Big Girls

Today is the girls' fourth birthday. Well, its their Hebrew birthday which means we invite friends over for a meal, Aba is called up to the Torah to read Shirat haYam and the (this year) two week celebration until the girls' English birthday starts. Its a fun tradition that was started with their first birthday. What's got me in a bit of an introspective mood is the realization that this day ends the same period of time I've prayed for.

Aba and I spent four years praying for children before we were blessed with the girls. Actually a bit longer than that but it was four years that we spent actively involved with TTC instead of just "waiting for it to happen." I spent four years praying and pleading and begging and making deals and bribing HaShem for a child. In the end he gave me three. The journey from there hasn't always been easy but its been more than I believed it could be.

I feel like we are entering a new stage now. I'm not sure if it will be more difficult since I haven't "pre-paid" these years, but I don't think so. I have very high hopes for this stage in our life.