No matter what other reactions we get....

I am always, always going to remember telling our four children that they have a new baby on the way. Wow! Wow! Remembering their reaction a week ago Sunday night still gives me warm feelings.

We were tucking them in, took a deep breath and announced together our shared good news: Hey everyone, come next May.... and my husband finished: We're going to have a new baby!

The older boys erupted into shouts of jubilation! It was amazing. They were cheering, laughing, and started immediately wondering if it will be a boy or a girl. Their good mood was contagious and the four-year-old started to jump and shout, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" as though he'd just won the lottery. Baby girl started a wiggly, happy, two-year-old all over body dance of glee. We're not sure if she understood, but she, too, began to cheer, "Baby! My baby! My baby!"

Ahhhhh. John Paul II had it so right that the best gift you can give your child is another sibling. Our boys and girl were honestly more excited than if we told them we were leaving on a trip and they'd be dining exclusively on candy!

So no matter how many rude comments I get about having "another" baby from strangers or lukewarm comments from family and friends - or insulting questions asking if the baby is "planned" or if we're "done" yet and will get "fixed" - I will always return to this moment of complete and total joy.

Babies are a blessing. And our children get that.