The Scoop

So...Yup. I'm preggers!

It seems this pregnancy has been a big shocker to more people than when we announced our pregnancies with Beth or Luke. And while this pregnancy with not a surprise to us, many people have deemed it their business to ask whether or not this baby was planned. I'll be straight with you: usually I know people who ask this question have the best intentions, but really... Do you want to know what goes on in our bedroom??? I'll just assume it's because we're so open with the fact that we use Natural Family Planning instead of artificial birth control, so I think what people are really asking is if NFP "failed" us. I'll tell you right now that no, it didn't "fail" us, and that we knew exactly what we were doing when we were doing it!

We have been blessed with abundant fertility, something that I know many men and women pray for daily! For our three children we are so grateful, and so blessed by God!

As blessed as we are, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared! Having three children ages three and under? Eek! But, from what I hear from more experienced friends, having children so close together is difficult at first but so rewarding as they grow older. Luke will be 20 months from this baby (Beth and Luke are 22 months apart). They will all be so close together in age, so close in school, I can only pray that they grow up loving each other as wonderful friends!

Technically, I'm doing fine. I can't believe I'm closing out my first trimester already; for the record, that photo of me and Ryan was taken several weeks ago and my belly is extremely misleading. Yes, I have a belly- there's no denying it now. It seems my body is ready for this and knows exactly what to do because it's wasted no time in presenting itself as pregnant! I haven't been sick at all and I haven't had crazy food aversions either. Food is only recently becoming appetizing again, though I still tend to prefer bland foods over spiced ones. Every night I have a bowl of rice krispies before bed because there's something about them that's just so appetizing right now! I've been lethargic but come on- I'm always tired so that's really nothing new! I feel like I'm having minor swelling issues in my legs this time, so that's my biggest concern at this point. I know I will have vein issues (I'm actually already having them in my leg) so I forsee compression hose in my future. My midwife appointments have gone well- I've had two and an ultrasound- and I plan on doing it naturally again this time.

Beth is very excited that there's another baby in mommy's tummy- she's holding out for a baby sister. She has nicknamed the baby "Frisbee" for some reason, and it seemed pretty gender-neutral so it's stuck. We've got a few baby names in mind but... We won't be finding out the gender this time! I'm so excited but I'm also worried we won't have the patience to hold out! I just think I'd like to have the experience of delivering the baby and having Ryan announce to me, "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" I just get goosebumps thinking about it- all sweaty and bloody in the tub, cradling my new baby. Ok sorry that's probably a rough mental image for some of you but it's really beautiful- it's new life. And that's how it happens!

Ryan is the proudest papa around town right now, he is constantly boasting of his three children. I am sure I'm the luckiest woman alive to have such a wonderful man taking care of me! We hope you'll join us in our excitement as we anticipate the arrival of "Frisbee" in June!