It was exactly six years ago this week that I wrote a column about how my baby was turning one. Here I am writing about how this week he will be turning seven. My baby is going to be seven. How did that happen?
He was an unexpected surprise; I thought my life was complete with five children. What I have learned from the moment Finn was born is how incomplete life would have been for all of us without him. Whenever a mom comes to one of my childbirth classes and shares that their pregnancy was a bit unexpected, I smile and think that sometimes it is those unexpected things that complete who we are.
When I was pregnant with Finn, I didn’t find out what I was having. During my pregnancies, I always enjoyed the surprise of not knowing what I was going to have. I never minded waiting until I met my child for the first time to find out what sex they were. After having four girls and a boy, I was pretty sure that Finn was a girl. When the doctor held up my beautiful baby I remember doing a double take just to be sure it really was a boy. The kids were all at home with Nana and I will never forget her telling me what had happened when we called the kids to tell them whether they had a brother or a sister. She said that when Daly heard he finally had a brother, he fell to his knees and held his arms up in victory.
I was so sure it was a girl that I showed up at the hospital with two girl names picked out. Looking at my baby boy, I couldn’t help but think that he would probably never forgive me if I named him Mary Burgess or Brigid. Sitting in the hospital, flipping through books, nothing seemed for fit him. In the middle of the night I woke up and knew what his name would be. Finn. The next morning the doctor walked in and asked me if I had a name yet. I said, “yes, his name is Finn”. The doctor stopped and looked at me and said, “I had a dream last night that you named him Finn.” A few hours later my mom called and said, “last night I thought of what you should name the baby. I think you should name him Finn.” No one can ever tell me that this little boy was not supposed to be my Finn.
The night before I left the hospital I held him tight and whispered to him that after this last quiet night, I promised that he would have a very full and lively life with five siblings that would adore him. And this little boy could not be any more adored. He is the little brother that makes his teenage sisters and their friends laugh. He is the little brother that makes his big brother feel like they have some boy power living in a house with five girls. Daly, his big brother, loved finally having a sibling that enjoys playing with a ball more than painting his nails. Well, that is until his sister Moira gets a hold of Finn and tries out her new nail design on him. He is also the partner in crime and best friend to his sister Elspeth who is a year and a half older than him. Last year, for his first t-ball game all of the kids went to watch him. The entire third base side was lined with his brother, sisters and their friends who all came out to see their Finn play ball. He got up to bat and right before he took the first swing; he turned to them and waved. Then he blasted the ball and promptly took off for third base with his siblings cheering him on even though he ran the wrong way.
And that is the beauty of Finn. No matter what goes on in life he brings us all such joy. He makes us all laugh a little more, cheer a little louder and he completes us. Seven years ago, this little boy completed our family. Happy Birthday to our little Finn!
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