"It's A Double Blessing"

Brian, Carly and I are excited to announce that come January our family will grow in size!  We are somewhere between 12-14 weeks along and getting to the doctor is certainly on our to-do list!  One of my best friends is coming to town next week, so I figure I'll go when I have her to wrangle Carly.  We couldn't be more excited that God has entrusted us with another one of this precious children and are looking forward to introducing our children to one another.  I think I'm headed into my 13th week, but I started feeling movement about 4 days ago which leads me to believe we may be farther along than I thought...or there are two little ones in there.  Only an ultrasound will tell us for sure. :)

Here's our official announcement! We had a lot of fun capturing these photos!

And for your enjoyment, a little Q&A about this pregnancy:

1. Have you been sick?

Yes...I have had very similar nausea to what I had with Carly, although I have it in the evenings rather than in the mornings.  I can tell when it hits 5pm each day based on how I feel.  For any normal person, I think evening sickness is much easier to deal with that morning sickness, but for someone who works frequently until 2am, feeling sick an hour into my shift is very difficult.  If I can get myself into bed before 10pm, I will make it through the day without blowing chunks, but its pretty much a guarantee that if I'm up past then I will have a visit to the toilet or trashcan.  Kind of a bummer, but such is carrying a baby, and I'm more than pleased to do so.  I also have extremely bad headaches, but that isn't entirely new, just been intensified with the pregnancy.

2. Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?

Honestly, I can't bring myself to decide that I would prefer one gender over another.  I think there will be positives and negatives to either just because they will only be 23 months apart.  I will, however, totally admit that I would like to experience walking through life with both a boy and a girl.  They are presented with such different opportunities, feelings and experiences, that I want each gender in my family. :)

3. Are you having cravings?

Other than an initial chocolate chip cookie craving followed a few days later by Olive Garden bread sticks craving, I haven't had anything that I've just had to have immediately.  I do, however, pretty much live on fresh fruit, yogurt, Luna protein bars, cereal and cold meat sandwiches.  Those are the only items that sound good at any time.  Much, much better than the McDonalds "chicken" nuggets, pizza and white bread that I craved with Carly! Perhaps I won't put on 65 pounds this time??

This pregnancy has overall been pretty different, although my external factors are also quite different.  I'm not working full time, we have a toddler, we are in a more stable place, financially/emotionally/spiritually/mentally...you get the picture, we live in a better location and we've walked this road before.  I know how to be pregnant this time around and I'm ready to face the challenges that come along with that.  I know now that I dislike the symptoms that come with pregnancy, but I LOVE carrying a baby.  And I will choose to focus on that, plus the enormous blessing of another life to love that God has given us. :)