Fourth Stocking on the Mantel: A Christmas Story of Hope and Home

See that number 4 on the mantel? And the fourth Christmas stocking on the right with the sweet monogram SGN? Those little details hold a much bigger story for our family—about waiting, faith, and a Christmas surprise that changed everything.

As a little girl I always dreamed of being a mother. I loved dolls and play-acting family life, and now I’ve passed that love to my almost four-year-old daughter, Miss A. She recently told me she wants all the baby dolls for Christmas—so her wish list may be long, but it’s full of pure, simple joy. When we married, Coach and I hoped to start a family quickly, and we were blessed to welcome Miss A around our first anniversary. That early experience made us believe adding another child would be straightforward.

Pregnancy can feel miraculous and ordinary at the same time. With Miss A, I did face high blood pressure late in pregnancy and spent weeks on bed rest before she arrived at 35 weeks, but we brought home a healthy baby the week after Christmas. Because that experience felt relatively straightforward, my husband and I expected our second child to come just as easily.

But life had different plans. After two years of trying and two miscarriages, we discovered significant scar tissue from my previous c-section. I underwent surgery to remove the adhesions, and my fertility specialist—who described the scarring as among the worst he’d seen—was hopeful that once it was cleared, getting pregnant would be possible again.

Soon after the surgery, we received the most hopeful news: we were expecting. Even so, fear and anxiety lingered—after two prior losses, every milestone felt fragile. We prayed and trusted, and God watched over that tiny life. Now, at 35 weeks, our baby girl is nearly here. I’ll have another c-section because some scar tissue could not be fully repaired in the first procedure, but our joy is undiminished as we prepare to welcome her.

There’s an unexpected irony in having a baby due in the middle of the Christmas season. It’s hardly a calm, picture-perfect holiday, but that contrast has deepened the meaning of this time of year for me. It calls to mind the story of Mary—whose baby arrived at an inconvenient, crowded, and humble moment. She wasn’t focused on giftwrapping and cookies; she was in the midst of a census and the chaos of travel. The conditions were far from ideal, yet they were part of a greater, beautiful story.

My own circumstances will be very different—a sterile operating room instead of a stable—but the sense of wonder is the same. The fourth stocking on the mantel is more than decoration: it’s a tangible reminder that God is faithful, that He gives good gifts, and that He often surprises us with more than we imagine. This simple monogrammed stocking represents hope fulfilled and a family growing in grace.

UPDATE: she’s here!! We welcomed our precious baby girl, and our hearts could not be more full.

Now, a few words about the mantel decor itself. Over the past few Christmases my style has shifted—less red, more greenery and neutral tones—and this year I leaned heavily on items I already had at home. I added a few new pieces: stockings, pillows, ornaments and greenery, and assembled a simple wreath from affordable elements I found at craft stores. The wreath cost about $15 in materials and took only ten minutes to put together. I love the cozy, slightly rustic look and plan to keep most of it up through winter while we settle in with the new baby.

Sources and items used on the mantel include: snowflake pillow, “Joy” pillow, a blanket basket, burlap monogrammed stockings, ornaments like a red beetle and vintage camper, ice skate ornament, greenery and wreath components, glitter jingle bells, and a vintage Santa that has traveled with us. Many of these were found at big-box stores or purchased from small makers; others are treasured pieces we’d collected over the years. The final photo below shows the full mantel vignette as it looked that season—simple, rustic, and a little glam.