Making Room for One More

Posted on 2008-Oct-6 at 10:17 AM

Every time we have another baby, people ask us where we're going to find room for the baby.  Literally.  Before we moved here, we had a 3 bedroom 1200 sq. foot home, and 6 kids.  Now we have a 3 bedroom home that is almost 1800 sq. feet, plus an unfinished basement.  The bedrooms are smaller than our previous home's bedrooms.  Even though we have a larger home now, we've already been asked how we fit everyone into our home. 

The answer is bunk beds, toy shelves, creative storage solutions.  At the moment, the girls' room has two bunk beds.  2 yo L's bunk is empty, waiting for her to move from the toddler bed in our room to the girls' room.  The boys' room has a twin bed, and a twin daybed with a trundle under it.  Eventually, we'll have to start using the trundle for baby G, but at the moment it's only used when my sisters are all visiting at once.

We have toys in the bedrooms, and toys in the living room.  But, we would get rid of toys and other excess stuff to make room for our children!  I often tell people we don't have too small a home, and we don't have too many children ... we just have too much stuff. 

Baby G has a bassinet in the living room for napping, and sleeps in our bed.  Eventually, he'll move to the toddler bed that is beside our bed.    Finding room for their clothes, and getting new dressers has usually been more of a problem than where the new baby will sleep.  But some creative rearranging usually solves that problem, as well.

This pregnancy, the big issue was actually our vehicle.  We had an 8 passenger Suburban, and were expecting our 9th family member.  We tried finding a front bench to replace our two captain's seats.  Steve called every salvage yard and used parts store we could find in central and eastern KS ... but kept coming up empty.  Finally, just four days before Baby G was due to be induced, Steve located a bench seat for us at a salvage yard in a small town about two hours east of us!!  We didn't get it picked up until Baby G was a week old, and we didn't get it installed until this weekend. 

Sunday was our first time driving anywhere with the new bench seat.  It works wonderfully, although Steve and I are still adjusting to having a teenager sitting between us.  There go our semi-private quiet conversations as we drive.  *giggle* 

It was much less expensive than one of the fourth row benches, and safer.  It was definitely less expensive than buying a larger vehicle, although we do hope to do that soon.  It even matches our interior perfectly.  I had told Steve I didn't care if it was purple or red or polka dotted ... to buy it and we'd put a cover on it.  But it's exactly the same upholstery as the rest of the seats.  Just an additional blessing.

So, we've officially made room for this baby, too.  Praise the Lord!  I had tried not to stress over the seat problem.  I told myself repeatedly that if we had to drive 2 cars to church and not take any family vacations for awhile, we'd just have to trust that it was God's will for us for a time.  I did reach a point of accepting that, and was very surprised and blessed when Steve finally found a seat, at the last minute. 

I'm very thankful for God's provision, once again.  And, as He often does, He provided in His time, at just the right moment ... not too soon, not too late, and not when I thought it needed to be accomplished.  Just another lesson in trusting Him.

Trusting in Him,
April

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Posted by gabbie427 on 2008-Oct-6 at 12:33 PM - Link

Wow. I suppose as a mother of few I would ask the same thing. But of course you know people are just curious, not condemning you!!

I loved reading this, how you find room when there is a need, and of course, we would give up alot for another baby as well. Rows of bunk beds in the girls room makes me smile and think of camp. I bet they love it!

Thanks for sharing with us. I enjoy reading about yoru large family.

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

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Posted by DEANMAMA5 on 2008-Oct-6 at 11:54 PM - Link

Thanks for sharing how God has provided for your family. Right now, we live in a home that's around 1200 square feet, three bedrooms, and we have five kids. We attempted to have two more bedrooms downstairs for awhile, but it gets pretty cold down there in the winter, and we found running space heaters really hiked up the energy bill. There is also a water issue from a sump pump malfunction, and we need to do something with the carpeting. It stinks down there now, especially in the room my son was in. Anyway, all of our kids are upstairs now. I have my little one year old in her own room so she can have little distractions while trying to go to sleep, and the other four are sharing one room with two sets of bunkbeds. They don't seem to mind sharing a room for now. Honestly, though, I feel like I'm drowning in my house. I'm finding it difficult keeping it clean, and well, like you said, it's probably from all the stuff.
Thanks for sharing.
God Bless,
Angela