Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Five



I can remember standing in the kitchen at our old house in the city, when our fourth child was a about 12 months old, and asking Mark, "Do you think five kids would be crazy?"


I can remember having that feeling that I wanted one more, that our family wasn't complete.


I come from a small family, I only have one brother. Part of me always wanted more siblings, a bigger gang, other kids to hang out with, to play with.



Maybe that is what motivated me to want a larger family myself. But I also knew I had a lot of love to give, the kind of love that could stretch a bit further and wrap itself around another baby.


When we had our fourth child some of the people we knew were quite shocked. A woman who I vaguely knew came up to me in the playground and actually told me off for having another one! But for me the desire to have another baby was so strong that I dreamt about it and thought about it all the time. One day during this period I was walking along the street and saw something shiny on the ground, a green bottle cap.


I picked it up & I saw it had the number 5 & a love heart printed on the other side. ( I still have that bottle cap in my treasure drawer.) It wasn't long before I was pregnant with our own number five, she was definitely meant to be.


We moved to Daylesford when I was five months pregnant. I remember before we left, telling Charlotte's teacher that we were having another baby and her saying in a shocked voice, "Oh Rebeka!", as if I had announced I was going to do something terribly wicked. It was a relief to move to a community that was more relaxed and supportive. Somewhere our big family wasn't so unusual, where we could be ourselves.



And our baby came and she was beautiful and loved.



We've watched her grow up in our sunny garden, splash in puddles in the winter, fall in love with the moon. She has got up to mischief, drawn on the walls, cut her own hair, climbed trees, driven us all crazy being a cat called Sophie (who meows incessantly). She has given us so much fun and love and so many laughs. She's the girl with toys called Johnny Moo Moo's, Raincloud, Daynkoo & Blueberry, she's the girl we love.


Well today our baby is having a birthday. Yep, she is a big girl and as she says today she is Really Five. We woke to her laughing in her room as she had found her long, long Rainbow Snake curled up on her bed.


The kids gathered round her in the hallway as she came out sleepy and warm and we all cuddled and wished her Happy Birthday. It was so sweet, children are so naturally warm and loving. We love to celebrate each other in our house and birthdays are a festival.


Rosie had the Best Party Ever at Funbugs on Sunday, surrounded by her beautiful friends. Tonight we will share cake and pressies and celebrate our beautiful Rosabella.


I can't imagine a life without our crazy, passionate, colourful, loving, whacky, adventurous, creative gorgeous girl. I'm so glad my lucky number is five xo


40 comments:

Kate said...

Happy birthday to you and that gorgeous 5 year old of yours! Its hard to believe that it was a bit over 5 years ago that we first met, when she was still in your tummy and you looked like the coolest pregnant mama I had ever seen walking your gorgeous flowers to kinder and home. She is such a joy that Rosie. I adore coming to your place and hearing about her latest adventures and seeing her ballet moves and the little treasures she passes over to Pepper. Enjoy your bottle top baby celebrations. Love us 5 XXXXX

Liz said...

Aaawwhh, Happy Birthday Rosie, five is such a very special age.....

Big families are just the best, we had five, still have four and loved every minute...
Lizzie
xxx

Lisa said...

Bek, it is always such a joy to read your blog, and this post is no exception.

It is such a shame that careers are valued more than family these days. I think if my uterus was up to it, that I too would have 5 little ones. Sadly for me, my next will have to be my last.

Happy Birthday Rosie! I think 5 is the perfect number!

Kali said...

Happy Birthday Rosabella!
What a gorgeous name for a gorgeous girl :)
Loved your post Beck xox Kali

Kali said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

happy birthday little Rosie xx

Rachael @Mogantosh said...

Aw....beautiful post for a beautiful child. Five! What a magic age. Big hugs to your big girl. x

Jennie said...

Happy birthday little (big) Rosie!

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

This is the sweetest post, Beck! Happy birthday to your blessing number five...she is a little sweetheart!

Coco Rose Diaries said...

Happy Birthday Rosie! 5 is a magical age! Hubby is one of five and loved growing up with all his brothers and sisters. Gorgeous post! Thankyou for sharing! Big hugs to all

Vanessa xxx

Jo said...

What a beautiful story! Happy lucky 5 Rosie.

Cathie said...

what a sweet sweet post dedicated to a beautiful 5 year old Rosabella!
loved getting to know a little bit more about you & your beautiful family Beck, thank you for sharing with us.
hugs to you & wishing you many, many squishy cuddles tonight.

Lindy in Brisbane said...

I don't often leave a comment, but felt I just had to acknowledge such a beautiful post. You are the best sort of mother- one with a huge heart full of love. Well done.

Cotton Kiwi said...

Just beautiful and I love the story behind how you knew you needed 5 children. Rosie looks so loved. It must be almost hard to see your baby turning 5 and going to school soon! You should have that bottle top turned into a pendant. x

Catherine said...

Delightful post (& heart) Beck..thanks so much for sharing it with us & the real photos of your family! Much love Catherine

Jennie said...

