and I have wonderful in-laws. We’ve visited 3 times since we got married. When our oldest was 6 months, when my Mum passed away and a year later for a friends wedding. We don’t have plans to visit any time to soon, or even in the next few years. The cost of flying with all 5 of us now needing our own seats is a lot, and the thought of flying that far with 3 little kids is not overly appealing! Thankfully my Dad visits 2-3 times a year and my brother visits every 1-2 years. Of course there is Facetime to keep in contact with everyone too.
Ellie
It is great to hear that Washington now feels like home. England sounds beautiful. I would love to visit. But Washington is beautiful, too. That’s great that your dad and brother are able to come so often. And I really don’t know how people survived without Facetime. LOL. We use it a lot, too.
MJ
Ellie, I know what you mean about wanting a sister. I have always felt the same way. I have a brother who is wonderful, but it seems that every woman I know has a special bond with her sister(s).
Ellie
That’s my situation exactly. I have a brother, and he’s great. But it would be but so wonderful to have the connection that sisters have.
Candi
Hi Ellie! We have been married for 20 years. In fact our 20th anniversary was at the end of April! It’s hard to think that as it feels like only maybe 15 years at the most. We have 3 girls ages 17 1/2, 14, and12. I had a miscarriage between the first 2 and our youngest “surprised”us
17 months after the second one. It was terrible hard work at first for the first several years as it seemed hard with just 17 months between them. It felt like hauling around 2 babies all the time. I’ve heard others say that that it’s harder to have them really really close together than to actually have twins but of course a person can’t choose that! I never believed it till I had my “set” and then I knew what they were talking about. But I always got asked if they were twins even tho one is brown haired and the other blonde and
they look completely different! But you know what, I’m glad it happened like that now even though if it would’ve been up to us their would’ve been more of
a age gap. When they got to a age they could interact with each other, they took off and left mama in the dust. They literally spent all their waking hours together and it was a nice babysitter and reprieve for this mama so she could get the housework done. And they’ve always been close. So in the end it was totally worth it to have them close together even tho you’ll have a few years wondering if you’ll ever make it! But time flies and now we’re in a stage that mom and dad can easily go on a date night or go out without finding a babysitter! Whoohoo! (You’ll get there faster than you ever think you will Ellie 😅)
Ellie
Congratulations on 20 years, Candi! That sounds like a ton of work, but how beautiful their relationship must be now! I would love to have kids really close in age, but the work load does concern me. LOL
Ann
I love your post and all the comments. We have been married for 56 years and had two sons who are now 51 and 49…they are 2 1/2 years apart which I found ideal. They have blessed us with 3 grandaughters who are 20, 18 and 13. There is nothing better in your old age than having children and grandchildren around you. We feel so greatly blessed. Prayers for all of you as you raise your little ones…
Ellie
Congratulations on 56 years! How wonderful! Thank you for your prayers. They are much appreciated.
Elizabeth White
I am single, but live with with my parents and seven of my ten siblings! The oldest is thirty, and the youngest two are 10 + 9 and adopted from China!
Ellie
Wow! Big family! Must be a very exciting life. 🙂
Anonymous
I’ve been living with my mother and caring for her for the last six weeks, my mom passed away a few days ago. My hubby and I have been married for 45 yrs. We were married 5 yrs. than had our son, 2 1/2 yrs. later we had our daughter. Their personalities were very different growing up, so it wasn’t until young adulthood that they became good friends. Our son gave us 2 granddaughters and our daughter gave us a grandson. Ellie, I do enjoy reading your blogs. Happy Memorial Day!
Ellie
I am so very sorry to hear of your loss! Praying for peace and comfort for you and your family. I’m sure that having you by her side during her last few weeks on Earth was an incredible reassurance for your mom.
Happy Memorial Day to you, as well!
Ellie
Shell
I’m 38 and my husband is 44, our son is nearly 11 months old and we’re hoping to have a second child before he turns 2 and before I turn 40 – so we’re working on it, lol. We want 2 kids. Only got married in 2017 so we’ve had to hustle 🙂
Ellie
That’s wonderful, Shell. I’m sure your son will enjoy having a sibling close in age.
Rachel
My husband and I have been married almost 12 years. We have 4 children ages (almost 11), 9, 7 and 5 and 1/2. The first two are 22 months apart, the next two are 24 months almost to the day and the last two are 17 months apart. I love the 22 months and 24 month gap; the 17 month gap was a bit crazy 😜! We did not plan to have 4 kids, but after each kid we would pray about it and after 4 we decided that was a good amount and we stopped. There’s never a dull moment around here but we enjoy it! ❤️
Ellie
Sounds like a blessed life, Rachel. It feels like it will be ages before we make it to the point when we have a kid in the double digits, but I know I will blink and it will happen. My sister-in-law already has an almost-six-year-old, and I vividly remember visiting her in the hospital the day she was born. Time passes quickly. I am always reminding myself to enjoy each moment.
Laura
I am 29, and we have been married for almost 8 years. We both grew up in 2 child families, and knew we wanted a large family, and to start as soon as we were married. We lost our first baby to a miscarriage at 12 weeks, but we have since been blessed with 5 more- ages 6, 5, almost 4, 2, and 5 months. My sister and I had an almost 4 year age gap, so I wanted my children to be close together. Being a mom is so much harder than I ever imagined… a big sinner raising 5 little sinners makes me realize every day how much I need the Lord’s help. Thankfully His mercies are new every morning, and because of His compassion we are not consumed.
MOMTO4
Hi! My husband and I have been married for 13 years. Our four children range from ages 4 to 11. We have 2 boys and 2 girls. We love our family of 6 and when asked if we are having more, I say “my cup is full😊”..
I enjoy reading your blog! Stay healthy and safe!
Ellie
Hi there! Thanks for chiming in. I would love to have 2 boys and 2 girls one day. Are your boys back-to-back and your girls back-to-back?
Ellie
Anonymous
Hi!lll We have boy, girl, boy, girl!!!!!!
J
Married 6 years, 2 children through IVF, they are 32 months apart girl and boy, I think it’s easy to say you want to plan how to space but if I were able I would have had them whenever God wanted! Grateful for my rainbows, they were our 3rd and 6th pregnancies
Kristy D
Wow, I am LATE to the party! My husband and I have been married 4 years. We have three kids, all girls just like Alyssa Webster.
3 year old, 18 month old and a 3 month old. They are beautiful sweet girls.
It has its challenges but the older two are absolute best friends and happily play independently while I tend to the baby. I would love a large family with at least six kids but we are leaving it up to God. I’m happy that we have at least three though haha.
Ellie
Glad you joined the comment train, Kristy! That’s so wonderful that your oldest two girls are best friends. Hope you are able to have your big family. 🙂
Ellie