Reflections on Having (Another) Boy

On Tuesday, my wife and I found out that we were going to be having our fourth boy. We currently have three boys, aged six, three, and one, and we were a little surprised to find out that we were going to have a fourth (yes, I know how that happens). We prayed for a little girl and we were hoping that it was going to be a girl. I had even picked out a name and was referring to the baby as a "she." Needless to say, there was some letdown when we saw that "special part" on the ultrasound.

Here are some thoughts I have about having a family of all boys.

1. I know all about little boys. My wife and I have very busy lives. She runs a very successful blog and babysits a house full of kids. I teach full-time, do a large number of after-school activities, volunteer at the church, and study a good deal. As a result, surprises are typically unwelcome. Having had three boys, there are very few surprises. We know what to expect.
   
2. My boys help me be a better man. As I've lived in front of my boys, I've come to realize that they are going to grow into the men that I've modeled for them. This is an awesome responsibility. If I disrespect my wife or other women in my life, they will do the same. I want my boys to grow up to love their mother, their wives, their families, their God, their Bible, and their church. I have a responsibility and privilege to teach them how a man is to act toward others so that they can carry on that legacy when they become men.
   
3. The dream of adoption continues to be alive. My wife and I have long discussed the idea of adopting. For me, there is no clearer picture of God's love for us than to adopt a child and make her a part of our family, showing unconditional love for someone who is not related by blood. If we had found out that the baby currently growing inside my wife was a girl, I think that dream may have been shelved for a while, if not indefinitely. Now, knowing that we are having a little boy, we can continue to dream of the day we make our family a little bigger through the joy of adoption. Plus, we get to continue the domestic vs. international just a little longer.
   
4. God must really love Pearsons. Okay, this one is a bit of a joke, but with the number of Pearsons that are coming from my family, that is one name that will be around for quite some time.
   

Did I want to find out that we are having a little girl? Absolutely. Am I disappointed? Not at all. We serve a powerful God who knows what is best for each of us. God has deemed Tina and me worthy enough to have another little boy and I wouldn't change that fact for anything in the world.