Arctic Blond and Having Babies

Jake Frost offers a word of encouragement for parents finding themselves surprised with the gift of a new baby later in life.

Here’s a word of encouragement for ... I won’t say “older” parents, I’ll say “still young at heart” parents.

We had four kids in five years, no kids for nine years, and then ... unexpected blessing!

Wow.

God is generous.

Then, two years later ... another wow!

God is really generous!

With our first child, I started a little watercolor journal to chronicle our adventures together.

When had what we thought was our last child, I started another for her.

It’s been great. She’s three now, and carries her journal around and loves to “read” it. She’ll bring it to me periodically for me to add new drawings to one of the remaining pages. She generally has very specific ideas of what she wants, so the conversation goes something like this:

“Daddy, will you ‘write’ me a duck?”

I draw a duck.

“Wearing a blue coat,” she’ll direct.

I draw a coat on the duck.

“Holding a basket.”

I give ducky a basket.

“Picking apples.”

What?

I do not question. Instead, I draw an apple tree and re-configure everything to accommodate the latest surprise twist.

I’ve learned to start with pencil and only add ink and paint once I get approval from the artistic director.

But when she’s happy with the end result, it’s all worth it.

The ducks were such a success, we found ducks playing guitar:

And even going to the beach! 

Most recently she told me to ‘write’ a picture of Daddy playing his ‘’tar’ (that’s a guitar in our home-lingo).

I did so, but without full consultation and sign-off (didn’t figure I needed it for a self-portrait):

But I was wrong.

Upon presentation of the picture, she corrected me: “No! White hair!”

And, she added, “Holding me.”

Well.

Guess she’s right. When I started making these watercolor journals, lo the many years ago, Daddy’s locks were a rich and lustrous auburn.

Now ...

“Just right,” she told me.

I suppose. No doubt it’s a more accurate rendering of Daddy as he now exists, as opposed to how he remembers himself in his mind’s eye.

Still, I prefer to think of my current hair color as “Arctic Blond” rather than “white.”

Not Quite What You Think

One Sunday I was sitting in the church basement with all the kids for coffee and donuts after Mass. The kids ranged in age from a 5-week-old and a 2-year-old, to middle schoolers and high schoolers. A young father I didn’t know sat in the empty seats at the end our table with his two kids, and turning to me, asked: “Are these your grandkids?”

I thought to myself ... sort of. They are grand, and they are my kids ... but probably not what you had in mind.

But here’s a word of encouragement for any finding themselves with new babies on-the-way in their Arctic Blond years: It’s going to be great.

For you, and the whole family.

It truly is a blessing.

There may be moments of mental extrapolation, when you find yourself running numbers and thinking ... when she’s in kindergarten, how old will I be?

What about First Communion?

Graduation from high school?

Gulp.

But what the numbers can’t measure is the joy, every single day, in those little smiles, the sweet little voice asking, “Daddy, read me a story?” And the little arms reaching out for a hug as she comes running when you get home.

Their Childhood Will Be Different

And don’t worry about the new little one’s childhood as compared to her older siblings.

When one set of kids has already moved on to middle school and high school (and all that comes with those transitions: sports, activities, jobs, and, for us parents, lots of driving), you probably won’t be able to spend whole days in the backyard, like you did when the others were little.

Yes, childhood will be different for the new ones.

But different doesn’t mean worse.

The new little babies will have their older siblings lavishing attention and silly mayhem on them.

One of the great blessings of the new little ones has been seeing the older kids blossom with their younger siblings: reading to them, playing with them, baking muffins with them, potting flowers, painting with them, going for a walk holding hands.

All the kids were together in the room of one of the big kids, talking and joking around, and I heard the 3-year-old exclaim, “I love playing with the kids!” (“The kids” are her older siblings).

That’s something the older kids didn’t have: big brothers and sisters.

The Return of Wonder

And for the big kids, the sense of wonder that’s returned to our home with the little girls has been a blessing. There’s a joy and sparkle to life with young children. They notice everything, love everything, and appreciate the beauty and wonder in the little, everyday things that we’ve sometimes become inured to.

Babies and little kids are good for the soul.

Children are a gift.

So, if you find yourself surprised by God’s generosity later in life, take heart. It’s going to be great!

Be grateful for the gift!

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Copyright 2026 Jake Frost
Images: copyright 2026 Jake Frost, all rights reserved.