His Side:
24, 15, 13, 18... These numbers don't have an exact rythem to them but each number signifies amount of months before a baby came into our life.  The first was born September 12, 2010, 8 days prior to our two year wedding anniversary (24 months after marriage).  Six months later we found out we were going to have a second child.  So 15 months to the day after our first one the second was born on December 12, 2011.  Then came another 4 months later when we found another was on the way, this was confusing as we didn't expect it at all.  So 13 months and a day later on January 13, 2013, the third was born.  Now here we are with a fourth on the way expected 18 months after the previous child, due July 8th, 2014.  This will mean between when this child is born and the oldest's fourth birthday we will have 4 children all under the age of 4.  After waiting 15 months to get pregnant we never thought we would find ourself in this position by our 6th wedding anniversary.

When Andrea wasn't getting pregnant month after month when we got married we had started wondering what was it that would make someone wait to purposely get pregnant.  To us it seemed obvious that God had a plan if he wasn't wanting us to get pregnant than we wouldn't become pregnant.  It wasn't up to us.  We accepted that, because we accepted that in that first 15 months the logic has stayed with us.  We know that God has a plan for us and the size of our family and because of this we have accepted his graciousness to give us a larger than average family in a very quick time span.

Just because we have accepted it doesn't mean it hasn't come without challenges.  Constantly having two children in diapers for the last 2 years 4 months and 14 days (but whose counting) is just one of the challenges.  Oh sure if you have doubles you will have two children in diapers, but there is an end in sight.  For us we still expect at least another year of dealing with multiple children with diaper needs day in and day out.  Also the more children we have the less people are willing to babysit.  Oh sure they didn't mind when we had one, or maybe even two, but you add a third toddler to the mix the amount of people willing limits itself to grandparents.

Of course there are benefits too.  Ever see those places that say Children 3 and under free?  You know who really benefits from that?  A family with four children that meet that criteria.  How about a dinner plus dessert for five people for $10?  That is what you get when you go to the all-you-can-eat pizza buffet, Pizza Street, where 3 and under eat free.  Or how about nap time.  3 year olds need naps just like the infant.  You plan those naps at the same time and you get at least an hour of freedom.  Once at least one child isn't needing a nap you don't even have hope of that.  Or how about playmates.  When the age seperation of a child is less than 2 years they can adapt to each other's play habbits and still manage to be interested in the same things.

So there are definately pros and cons to this, but for us the biggest pro is knowing we are living in God's will.  It can be stressful at times, but knowing that God has intrusted us with his creations to take care of is an honor.