Happy birthday to Rosie!
How lovely to get a sign to confirm your feelings of 5 being just right!

xxxxx

Catherine said...

happy birthday to Rosie! Such a lovely post... enjoy all the celebrations and love (and so happy she loved the rainbow snake!)

Tania said...

Sweetest post Beck! She is indeed your Bottle Top Babe! Happy Real Birthday Sunday.

Ooty said...

Happy happy birthday!! What a beautiful emotional post =) you have a beautiful family!!!

My husband and I both wish too for a large family, I just wish for an easier pregnancies =)
so far no.#2 is not in a rush to come out =)

zofia said...

Oh, such a beautiful read!
Happy Birthday to your beautiful big girl Rosabella.
Thank you for sharing some of your special moments.

Gina said...

Gorgeous to see all those photographs and here the story of your 5th child unfold. How precious. She looks beautiful and I like your description of her - clearly lots of imagination and spunk.

PS you look so much like your eldest with your hair dark.

SewSofie said...

What a beautiful post and a gorgeous family. Thank you for sharing your lovely story.

Dawn said...

What a beautiful story! Happy Birthday Rosie :)

Unknown said...

What a Beautiful Post...Loved reading through how you Felt & how Your Daughter is now 5...Happy Birthday Rosabella...Gorgeous Name.
cheers

Sue said...

Happy 5th Birthday Rosie! I think that must have been one very magical bottle cap. My dad was one of seven kids and his dad was one of eight. My sister and I always wished we had more children in our own family growing up, and sadly I only got 2 but that is better than none at all isnt it! I think family is undervalued these days and I love that yours is so warm and loving. I have to say your photos look great too and I am glad she loved the big snake, you must have hidden it very well!

Freckled Hen said...

Happy Birthday to your darling daughter...what a sweet post. Your words and pictures are so wonderful!

Fran said...

Lucky you and lucky her, to have such a warm, giving and loving family. Happy birthday gorgeous girl! And happy birth day mum.

Heidi said...

You sure have a lovely family and time flies when your having fun.

Lyn said...

Happy Birthday to your no.5 Rosie.
love
Lyn
xxx

mel @ loved handmade said...

Happy Birthday to you special little girl! What a gorgeous post & what a little blessing that was mean't to be!

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Happy Birthday big five year old! I hope you had a wonderful day. What a wonderful story. You just know when you have finished I think. I know after four girls that I'm full. I love having a big family, it's noisy, busy, and there are so many more hugs around. Enjoy your little people, they are so special.

Manda said...

Happy happy birthday to your much loved Rosie , shes beautiful.. and 5 is a great number :-) xo

thesims said...

Hi Beck and Happy Birthday to Rosie. It is a wonderful achievement to have 5 beautiful and healthy kids to pass on your lovely nature. Congratulations.

Cat said...

Happy Birthday to your lovely little girl. Thank you for sharing all of those pictures, they are beautiful and so lovely to look over as they grow. I hope that she had a wonderful day. xo

Unknown said...

Totally lovin' this post...We have five too and have heard the many nays at that number...But it's perfection...Our little one is 6 months and while I want to keep her little forever I am anxious for her #5 b-day too :)

Beautiful family!!!!

ellie said...

Beautiful story. Happiest birthing day wishes.

{Right now I'm wondering if the little voice inside me, saying it wants a 3rd child, is just a passing fancy - well, it's not passed yet! Or if I really do want another child. I keep waiting and waiting for a sign to tell me. I come from a family of 4 kids, and love it - having so many siblings, noise, friends. I have 1 boy + 1 girl - people say why do I need anymore when I have one of each.... My husband is one of only two children, so he doesn't feel the "need" for another baby.
Thank you for your words}.

Anonymous said...

What an absolutely gorgeous post, congratulations on your wonderful sized family, I belive you just know when you're done having kids and for each of us that is different. Lucky number 5 is beautiful!
Happy Birthday to your littliest x

hester said...

Happy birthday, Rosie! What a lovely way to start being five, finding a rainbow snake and being cuddled by your beautiful family!

Such a loving happy post, Beck. I love Baby Rosie's fat little cheeks!

Gypsy said...

Happy 5th Birthday Rosie!
Bek, your post was so beautiful, I'm feeling a bit teary. You are such a wonderful mum, your 5 are lucky to have you xx

home girl said...

hi bec, so sorry i've been absent recently. just been enjoying catching up with your blog and was really blown away by this post. i think its takes such a leap of faith to believe you can cope with adding to the brood once you get past 2 or 3. 5 seems like a magical number and i agree that the bottle cap should be made into a pendant of somekind. i'm so curious about how big families function and would love to follow in your footsteps. i think however i'm done with 3 i'm totally swamped and don't know how you do it. if i'd started younger maybe it would be different. congratulations to beautiful rosie and to you, its a magnificent achievement to have brought 5 people into the world and to sustain them so well. btw really love the rainbow snake - so cool xxxx