Remembering Reality

Matthew is the exclamation point at the end of our family.  As I was ruminating about this with Darren, I was a little sad that our last baby experience has been so atypical.  That my final baby never did figure out how to nurse, that we won't see a tiny little one learning to walk, that very little about Matthew goes 'by the book'. 

And then Darren reminded me-- very little ever goes as expected.  It took Alyssa several visits to the lactation consultant before she figured out how to nurse, and even then she only would with assistance.  She spent a week in the hospital because she wasn't gaining weight at 3 months old, only to find out she just had some reflux.  Jackson nursed-- all the time.  He never slept.  We would walk him hours on end, laps around the couch in the living room.  He walked and talked on the later side of typical.  Even typical kids don't do what you expect when you expect it.  

Rarely anything in life turns out as you imagined it.  As I was reminded of the stark realities, not the romantic versions that clouded my memory, I was reminded how very profoundly blessed I am with our family of 5...with the exclamation point at the end.