Hi!!!! So I thought I better post this video or no one would believe me…but I really do have a baby in my belly!!! Ryan and I were SO shocked when we found out! I think we were as shocked about this pregnancy as we were when we found out we were having triplets!! Seriously - this is just crazy! But we are so excited that we get to experience the miracle of pregnancy and the stages of parenting one more time! Is this really for real??!! Here's the story.. :)
So as many of you know, we have been wanting another baby for a long time. We tried for 3 1/2 years and then last year…on February 17 actually..we went out for dinner together and talked about how we felt we should surrender our desires to God…He must have something else planned for our life and we wanted to trust Him and we knew that His plans are far greater than our own. And frankly, the ups and downs of wondering if I was pregnant were just too draining after a while. So…we cried over dinner and made the server quite awkward :) …..as we grieved the fact that this was it. We were going to experience parenthood one time…but with three times the chaos :). It was very hard to give it up…but then this whole year…God really gave us peace and contentment. We seriously thought we were done and "pictured" our life that way now. I always said I'd still take a baby if I was given one..but we weren't trying and we were okay with that! Seriously! So then…on February 17 this year…I'm not kidding..but I vividly remember laying in bed on that Monday morning and having cramps. I knew my period was due the next day so I thought…"Oh it's probably here." But then it never came.. (Now I know that those were implantation cramps!!) I just love the timing of this because to me, it's like God telling me that He DID hear our prayer. When we thought He was saying "No" to more kids…He was instead saying "Just wait. Trust me with your life." Ahhh!!!! Meanwhile, Ryan and I had been planning for about 10 years to do a big trip to Europe in September of 2014…and we had been procrastinating buying the plane tickets. Well then Thursday night, Ryan said that as soon as the girls went to bed, he was going to book those tickets. Then Addison sat on my lap to watch the Olympics and my chest hurt. I was thinking to myself that I better go take a test just to PROVE that I'm NOT pregnant so that we are in the clear for booking these plane tickets since I was now two days late. Amazingly, I found out I was pregnant!!! I cannot believe this!!! So I came downstairs to Ryan on the computer about to click "purchase." I said "Maybe you should wait" and put the pregnancy test in front of him. He yelled "What's THAT?!" And then he proceeded to drink a few Coronas because our lives and our plans just got turned around again!!!! Whoa! Haha!
I just LOVE that God's plans continue to surprise and amaze me. And I love that He really does have a bigger and better plan for my life than I do. Even though we can't go on our trip now, the timing is great. We get to experience ONE baby…while the girls go back to school. I'm due October 28! (Girls were born on the 3rd and Ryan's is the 11th! Super busy month for us!) And….I have always wanted to be pregnant with my sister and have kids close in age but I never thought that was possible since I had triplets and she is 6 years younger than me. But my sister is due with her first on September 5! How amazing is this!! ANNND….I found out about this baby 2 days before my 33rd birthday. SUCH an amazing birthday gift! My mom and my best friend from high school both said "Happy 33rd birthday! That's your lucky number!" And it IS! 33 has always been my number! My basketball number…Ryan's basketball number…my prayer pager number in high school was 333333 :)…and then I had 3 girls on the 3rd….it's kinda crazy but I love stuff like that! :) I am just so curious how to raise one baby! Thoughts that go through my mind are "So you just get to hold the baby right after you deliver?! Can't imagine that! And it will come home with us right away? WHAT?!" "How do you get one baby on a schedule if it isn't at the NICU for 5 weeks? Or is a schedule even needed?" "Do I still need to pump after each feeding?" "I can exercise while pregnant??"
'And travel???" "The Dr. just LISTENS for a heart beat?! What?!" "Do people with one baby keep a chart on when the baby poops/pees/timing of medicine?" "Can I still buy the huge box of Sam's club diapers or is that way too many for one baby?" "I need a single stroller!" And "I get to rock this baby as long as I want and not quick move on to the next one!!!" "But wait - I have to share the baby with three big sisters! :)" I am savoring every moment already. SO PUMPED!!! The girls are pretty protective of their little sibling already….telling me I can't eat so many sweets…saying "Mom, Dad should wipe the counter down because you have a baby in your tummy." And when we went out to eat to celebrate, I said we had a party of 5. Emily elbowed me and said "Mooom…party of SIX." :)
So yes, this is no April Fool's joke…I am 10 weeks pregnant today and couldn't be more excited. I had an ultrasound at 6 1/2 weeks to see how many were in there and I was so happy to see the SINGLE heart beating that early. Then today I got to see the little one again - this time kicking and waving to me. We will definitely find out what we are having. The girls are all guessing girl…and I feel like it's a boy so far just because everything about this pregnancy seems different since it's one baby so it's probably a boy, right? :) But who knows? I'll be shocked if it's a boy because I don't know what to do with boys…and I'll be shocked if it's a girl because we have so many girls in our family on both sides! SO EXCITED!
Oh and I've been feeling pretty good. Tired every day….I always go to bed early and sometimes get a nap in….and then I must eat all the time. If I get hungry, that's when I feel sick. Other than that, I feel great and GIDDY! :) So cheers to starting over, huh?! CRRAAZZYYY!!!!! :)
But nothing makes me feel closer to God than when I'm pregnant….it is such a miracle and I'm so so grateful to be able to experience it one more time. Our God is a generous God. Praise Him from whom ALL blessings flow!!
ALL of my babies!! Whoa!! Four kids is a lot of kids!!!
'The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever." Psalm 138:8
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
