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crusermom
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Praying for you.
Mary
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Mary
Army wife and Crusermom to 8 wonderful children!
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Dawnie
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So many others have already shared great advice...
So I'll just add that I am praying for you!
Dawn
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Mom to Mary Beth (99), Anna (02), Lucia (04), Clara (06), and Adelaide Victoria (2/28/09)
Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
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dawn2006
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nak
re: your thoughts about others' holiness: my good friend always reminds me not to compare my insides with other people's outsides. we are, all of us, at a unique time in our own spiritual journey.
re: your thoughts about homeschooling: someone on this board (i think) told me that it's a marathon not a sprint. that helped calm me down a lot also, starting later can be better than starting early. in fact, there's a book titled something like that that i've been meaning to read. 
re: your fears about the future: "sufficient for today are the cares thereof." i try (and try and try) to remember that. it helps.
re: your thoughts about being open to life. i don't think you have to love love love it in order to be actually doing it. it's all about formation. someone already gave good advice re: NFP. and i believe that your strong feelings about wanting to be more open to being open to life ;) could lead to strong prayers that might in the future be answered by you having more confidence and assurance.
anyway...cry it out, sista. give it to God. you're in my prayers.
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Dawn Farias | wife to Ariel | mom to Gabriel 9, Daniel 7, Elizabeth 5, and Michael 3 | blogger at Be Absorbed | native Texan but currently living near Seattle
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teachingmyown
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Congratulations! And big hugs to you! 
I will pray for you. I have been pregnant and/or nursing my entire marriage (13+ years) and could still end up with a dozen kids! My little ones haven't been that close (every 19-24 months) and I started off with a big gap between one and two. But I do have several friends with that spacing. It does get "easier" in many ways. But there is a beauty and simplicity about where you are as well.
The advice to take one day at a time and not worry about the future is good. Also, don't be hard on yourself. Instead, pray to embrace this time. Lower your expectations and try to relax.
As far as the vanity issue, you are surrounded by young, "perfect" college girls! It is only natural that you feel self-conscious! But I am sure you look beautiful even when you are huge, and I am sure that many of those college kids see in you the glow of new life and look up to you.
Take your worries to God. When I was overwhelmed after #6, I still wanted to be totally open to life so I asked God to give me more time. He gave me an extra nine months before I conceived! It was just what I needed to settle in and greet the next baby with joy.
For what it's worth, often when I read posts from you and some of the other "young" moms, I feel a tinge of envy because you have a fresh slate and the world is full of possibilities! Sometimes, I really wish to go back. So, you see, we all have a tendency to compare and imagine that others have it better than we do.
I will pray for you and your beautiful family!
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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Mackfam
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Andrea - You have received such a beautiful outpouring of advice here. I'm so moved.
First, I congratulate you on the tiny new one you have within you. And second, I am praying for you and sending hugs across the miles. I wish I could pop over for a cup of tea and we could just sit down and chat...sometimes it just helps to spill it all out to another mommy that no longer wears a size 4 and hasn't seen the pages of a fashion magazine in years, but knows her way around a box of kleenex!
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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teachingmom
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Congratulations on your newest baby! Having lots of young children is often overwhelming - it's really hard work! My 4th dd was born a few months after my oldest dd turned 5. All I can do is sympathize and let you know that it does get SO much easier as the older kids mature. Even if God were to send you a houseful of kids, having a new addition when your older girls are of age to be a huge help makes all the difference in the world. So, as others have said, I hope you won't waste valuable emotional energy worrying about the future. May God give you peace and help you to trust that He will provide everything you need to mother the children He sends. After all, He loves you and them!
I'll pray for you, Andrea!
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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SuzanneG
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Andrea~
I had 4 in 4.5 years, and I have felt exactly how you describe. I have cried those same overwhelming hysterical tears...  . It's all just so much in such a short time.
So many others have given you such good advice. I am completely moved and in tears myself.......
May the Blessed Mother wrap her arms around you,
I am praying for you and your family!
Congratulations!
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Sarah
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Andrea,
Keep coming back for support as much as you need to.
First of all, as the ladies have said, don't even think about school right now for your oldest. That will all fall into place at the right time. When she's five reading some books, playing, and loving the baby is school enough. I wish I had seen that when my oldest two were 5. Now my younger ones have that play time and simplicity and its just fine.
Secondly, Andrea, with these last ones I have looked at the pregnancy test and cried. These were not tears of joy, either. These were tears of fear, loss of control, and the awareness that life would harder than I already thought it was in the first place. Then, the guilt, oh the guilt for not crying tears of joy.
As far as size, Andrea, by the time I'm 20 weeks or less people ask me when the baby's due and I can tell they think "any day, now." I've started responding, "no, its not twins." I even had a husband and father of 7 (shame on him) who asked me if I was having triplets while standing in front of other men at a church function.
