How fortunate

"This year your highest priority will be your family."

-Fortune Cookie

Shortly after Lane's birth, Papa received a very timely fortune is his cookie. Having just become parents, our heads were buzzing with new thoughts: how to care for our child, how to get some more sleep, how to adjust to life as a family of three.

I think, up until the point we became parents, that James and I never really considered ourselves a family unit. I was still my parents' daughter. He was still his parents' son. Together, we were best friends who became husband and wife.

Then, Lane came and changed our world. Suddenly, we had decisions to make regarding a person we created and we were responsible for.

I was no longer daughter and wife. I was daughter, wife and mama.

James became son, husband and papa.

Mama and Papa became our most important titles.

Lane became our most important priority. We took our roles very seriously. We readjusted our way of thinking, acting and living.

Each day, at the top of my list, was taking care of the little things my child needed: clean diapers, warm clothes, plenty of time to nurse and lots of love and affection.

Papa's role was on a much bigger scale.

For him, his role as papa meant protector and provider. Deep inside he had a desire to shield Lane and I from any harm that might come our way - physical or mental. He also saw a bigger reason to go to work each day. For years, his success was based on his selfish desires. Suddenly, it meant so much more. Work became a way to make sure his family had a roof over our heads, foods in our tummies and a nest egg for the future.

When papa cracked open his cookie that night, his fortune could not have come at a better time. In the midst of our readjusting, we'd been hit with some very personal blows. We couldn't understand why this was happening or how to handle the situation.

The cookie answered our questions.

We healed our wounds and moved forward just how we wanted - the three of us. A family. A very happy family.

Then, last December, our hearts ached again with news of our lost pregnancy. For a year, we lived our life with Lane - never questioning that this child was meant to be ours yet wondering in the back of our minds if we would have another.

Our loss hurt our hearts.



Yet, we continued to move forward with hope. In March, I wrote this post, wondering if one day we would pose for a photo that I could label first family photo as four. I included the photo above: taken on September 13, 2008, as we celebrated James' 33nd birthday. I was 27 weeks pregnant with our first son.



Saturday night, James and I decided to take a few hours for the two of us. We headed out to that same restaurant for dinner, some alone time and to celebrate my love's 35th birthday. While there, James and I shared some very private thoughts about our life, our child and the love we have for one another.

My mom and Lane had their own special date. When we returned home, we took this photo. I am 24 weeks pregnant with our second son.


It is hard to believe that two years has passed since our first photo dressed nicely with my love's hands on my bump. So much has happened to make the years pass by in the blink of an eye. So much love has been shared. So much learning has taken place. So much has changed.

All so much for the better.

Because, when we finished taking photos of just the two of us, we snatched up our dirty little boy and had him join us for a few photos of the four of us.

Our family.

How fortunate we are.