I’m writing this while rocking the baby that I prayed for and waited on (for a multitude of reasons). The baby who was put on my heart in 2021 and placed in my arms in 2026. 

I can trace the journey through pages of journals:

In 2021, I filled pages with prayers for “Baby P.” My heart so badly wanted to give my oldest son a sibling, but my husband decided we weren’t ready. Looking back, I thank God for his leadership. You’ll see…

In 2022, I changed my prayer from “Baby P” to “Grow my family.” My heart longed to love another child, but God led me to surrender what I wanted and broaden my wishes. During this time, I cleaned out clutter, rearranged spare bedrooms, and watched for Him to move.

In 2023, we were approached to host an exchange student. This wasn’t a desire of mine, yet it perfectly aligned with my prayer. My husband and I opened our home and hearts to the most precious girl, Ivy. God “grew our family.” 

I remember thinking, “This is how God works.” He takes our desires, redirects them as necessary, and delivers right on time. He continued this pattern through the next few years in nearly every aspect of our lives.

While He publicly grew our family, He privately pruned us. Over the course of the next two years, God worked in my marriage, my mental health, and my habits and hangups. These years were MESSY and HARD, but meaningful and healing. 

My husband and I went from roommates to best friends, from going through to the motions to making the most of every moment, from resentment to romance. Sounds cheesy, but seriously…that’s what God does. 

Mentally, God healed areas I had tried to hide from for years. He uprooted years of insecurity, layers of shame, and lies that were leading my life. He set me free from anxiety and alcohol misuse.

As a family, God continued to “grow our family” through exchange students. My oldest son will tell you that he has three sisters: Ivy from South Korea, Mati from Italy, and Adri from Spain ❤️

In 2024, my husband and I were both ready to try for another baby. We began praying and waiting.

In late 2025, I found out that I was pregnant.

And today, I’m holding the baby I started praying for five years ago.

I’m not sure why He wanted me to share my timeline here, but I surely see His goodness intertwined in every line:

I see now that a simple, surrendered prayer was answered in a way I could have never imagined, asked for, or understood. I see how He redirected my desires to match His path. I see that He didn’t just add children to our arms, He centered our marriage on Jesus, set me free from anxiety and alcohol, and firmly planted us in HIS PLAN. 

I see now that a single prayer on a single line in a simple little spiral changed our lives.