Three.

Families come in all shapes and sizes.

Some are complete without children.

For some, one child is enough.

For others two is perfect.

Some are even complete with four!

I wanted three.

My great-grandmother, Grandma Rena (pronounced Reenee), was a quilt maker. She sat for hours every day piecing quilts. Even as her eye sight failed, she pieced quilt tops. She would have us pick out the materials we wanted, and put them together, so the quilts would look good even though she couldn't see the colors anymore. She did it all by hand, by touch, by feel. It still amazes me today.

She made my baby blanket when I was born. It was a soft quilt in very seventies colors, browns and oranges. I carried it with me everywhere. By the time I was five, it was tattered and old, and my mom put it away for safe keeping. When I was a teenager she gave it back to me, and I displayed it in my room. It was and still is very special to me, it is my blankie.

When Jason and I were dating, Grandma Rena made baby quilts for me and my cousins, for our future children. I had her make me three. I wanted three. I didn't know what the future held for me, but I knew I needed three.

After Annie was born, Jason felt our family was complete. Two was enough, he said, the world revolves around families of four. For me though, it wasn't right. I knew we weren't complete. I wanted number three.

Even I was surprised though, when Annie was just 16 months old, to find out we were pregnant. The decision was taken out of our hands, we were having another child. I worried that Jason would be upset, but he was wonderful. He was my rock when I was scared out of my wits at the thought of another baby so soon!

And so, I got my three. Three baby quilts, three babies.

The first time I saw a picture of our family of five, it just seemed right. It was whole, it was perfect.

When I got to visit Janelle the other day, she kept saying the same thing. Her families picture came up on their computer, and she said it finally looked right. It hadn't looked right to her before.

They needed three.

I am so excited to have a friend with three, like me. I am so excited for Janelle and Skip that their family is complete! Little Wingman is here! And let me tell you, he is BEAUTIFUL!

I mean, HANDSOME! (Sorry Skip!)

Three isn't easy. In fact it can be really hard sometimes, as Janelle knows from witnessing my crazy life! But it is SO worth it. There are days when my three just about send me into the nut house. But when I see a picture of our family, our family of five, it looks perfect. It's the way it was meant to be.

Grandma Rena went to heaven shortly after Jason and I were married. She never knew any of my babies. But I think she's watching, and smiling, maybe even laughing sometimes at my crazy life. And I think she's happy knowing that she made a baby quilt for each of my babies.