People tell me "you're huge!" Why would you say such a thing? Anyway, its all part of the cross of motherhood, I guess. Your not alone. Its only what God thinks of you that matters, and He thinks you are one of His special bearers of gifts. You have a special part in His plan.
You can do it Andrea. It seems so overwhelming right now, but day by day it falls into place and this strength to handle it will come and you will be so surprised at what you can handle. The strength will be coming from God, not you, and He will give you everything you need to handle His little gift.
Don't look past today, or even this month. Try to hear the laughter and see sweetness in their eyes.
Come back often for support!
Praying.
__________________
Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Elena
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"I need someone to tell me that things are going to get better, and mean it, as far as having only small children. "
OK. Things are going to get better. Ten years from now you will have four kids under 14. You will go with them to the library. Some of them will want to get on the computer to play games and e-mail their friends, some of them will want to go look for music CDs and some for movies. And you will have a chance to sit and read for a while.
And then another mom pushing a stroller, chasing a toddler, with another little one in her belly will walk in and you will smile- because that was you ten years ago! and you will wonder where the time went and wish that you could go back for just a minute or two to remember what they were like before they were pre-teens and teens.
So enjoy this crazy, busy (but wonderful) time now, because it will be crazy busy (but still wonderful) then too, but in a different way. I promise!
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Elena
Wife to Peter, mom of many!
My Domestic Church
One Day at a Time
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anniemm
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Ladies, I just wanted to update real quick and give you my most humble and sincere thanks for all the the encouragement, words of wisdom, and most of all, prayers.
I received great consolation almost immediately from our Lord, and I give credit to HIM and to your sincere prayers.
I have a sense of peace now about the whole thing. Not to say I don't have the same worries, fears, and overwhelming feelings, but they have been calmed significantly.
Thank you!!!!
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Andrea
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Wife to Charlie (03)
Mama to four little girls (04), (05), (07), (09),& my 1st little guy 11/11
www.hiswillmypeace.com
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JodieLyn
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I'm sorry I didn't get to this earlier Andrea..
My oldest was 4.5 yrs when #4 was born. You are in the hardest time imo. I still have children close together. And I have 8 of them. But it's not near as draining. I take them all to Mass by myself when my dh can't be there due to work. And it's easier than it was when I was where you are. go figure. but it's true.
I think the biggest thing was to persist in training the olders. It takes a lot of work but teach them, train them, and don't do everything for them. I know they're little but they can do a lot and at least help you with things.
Because, as they get older the younger kids will copy what they're doing and so you get a BIG bang for your buck when you train the older ones.
And there's something I call the teeter-totter effect.. at the moment you probably are dealing with the teeter-totter weighed heavily down on the younger end. You might find that your older child doesn't do as much as the same age child does who has older siblings. But then the second child will become old enough to also do what they're supposed to do and the two of them together reinforce each other and let them act properly even when the youngers aren't.. and then that teeter-totter tips and the younger are copying the olders and you're left wondering what aliens took over your children's bodies.. and why didn't they do it sooner 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Heliodora
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I know just what you are going through right now. My oldest is 13 now, and I am expecting number eight. I had a space in there of four years due to various reasons, but I had five who were seven and under at one time. I also married when I was 20 and we had very little money and very little support. I worried myself to death about homeschooling, and I was much too concerned about early results with academics. There is so much pressure from society and friends (and enemies) to conform to their ideals, and it seems everyone has an opinion! I hate how people love to tell you how hard you have it, yet never have any real solutions or support to give to you- except birth control.
I will repeat what others have said, but I will say it anyway: seasoned mothers always told me, "just wait until they are older and you will have helpers" but I just couldn't see that light at the end of the tunnel. All I could see was that I had to handle more and more babies with only two hands. I have just begun to see the change, now that I do have older ones to help with younger ones- they can set the table, do dishes, cook, and change diapers, lol. It is part of their life education, and while it is very difficult at times (older children bring their own set of difficulties) it can be quite joyful, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.
If you can, you should take some regular time for yourself. If there is someone you trust to babysit for you every once in a while (maybe at church?) you should try to get out for a couple hours a week and do something for yourself. It doesn't have to involve money. You could get a book and sit in a park. If you can afford it, a pedicure is very relaxing. An hour in front of the blessed sacrament (no babies, lol) can do a lot for you. Place your worries at the feet of the Man of Sorrows and his Sorrowful Mother. Getting exercise is also very important. Avoid eating sweets when you are depressed, and get some good exercise like walking, biking or swimming. The purpose of the time away is to be able to put things in perspective, to get some time to process things. (Exercise also makes you feel good.) You and your husband need time together too. Dh and I have our once a week date night where we get take out and sit in our bedroom and have a date. :) Put the kids to bed, light the candles, and open a bottle of wine. You can do it!
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Prove all things, hold fast that which is good. -1 Thessalonians 5:21
Heliotropium
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4Real Forums : We Pray to the Lord
Topic: Difficult being Open to Life
