Libby: Red Bull in a Princess Dress

Over the years that we’ve been married, Chris and I have learned a lot. We’ve learned how to really love each other. We’ve learned how to love God together. We’ve learned that children changed us. We’ve learned that jobs sometimes fail us. We’ve learned that timing is everything. We’ve learned that what we want and what we need are two different things.

About 9 years ago, Chris and I decided that if we said we trusted God with our lives, then perhaps we should put our money where our mouth is and truly trust Him with every part of our lives. We felt God’s gentle tug asking us to give up the one area of our lives that we felt like we had “control” over … childbearing. We had 2 children. We felt we had “planned” the right time to start and then add to our family. However, after a series of events and perspective changes, we wondered who really was “control” of giving us children.

With deep fear and trepidation, we said these words to God: “If you want us to have more children (gulp) then we give that part of our lives over to you. It’s in your hands.”

Months went by. More months went by. I was convinced that God gave us our answer and told us no more kiddos were in our future. After all, I was fast approaching 35 and Chris … well; we all know he’s older than I am so … I figured our baby days were over. And, thank God they were! No more middle of the night feedings. No more diapers, potty training and terrible two’s. It was over.

After a few more months had gone by – Shazzam! It happened. The only other time a certain part of my female anatomy began to get sore … and I have two of them … were the times I was pregnant.

Nine months later, I was in a delivery room birthing out a 9 pound 1 ounce, uni-brow, baby girl, named Libby. We didn’t know what we were in for.

Like I said earlier, I’m so glad God gives us what we need and not what we want. I did not want another child. However, I needed one … and I needed the one God gave us.

Libby is Red Bull in a princess dress. She is assertive, direct and speaks her mind. Right now, one of her favorite phrases is: “I don’t mean to offend … but ….” (and I always hold my breath after the “but” because I know it may not be pretty.

For being the youngest child, she stands her ground, tries to get her way, and doesn’t back down from a challenge. She forgets to obey, brush her teeth and tell me when she goes outside to play.

But … and there is always a but … this Red Bull princess has stolen my heart. From the very beginning, her arrival marked a new phase of my life. Changing hormones and chemicals wretched havoc with my anxiety yet God used all of it to push me into true healing. I’d like to say that had Libby not crashed my world, I may not have experienced total emotional healing.

I love this Libby. I just love her. I love her spunk, glamour, how she walks in high heels, how she wears glitter headbands, how she sounds when she speaks German, how she holds her pencil when she does Math, her dark brown hair, and the way she kisses me goodnight and giggles when I pretend we are glued together.

Now, when Addison reads this she is gonna be smart and say now Libby is my favorite daughter, just like she did when I wrote my Ode to Parker. Truth is … Libby is my favorite … yet so is Parker … and so is Addison.

Happy Birthday, Libby!