Wow! So, I was welcoming our second baby girl home just a little over 2 years ago. I was filled with so many emotions as I walked in the door to greet my parents and of course, Jovey Kay, with our new bundle that she would soon call "Baby Laney" and who within just a few months, would respond by saying, "Sissy! Sissy!" I remember thinking how very humbled I was to now have two young ones for which to love on and be responsible for teaching and guiding in life, and of course, most importantly, to point to Christ whenever possible! I had failed so often with Jovey, so how was I to add to that another little, precious, helpless baby? How could I divide my time and not feel guilty for leaving someone, including Joshua, out of the picture? How could I multi-task well enough to leave the house with more than one other person, on top of myself, to dress and especially, bundle up in the winter months that would quickly approach? How could I love both of my girls equally when I knew, from day one when they laid Laney on my chest, that they would be so very different? There was only one answer when the anxiety of reality of being a parent started to set in: God!
Only God could ease my fears and assure me that though there would be guilt, there would always be redemption and peace in it all. Only God could help clear my head enough to allow me to throw in a load of laundry, sing a song to calm a fussy Laney while making a bottle up and dancing with Jovey in the kitchen and then, playing I Spy with Jovey while cuddling with Laney Belle during an afternoon feeding. Only God could get my "non-morning person" rear out of bed in time to jump in the shower and get myself at least halfway together before getting the girls together for a morning out with friends. And of course, only God knew that as He created us all with a unique personality and even quirkiness, He also created us with the beautiful ability to love each other for things beautiful and things unfortunate when it was His plan to place people in our lives!
God gave me the gift of Laney Belle on June 5, 2007. She was small, beautiful, with dark hair, an easy disposition, an innate ability to sleep through most anything, perfect for having Jovey around who knows only one volume level: LOUD, and to us, the perfect addition to our already fun and loving family! Laney has now grown into a giggling, cuddling, tickling, bashful (when out in public) beautiful 2 year old. She throws fits if things don't go her way, she will randomly jump up from a snack in the living room to find me in the kitchen to give me "huggies and kissies" and she melts our hearts when she looks at us with her beautiful blue eyes that dance when she smiles! For these things and so many more things to come as she grows as God intends, I love my baby girl! She was and is the perfect punctuation to the McFarland story!
