It was October 16th, 2007… I didn’t have any reason to think I was pregnant except that afternoon when I made Rice-a-Roni for William and Alexander.  As I was standing over the stove mixing the rice, the smell of it made me suddenly sick to my stomach.  So sick that I ran to the bathroom… which had NEVER happened before making Rice-a-Roni.  I remember shrugging it off, just thinking I was tired – after all, I had a 3, 2 and 6 month old… of course I was tired.

That evening I went to a local pharmacy to grab some toilet paper… I went in with William and Alexander, while I was in there I figured – let me just grab a pregnancy test just to see.  I hadn’t even discussed this with my husband!  I just knew I wasn’t pregnant… but the random Rice-a-Roni incident and the fact that my boobs were larger than normal (which is usually shocking all within itself…) had me wondering.  I remember being so sure that I wasn’t pregnant… that as soon as we drove into the driveway, I ran inside really quickly by myself to take the test.  I figured I’d pee, let it sit… and then go back in 5 minutes to check.  Well… as I began to pee on the stick, a gigantic PLUS sign popped up on the screen.  I was shocked.  I mean, like… numb from head to toe shocked.  I took the other test to make sure… and another PLUS sign popped up the second I peed on that one, too.  OMG!  I was pregnant!

I just remember being completely shocked.  I mean… yes… I knew there was a small chance I could have gotten pregnant that month… but I never dreamed that it would actually happen.  Not to mention – I had 3 little ones 3 and under… I remember thinking, “Oh my God… how are we going to manage 4 kids this close in age?”  But the HUGE smile on my face and the pure and utter excitement made me realize, we’d manage because that’s what parents do.  All I knew at that moment in time was that I was ECSTATIC… I was going to be a mother AGAIN!  Even as a sit here and type this post… I have tears in my eyes, it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life because it was so unexpected… it was an unbelievable beautiful and amazing surprise!

I’ve always, always believed that babies are meant to be.  This baby… my 4th baby, there was a connection there from the very beginning.  I will never forget going to my 12-week sonogram… as the technician was finishing up, she turned to me and said, “I just want to prepare you Mom, it’s another boy!”  It took me a second to register what she was saying… I didn’t think it was humanly possible to find out at 12-weeks what the sex was… but she showed me the frame and YES, it was a BOY!  I think every single person and their mother asked me before that, “I bet you’re hoping for a girl…”  Truthfully, I just wanted a healthy baby.  That’s all I prayed for every single night.  But when I found it was a boy – there was a piece of me that had “already known.”  I’m sure other moms get this, I knew it was a boy and I hoped it was going to be a boy.  I knew these 4 children would all be a year a part from each other – I kept thinking to myself… how amazing to have boys all the same age.  They would all play and wrestle and chase and run and laugh and just be boys together.  I also thought it would be cool to be in school with each other one grade after another after another after another.  When she confirmed it… it was heaven for me!

Henry was born on June 17th, 2008 at 12:01PM via c-section.  He was a planned c-section… which was wonderful for me after 3 very difficult vaginal deliveries.  My family of 4 boys and 1 girl became… 5 boys and 1 girl…

When Henry entered my world… and I locked eyes with him for the very first time, life was as it should be.  My world was complete and perfect in every way possible.

Henry is my baby… right now, even at 2-years old… he’s my baby.  The irony is that he calls his older brother Benjamin, “Baby.”  It’s the cutest thing in the world… I hope he does that forever – even when Benjamin is 6’2″ and 250 pounds!  Having him has been a whole new experience for me.  My husband and I decided to hold off on having any more babies right away because we wanted to give our sons our full and complete attention at this time in their life.  Having 4 sons… oh, my… it’s the craziest and best thing in the world.  Henry came into this family on June 17th, 2008 and just adapted immediately.  I’ll never forget when he was a tiny baby – maybe 3 or 4 weeks old… we finally had everyone asleep at once one night.  I was exhausted from being home and in the post-c-section recovery, I was just about to go to sleep myself when Henry started screaming crying… I mean, screaming!  Matt and I couldn’t lull him for the life of us… then he woke up all his brothers… and chaos pursued… and then – wouldn’t you know it, Henry feel asleep.  It was the noise and his brothers that lulled him to sleep, that was his normal… and it hasn’t changed since the day he was born.

Henry’s still the first one up every morning.  His routine is usually this… “Hi Mama! Where’s ‘illiam?” (That’s William.) I always say, “Honey… he’s sleeping.”  To which Henry replies, “Oh.”  Then we go from brother to brother… “Where’s Aloe? Where’s Baby?” (Alex and Benjamin.)  “Where’s Daddy?”  I want to bottle those moments up… it’s those moments I treasure and cherish with Henry.

Today… as he turns 2, which still shocks me… I have no idea where the time went.  It’s absolutely amazing to me.  He’s a big boy who talks and walks and feeds himself and knows people by name and is just a delight… it’s surreal as to how fast kids really do grow…

Henry is my baby… even if we have 100 more babies, I will always think of my Henry as my baby.  He is so special and so beautiful and so loved.  I feel blessed every single day that he came into our lives… he knew it was time and he just decided to come on in!  I love that… and I love him more than anything in this world.  Not to mention… he has his 3 older brothers wrapped around his finger.  They adore him beyond words.

To my darling Henry… Happy 2nd Birthday!  Thank you for choosing me as your mom!  I love you more.