It was 5:30am. I wanted to surprise him. While he was in the bathroom getting ready for work, I raced downstairs. In the pitch black, I grabbed the first little bag I could find and a little notepad. I wrote "An early Valentine." Perfect, I thought.
My heart was racing. I had to hurry. The note was written. The surprise was in the little bag. I placed them both on the kitchen counter and I ran back upstairs and quickly got back into bed. He was going to be so shocked! I couldn't wait. Under the covers, I was smiling like a little girl awaiting Christmas morning. I couldn't wait for my hubby to get his early Valentine surprise!
Finally, he opened the bathroom door. I lay perfectly still as he crept over in the dark to kiss me good-bye like he does every morning. He walked quietly out of the bedroom and down the stairs. My heart was pounding. Any minute now...
What seemed like an eternity later, he opened the bedroom door again. I sat up with a huge smile on my face expecting a huge smile on his! There wasn't...
"Oh sh#&!" He whispers.
That was not the reaction I was hoping for, but he comes over to the bed and we hug tightly. There were tears of excitement, anxiousness, and a little of how-are-we-going-to-do-this. We hug even tighter.
"So, were you surprised?" I asked.
"Yes." he said. "But next time, can you not put it in a Victoria's Secret bag?"
OOPS!
In my mad rush to pee on a stick, write a note, put it in a little gift bag--all in the dark mind you--I had NO idea I had just surprised my husband with a positive pregnancy test in a Victoria's Secret bag!!! It's hysterical imagining him reading the note, seeing the Victoria's Secret bag and thinking, "Oh yeah!" I can picture him looking in with high hopes expecting a little something sexy that I was going to be wearing for him on Valentine's Day but instead being incredibly shocked that we were going to have Leeb Baby #3--soooooo the opposite of what he was anticipating! Instead of a night of romance, he got a wife who was nauseous and tired!
Once he got past the shock, we were able to laugh and be joyful. We were so grateful to be blessed with three children when at one point in our lives, we didn't think we would have any.
Even today, we still laugh about it as we recall the morning two years ago when daddy was surprised with an early Valentine!
Lord-thank you for surprises! Thank you for the gift of children. They are such blessings to the world. Thank you for the gift of laughter and joy when we least expect them. Amen!
What fun or creative way did you tell your husband you were expecting? Does anyone have any "Oops" stories like mine?
All three bedrooms were quiet. Ahhh. Finally. Peace in my day. Now, I actually have some quiet time to get all the stuff done that I need to get done. Yeah-that's right. Now it's my time...me time...do whatever I want time.
I walk down the stairs. My mile-long checklist is racing through my head of all the stuff I'm going to do before I collapse exhausted into my own bed tonight--clean off the kitchen table, wash dishes, sweep the kitchen, finish folding laundry, straighten up the family room, get caught up on emails, continue working on the newsletter, and on and on.
Just when I got everything off the kitchen table and a giant pile of dishes washed, I hear it...a cry from one of the bedrooms.
Oh man--which kid is it? I huff. It's my 15 month old. Daddy tries to go in. No good. "No, no, no!" he shouts. He just wants mommy. But I have so many other things I need to be doing, kid. Did I mention that this is my time...me time...do whatever I want time? Oh yeah and I'm tired and just want you to go to sleep! I need my space. I've been taking care of you all day! Please just go to sleep and leave me alone!
But I go back up. Roll my eyes. He quickly leans from daddy's arms to mine. He wants mommy right now. And more of mommy's milk...of course. Mommy's magic milk...and he's quiet. Nursing.
"Hurry it up. Mommy has so much work to do!" I thought to myself.
And then I heard these words...loud and clear...
There's nothing more important than what you're doing right now.
But I have dishes and laundry...
There's nothing more important than what you're doing right now.
But I have to straighten up and sweep...
There's nothing more important than what you're doing right now.
But I have to get caught up on emails...
There's nothing more important than what you're doing right now.
But I have to work on a newsletter...
There's nothing more important than what you're doing right now.
And then I had nothing. Nothing else to say. Because all of the sudden, I forgot about my check-list. My mind was blank. I forgot about dishes and laundry and straightening up and sweeping and emails and newsletters.
I just enjoyed my little one nursing...snuggling in my arms...content...eyes closed. I took my hand and I rubbed it gently across his smooth, sweet, chunky little cheeks and across his soft, wispy hair over and over. I hummed our little lullaby. I had tears in my eyes. I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my time right now.
My mile-long checklist will always be there...after all, I'm a mom, but my little 15 month old is only getting bigger by the day...by the minute...by the second. I'm so glad that I forgot about everything else going on, all the things I needed to do, the my time...me time...do whatever I want time and I took the time to savor this precious moment in time--this we time...us time...do whatever he needs time because...
There was nothing more important than what I was doing right now.
Father, forgive me for being so selfish tonight. Thank you for speaking loud and clear into my heart. I pray that You will give every mom reading this a there's-nothing-more-important-than-what-you're-doing-right-now moment too. Help us all as busy moms ignore our checklists and just "be". Give us balance in our day to be able to get things done but also spend quality time with our kids. Stop our minds from racing and allow us to savor the precious moments in time You give us to find joy in being a mom...even when we're tired...even when we feel like we have a million other things we need to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.
