Ten days gone by…ten nights ago, I was typing away for day two of my one hundred day countdown to baby, so curious to know how many more days might go by before we met our sweet little bundle. That night, I went to bed praying again that our babe was near. When morning came, I knew it was the day. All of the signs pointed to our newest love making his way–on his due date, no less! After so many days and nights of contractions and what felt like so much waiting, it was time to meet the bean.

For all of the times I’d felt like baby #3 was unpredictable and mysterious, he was gearing up to be surprisingly punctual. That morning, as we made preparations to go to the hospital to welcome him here, the joy in my heart welled to a degree I just cannot explain. There is a mighty story to tell about this little one’s entrance into the world–plot twists and turns and so much from a spiritual and emotional standpoint that I’m not quite ready to articulate just yet, but soon. We were blessed to have the day captured in photographs by a sweet and talented friend of ours, and I’m looking forward to sharing some of those images in time, too.

Most importantly, God honored so many prayers and requests last Thursday, September 29th, and it’s a day we will never, ever forget. When Crosby Eames was born into our family at 3:53pm that afternoon, it was as if he’d been a part of our crew forever. His name had been pressed on my heart for a long, long time, just as with Henry and Eloise, and when Jason announced Crosby was a boy, I nearly burst. The moment was surreal, sacred, relieving, perfectly beautiful.

At nine days old, Crosby Eames is as much a part of the fabric of who we are as he could ever be. This first week of sleepy days and interrupted nights has been sweet in its own way…different from when we welcomed Henry or Eloise, but again, sacred. Crosby is a peaceful baby. No doubt he is still waking up in these early days together, but there’s something about him that tells me he’s settled, not restless. He is finding his place in the rhythm of things in the little blue house.

Henry and Eloise have welcomed Crosby graciously, doting on their little brother in ways that make me so grateful as a mom. God has been beyond faithful to meet us where we are and to meet me in the quiet moments when I’m adjusting to the hard things along the way. Crosby’s birth has afforded me a new level of intimacy with God that I could not have expected but am so eager to receive.

All snuggles and smiles.

After ninety nine days of writing to this sweet babe we didn’t yet know, I’ve wanted to embrace the sacred space that falls around a family when a new baby comes into the fold. We’ve spent our first week quietly navigating new territory as a team of five, and I have so much stored up and waiting to be shared when the time is right. There are very tough moments to complement all of the incredible ones, just as it should be when everyone goes through a major transition together at once. I promise to share about those things eventually, too.

In the meantime, Crosby and I are settling in as mama and babe. Having another boy to raise is exactly what my heart sensed in the last days leading up to his arrival, and he feels like the perfect fit. I am just as in love with him as I’ve been with Henry and Eloise when they arrived–it’s true that your heart just grows bigger and finds a way to love more, and equally. Already, I’m holding tightly to these first, tiny days and knowing that they’ll pass all too quickly.

As much as I was eager to have him here, Crosby’s arrival turned the tide on a new emotion…the desire to slow down time just as much as possible so as to treasure the days and hours as best as we can. Pre-Crosby and Post-Crosby are both seasons I have and will treasure in the days to come. Sitting here trying to wrap my mind around it all, I’m grateful more than anything else. More joyful than frazzled, more at peace than stirred. The fact that we are even privileged to embrace a baby so fresh from God is more than I can fully process. Life is just the most precious gift!

I can’t wait to share more of this journey as it unfolds, and especially to write Crosby’s humbling and life-changing birth story. For now, though, I’m off to sip coffee and snuggle this little bean of ours while life and time permit…

Saturday afternoon coffee date! (The first of many, to be sure:) )

taking nothing for granted, but so filled up by what’s right in front of me for today,

mm