And Then There Were Three

We began our marriage with just the two of us. We were ecstatic to begin our new lives together. We made it through one semester and soon we were expecting company. The day arrived and two became three. With this third person came added responsibility. It also meant the end of spontaneity, as we knew it. No more "alone" time and we said good-bye to sleeping in forever.

This was only the beginning of a beautiful saga.

Soon we came to anticipate the precious girl waking us up with her glorious scratching (with accompanying cooing), even if it was at 4 in the morning. We also looked forward to a new kind of spontaneity; one that included a very well packed diaper bag. Even the "alone" time we thought gone became an even better "together" time.

Then school began.

All of the extra time we didn't even realize we had was sucked into the vacuum known as class and homework. We began to feel awful because our little girl was not enjoying the needed tummy time on a regular basis, or her one-on-one mommy and daddy time. She was carted around to strange places every couple of hours and becoming quite cranky because of missed nap times and off-scheduled bed time.

And yet she and we have begun to fall into a synchronized dance.

We have snatched little minutes here and there to spend playing and talking with Emily. We have given her tummy time in the center of the No Shhh zone of the library (while providing much entertainment to the baby starved singles and newlyweds). And, she has become quite adept at falling asleep while we stroll to our next class or some other errand on-campus. One other added bonus is her ability to nurse within my time restraints in bathroom stalls.

To end this tale of woe and joy, I direct my thanks to God. He knows everything about our lives. If we address him on a regular basis and do our part of the covenant, He will bless us in ways that we don't even realize until we think back on our trials. He will guide us with little nudges in directions that are needed. For example, I felt terribly anxious about the section I was taking for a class. I had the option of two days, and I thought that Wednesday was the best day for our little one (as she would be joining me) and me. It wasn't until I recognized the symptoms of my anxiety that I decided that maybe Wednesday was not the right day.
Since that change, I have felt very peaceful.

Despite how difficult this semester looks at the beginning, it will always, somehow, work out in the end. The Girl will have her good days and her bad days during our class time together, and I will have my good days and my bad days. It is the joy in life to continue learning and growing from all the experiences that we are blessed with.

Even though our lives were completely altered when Emily joined us, I cannot look back and regret one minute. She has blessed our marriage in numerous ways. She has definitely decreased my selfishness in many areas (although I still have much to delete).

And so our saga continues. What began as two has now become three. I could not ask for anything more.