The Crib

Just the other night, I had an awesome light bulb moment: we get to set up our crib again! That crib is so special to The Boss and I. I'm sure many folks feel that way about the furniture they used for their babies. But I'd love to tell you just a bit of what this crib represents for us as a family.

For one thing, this crib represents our very intentional plans to build our family as God led us to build it. When we were newlyweds, making a very meager salary supplemented by my part time job, The Boss and I purposed to tuck $10 a week into a little envelope in our pantry drawer. We marked it "Baby," and never touched it except to add to it. I prayed over it often, asking God to lead us and give us wisdom for the timing and the planning of the family for which we were dreaming. There were times in those early years that I just couldn't understand what we were waiting for. Looking back now, I'm so glad we did wait and use our time together to grow, pray, and build our marriage while we made so many great memories together.

Four years later, when we were waiting for Shaggy to make his appearance, we took our little envelope to the baby furniture store and ordered the crib of my dreams. I had looked around and studied up on cribs by then, quite extensively. I knew exactly what I wanted. I was content to order it when we couldn't find it on the show room floor. I remember that the wait for the shipment to arrive felt sooooo long and suspenseful. The day that the UPS guy hauled the boxes up the stairs of our little 2nd floor Victorian apartment was one of the happiest days of my pregnancy.

As The Boss set about to assemble that crib, NEVER did I dream that there would eventually be SIX Gang members rolling around that crib, gurgling and crying and snuggling in to the warmth of our family.  Never did I dream that our little stockpile would be an investment in SIX babies' futures!!!!!

And that's the other thing. This gift of little Mei Mei, chosen for our family at such a young age means that we are now 6 for 6 in little Gang babies starting their life with us in that crib.  I'm strangely proud of that. In today's throw-away society, I am bringing home a baby girl to sleep in a crib (or not sleep in the crib if the other siblings are any indication of how we do sleeping at these young ages! Ha!) that has stood the test of time, teething and tantrums (how's THAT for alliteration!). But seriously, it's not just the beautiful tradition of using the same crib for all 6 of my babies, which you all know I love.love.love! I also love that our tastes and decorating style has withstood all the crazy trends of the last 19 years. This crib will STILL make for some adorable little girl style in Mei Mei and Li'l Empress's room.

Looking back on simple things like this crib, I'm so grateful and humbled by His Care for us all these years. For His nurture of the dreams He planted in our hearts, even as newlyweds when we were living on very little (So.Very. Little!). We had each other, we had HIM, and we had those dreams. It's so amazing to see how God has honored and poured blessing down on our lives all these years later!