Having a Big Family

Having more than two or three children isn't really the norm these days. When my husband and I met we said we were going to have two children. However, after we had our second child we didn't feel done. So, we decided to have another one, and then another one. Once we had four children we thought we were done, but I didn't feel done. We had one more bundle of joy, so that makes four girls and one boy. My mother is a registered nurse and she's always warning me not to have anymore children because of my age. Apparently, she knew a woman who was forty-two (I'm not forty-two) and died during childbirth. My close friends were shocked to find out I was pregnant again, but the ones who really care about me were supportive. It's really funny to see the reactions I get from people when I'm out with my children. I usually get people coming up to me saying "boy, you have your hands full!" I just smile and say "Yes I do!" Grocery shopping with all of them is challenging, but there's so many benefits to having a big family. My oldest girls are a little more independent, so they help out a lot with their younger siblings. If I have my hands full with the baby, I know I can depend on my older children to help with grabbing something for me or helping their little sister or brother with their coat. If the baby is fussy they're more than happy to sit with her and play with her to try and make her happy. They also entertain each other so they're not bored. I love having a big family because I think about the future and all the grandchildren we have to look forward to. When my husband and I are old and grey we'll have a lot of family surrounding us. I love our big family. I'm a stay-at-home mother, a real estate sales representative (not active at the moment) and a children’s/young adult writer, and even though I get a little overwhelmed sometimes, I wouldn't change it for the world.