My Sweet Seven Year Old

See this baby,

this adorable, precious baby.

I know I wonder this every year, but how in the world did this baby go from this,

to this,

or this?

Rich and I waited years for this sweet boy; he was and is a true miracle in our lives and an answer to many prayers!  After having two miscarriages and losing Spencer, I began to wonder if I was going to be able to have children in this life.  I had sent off for adoption paperwork and was planning my next move, because I knew I desperately wanted to be a mother; I had dreamed about it since I was a child, and I couldn't imagine letting my dream die that easily!  For those that know me, you know that I have a very determined spirit, and I had my heart set on being a mother!  I had and still have a strong testimony that whether the baby grows beneath your heart or if the child is sent to you through adoption, that baby is meant to be yours! With paperwork in hand, I was all set; Heavenly Father and Rich however had other plans.  Rich asked me to pray about it, because he felt we should try one more time; as I was praying I felt a strong confirmation that we were indeed meant to try again, and I knew that Heavenly Father knew how much I could handle.  I knew and he knew, that if I lost another child, my heart would break; I told Rich I would try again, but that if I lost another child, I wanted to adopt.  Rich agreed, and a few months later I presented this Willow Tree figurine and a positive pregnancy test to my very elated husband.    

During my pregnancy, I had to use a lot of faith, patience, and trust; I had to have faith that Heavenly Father would give me the strength I needed, the patience to endure the pregnancy, and trust in Heavenly Father, that he wouldn't give me more than I could handle.  I can honestly say that I know that Heavenly Father knows and loves each one of us, and that sometimes he allows us to go through trials and hardships to make us stronger, to test our faith, and to help mold us into something that we can't become on our own; losing Spencer and my miscarriages were some of those  hardships.  Heavenly Father also blesses us after the trials of our faith, and seven years ago, he blessed Rich and I with this wonderful miracle.

After Braden was born, everything about life seemed sweeter; he has been both a blessing and a miracle in our lives, and today we celebrated not only his birth but what he means to us.  Our life wouldn't be complete without Braden in it!