It’s been three weeks since Anna Joy joined us on 12 March in a rather spectacular way.

Her home birth was celebrated by family and friends as everyone marvelled at God’s hand upon all of us in the entire process.  Even our paediatrician friend contributed a testimony, giving God all glory in the “perfect” score of Anna Joy’s test.  Truly, it was nothing short of a miracle.  Without minimising anything, Serene provided another perspective and noted correctly that it was how a normal birth should be, acknowledging God’s perfect design which was lost through the fall but now redeemed and restored through Jesus Christ!  Either way you look at it, it was an awesome God that enabled this awesome birth.

But what now, after the euphoria wears off?

Well, as with the others that came before, the real work begins.  There has been a lot of adjustments in virtually every department in our family life.  The children have had to adjust to Mama’s new schedule of nursing and resting, nursing and resting, and more nursing and resting.  The older ones have had to occupy themselves and be ready to help when called upon to do so.  The younger ones have also had to learn to play more with each other.  Serene has had to adjust herself to Anna’s shedule, which is non-existent at the moment.  With such unpredictability, that affects our adjustments too.  I have had to work from home, amidst the play noise (and the fight noise) that go on in the study and the living room.  The thought process is often interrupted by a child’s call for judgment upon his/her sibling, for help to accomplish a particular task, or an invitation to play a game with them – since Daddy is at home.

We are not the only ones adjusting.  Yes, even Anna is adjusting to us.  As the 7th child, Anna doesn’t have the luxury of silence.  She has to put up with everything that goes on in the house, even when she sleeps.  And the moment she is awake, she has to adjust to countless pairs of eyes peering at her.  As if that is not overwhelming enough, there are also pairs of lips waiting to kiss her.  And if the two older children had it their way, they would be carrying their little sister at every opportunity!

Yep.  We’re all still adjusting.  It’s anybody’s guess if or when we will ever arrive at a state of equilibrium.  Is that even a possibility?  But I suppose that’s where the fun and excitement of a large family is.  There is always something happening.