"you better be prepared to be surprised."sondre lerche | to be surprised
I don't care who you are: at some point in your life you've thought about what it would be like to have a baby. Even if it was only for a split second. Even if it was in disgust thinking "That is just WAY too much work. I'm never having children." Maybe your first thought went to the lifestyle and body changes: not having freedom to go out or travel, gaining weight and stretchmarks - you get the picture ;)
But for many people (particularly women) there is a natural, nurturing, full part of your heart that can't help but think fondly of that day when you have your own child. Sometimes it seems bizarre to hold another person's baby, but what if this was mine? What does it feel like to have a person inside you? Is it as magical as some women claim? Is it as awful as other women claim? Is it a healthy dose of wonderful and terrible? Will my first baby be a boy or girl? Will the child look like me? Will he be a good baby? Will I be a sleep-hungry, smelly monster? Will I spend hours staring at the baby counting it's ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes?
Maybe that is just me. I do have an extraordinary love for children, particularly babies. But I'll tell you one thing: I've NEVER imagined counting 60 toes and fingers after my first pregnancy. Nope. It hadn't crossed my mind. 
I'm told that giving birth to triplets hadn't crossed the mind of my smart, sweet and glowing winter 2010 bride, either. She was s.h.o.c.k.e.d. SHOCKED. How could you not be? SIXTY FINGERS AND TOES INSIDE YOU. Who prepares for that? Jennifer and David, though completely surprised, have been equally thrilled. They love all those fingers and toes.
By winter 2011 this little lady and her kind man were holding Makenna, Noah and Emma, their firstborns. 
With an army of support, love, generosity, bottles, arms and adrenaline, these three siblings were welcomed into a Florida town. Hundreds of friends have prayed, waited, given and helped mom and dad take care of their little lives. And kiss all their toes. 
I've never seen baby triplets in person before. It was a very, very odd feeling. One baby gives me so many feelings and wonders in my heart. But three was just... overwhelming and beautiful. 
Their lives, though in every way a surprise to this world, were planned long before this world had a chance to be surprised. Their lives, like every life, entered this stage right on cue. God wanted them, and He wanted them now, and He wanted Jennifer and David to raise them. Not Katie and Bill. Not Sue and Todd. But Jennifer and David. He gave these three to them specifically. 
And they are spectacular. 
From their rosebud lips, to Noah's "hound dog" eyes, to their pink little bodies, to their double chins, smooth bald heads, grunts and kicks and rounded bellies they are beautiful and miraculous and "planned." "As I have planned, so it shall be." Spending just over an hour with this little/big family gave me such a needed vision of God's ability, kindness and power over us. It's actually unbelievable that three humans grew inside one human, and now they are here: screeching, looking, breathing, wriggling, eating, learning and functioning. They have been joys to friends near and far, they have been blessings in their neediness, happinesses in their dependance. They aren't exactly productive or "useful," but they are people and are loved so much. They reminded me to love people in my life: the inconvient people, the "surprise!" people, the difficult people, the family-people (who are easily taken for granted), the unhelpful people, the sweet and innocent people. They reminded me to look at some wrinkly toes and see God. And to praise Him. In reality all people can and should do that to me, but there was something about touching and seeing three infants that hit that lesson home.
On that chubby, roll-y, soft belly note, let's call this post a day :D
