A Decade-Old Prayer, Answered

God is good, folks.  I've been keeping busy with work, family and a few little side projects and it's taken me away from blogging, but I needed to pop in to yet again sing of God's faithfulness.  You will never be able to outdo Him in love, people.

This past year, I've seen my oldest son grow 3.5" taller than me (!!!), my middle son develop into a true social butterfly, and my youngest blossom SO QUICKLY into his daddy's little twin.  My husband has excelled with work, I've gotten comfortable in my newest role, and together, we've created so many wonderful memories for ourselves and our boys.  

God is so good!

And it turns out He wants to keep raining blessings down on our little family.  In June, Chris and I found out we were expecting again!  Chris' face upon realizing there was another little one on the way... my heart still melts.

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I should probably print this out and post it somewhere.  This was the very moment he realized I was pregnant.  It's impossible for me to look at it without falling in love with him all over again.  His response to children is lightyears different from John's.  When John found out about Vince, he was annoyed (I still have the video of him stomping off, angry).  When he found out about Nate, he claimed he was "fine" but clammed up for 20 weeks only to say he didn't actually want more children and instead wanted divorce. 

Chris on the other hand... you can see from his face how overjoyed he is to be bringing another child into the world.  He is SUCH an amazing father to not only Nico, but Vince and Nate as well.  He genuinely enjoys spending time with them, answering their endless science-y questions, and exploring the many facets of boyhood with them.  He enjoys the family trips we take, and he never pushes off his responsibilities.  He is a fully active parent and it's never something I have to coax or drag out of him.  He just IS these things, and I can't articulate how much I appreciate that.  

Anyhow, we are expecting our newest baby in February.  So far, our peanut is healthy and wonderful in all the ways.  The pregnancy hasn't been terribly hard this go around, but I'm definitely showing much sooner than in previous pregnancies.  I know that tends to happen the more children you have, but even I was surprised at how quickly I developed my little bump!  Not that I mind.  I love showing off the blessing I carry.  It was a grace denied to me for many, many years.

Vince and Nate are hoping for a baby girl this time around.  Poor Vince has been wanting a sister since before Nate was born.  Nate, I think, is hoping for a girl because he still looks to Vincent for cues in most things.  *Grin*  Nico, being so young, doesn't realize he's already a big brother!  I cannot wait to see that relationship.  He and this newest baby will be close in age- something I always wished for Vincent and Nate.  They'll have a built-in best friend.  Again, God is good.

So what about the title of this post?  What is my decade-old prayer that God has answered?

You might just be thinking that God answered my prayer for more children, and you'd be half right.  God has ABSOLUTELY answered that in a big way!  I had honestly resigned myself to having Vincent for so long, and rejoiced when Nathan arrived because he was truly a miracle of miracles!  Then Nico... geez.  God is beyond generous with me.  And now our newest baby... having a husband who is not only open to life, but actively excited about having as many as God will allow... they're overwhelming blessings.

But there's a much more specific prayer that my heart had uttered almost 10 years ago exactly.  It can be found here, in my archive.  

That's right.  Ten years ago this month, I ran into a father with two sons: Vincent and Luca.  ​Something unspeakable stirred in the depths of my soul upon hearing Luca's name... an impossible knowledge that Luca (not that Luca, but A Luca) was meant to be mine but had been cruelly denied to me.  

​As I said in my "Darkest Secret" entry, I believed I was the mother of children I would never meet.  And while that was a terribly heavy cross to bear, I never once turned away from it.  I embraced it as best I could and trusted in God's Providence.

Ten years later, and He answered my soul's prayer.

In February, we will welcome our fourth son into the world- Luca.  God is SO GOOD.  My heart couldn't possibly be happier!  

And what's doubly crazy is that Chris and I arrived at the name Luca separately.  We were listing off "Italian names" for both boys and girls when we came across "Luca."  Immediately, I was transported back to the moment I wrote about in the blog.  I didn't say anything for a moment, because I was too busy feeling all the emotions that almost-forgotten memory brought back.  Chris, though, quickly said "I like that one!" and it went to the top of our list.

This weekend, we received confirmation that we were expecting a son... Luca.

Luca.  I still can't get over the myriad miracles God continues to bless us with... this most recent one ten years in the making.

God is good, folks.  Impossibly, unfathomably good.  Trust Him.  In all things, trust Him.

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