Our Complete Family

Toby just loves Caris.  He is a proud big brother and always wants to hold her, which he rarely gets to do because she's always on the move crawling everywhere!  On a rare moment on Christmas day while visiting my parents, I was able to snap these photos: 

When Bruce and I were planning our family, we had always talked about having three or four kids.  After we had Toby, he was definitely done with three. I never quite had a peace about it.  As morbid or as cynical as it may sound (in my "planning" mode), I was concerned that if we ever quit with three and something happened to Toby, we would only have two children left (and obviously I know there is no guarantee with our other kids too).  It may sound silly to think such a thing, but for us, I felt in our old and gray years, we would wish we had more.
Anyway, all that to say that God had a new and better plan.  Caris was not a planned pregnancy, but she has been the biggest blessing.  When I was pregnant with her, I was truly fearful of how Toby would react to her.  Whenever any little baby, crawler or toddler would come near him, he would scream and cry...NOT quite the reaction we wanted him to have with his new brother or sister.  We did not find out the gender of the baby, because even though Bruce and I are mega-planners, we like the surprise.  I truly had a feeling about this one, my pregnancy had just a few differences - not HUGE differences, but little subtle things that didn't happen with any of the other pregnancies.
When Caris was born, he just loved her - and has always loved her.  I think God knew that he needed to be a "big brother" and I know that as Caris gets older, she will "mother" Toby too.  Caris has been a HUGE blessing to our family.  She is the happiest baby ever, easy going, but also silly - with a fun sense of humor.  I have truly enjoyed all the little things about having a normal, healthy newborn, infant, and now crawler.  Simple things like zip up jammies, hearing her talk, watching her cruise across the floor - things I didn't appreciate as much as I should have with Conor and Garret, and didn't experience with Toby.  God has given me a second chance to really truly enjoy every stage.  And the day Toby met Caris, he was in love at first sight.  I am so glad that God's plans are not my own, and that He chose to bless us with baby Caris (who is one next Friday!!), the perfect completion to our family.