25 Weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is about 13.5 inches and is about a pound and a half (about the size of an eggplant)!
Symptoms: I've had a little heartburn, this week, but tums have been doing just fine. I've been getting a little uncomfortable if I have to stay sitting in the same position for a long time (playing with Tatum on the floor, sitting on the couch for too long, on the piano bench at church, etc.). I've been doing a prenatal exercise dvd 3X a week. That, along with some stretching, has really helped a lot. I haven't been nearly as tired or as uncomfortable as I was last pregnancy. However, I have been sleeping horribly. :( I know that if I were to get a better night sleep, I would feel even better! My body is preparing me for those sleepless nights, soon to come!
Cravings: Anything salty!
Movement: Baby d is not only kicking, a lot, but also moving around so much. I sometimes feel him "rolling" all around. I'm, also, feeling him all over... not just on my right side or lower tummy like before.
Gender: I'm getting more and more excited for our SON to arrive! I still never pictured myself as a mother to a little boy (there are girls, everywhere, in our family!), but I'm getting used to the idea! I've been "nesting" in spurts, and absolutely love folding all the little boy clothes... I never knew boy clothes could be so cute!

23 weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is more than 11 inches and a little over a pound (about the size of a large mango)! However, at my appointment, on Monday, my doctor said that this little guy is measuring at 25 weeks! So he's most likely bigger than that.
Symptoms: I really haven't had any new symptoms this week... just feeling bigger. I've been SO blessed with having a smooth pregnancy!
Weight gain: 17 pounds! Ugh! My doctor said that some of that is because I'm measuring at 25 weeks... this little guy probably went through a growth spurt... bless her heart! Honestly, he probably weighs no more than 2 pounds. :) That was nice of her to say, though. Honestly, Thanksgiving didn't help and the whole "carb craving" obviously doesn't help, either. I just have to be a little more intentional about what I eat (and what I don't!).
Cravings: Carbs and cheese! I, also, love fresh vegetables (I should stick with that craving!). :)
Movement: This little guy still loves to move! I've been feeling him all over, now. I sometimes feel like he's flipping around in there... he's a busy one!
Gender: Still a boy! :) We've picked out a name (and middle name) for sure, so that's been really exciting! We still don't call him by name when T is around (we don't want her to tell anyone). But, sometimes B and I will call him by name... so fun! 

22 Weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is approximately 11 inches and 1 pound (about the size of a papaya)!
Symptoms: I've been super out of breath (I find myself sighing, a lot). I'm still not sleeping that well... I just can't seem to find a comfortable position. My hands have been super dry... I don't know if that's pregnancy related or just the weather. However, on the positive side... I haven't been as emotional, lately. :)
Maternity clothes: I can still fit into two pairs of "normal" jeans, but I'm pretty much in all maternity shirts, now. Also, I had to put my winter coat away and bust out a maternity one. A pregnant friend of mine and I were laughing about how surprised we are when we go to zip up our coats, and they're so snug! Um, did we not think that would happen? :) Expanding belly = tighter fitting clothes!
Cravings: Still carbs! Give me bread and pasta! Also, I would eat out for breakfast, everyday, if I could. I've been loving all breakfasts foods. We went out to breakfast a couple times while we were in Michigan, and I was in heaven! Bring on the omelets, bacon, pancakes, and cinnamon rolls! mmm...
Movement: This little guy is still a mover! I usually feel him kicking pretty low and sometimes on the right side. He usually kicks when I'm still... going to sleep and when I wake up.
Gender: Still a boy! :) We've been so blessed by people at our church who have given us their hand me downs! Obviously, we had absolutely no boy clothes when we first found out that he was a boy. However, this little guy has a full wardrobe for at least the first few months of his life, at this point! I was, also, given a Moby wrap which I'm super excited about! We, purposely, got a lot of "neutral" items for Tatum (bedding, pack n play, car seat, stroller, cloth diapers, etc., so we feel pretty set. What a blessing!

I knew this would happen, but I can't believe how FAST it is all going from here on out.... I mean, most likely in 17ish weeks, he'll be here! I know that there will, obviously, be so much adjusting for us, but we're so excited. People have reassured us that we WILL be able to love this next child as much as we love T. I know that I won't understand that until he's really here. We're excited to meet this little guy... I love daydreaming about what he'll be like.... I'm already in love. <3

20 Weeks (tomorrow)!

So, technically, tomorrow I will be 20 weeks. However, Tatum is napping (woo hoo!), so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity.
Size of baby: Our baby is approximately 6.5 inches and 10.2 ounces (about the size of cantaloupe!). 
Symptoms:  

• I could have sworn that I felt a few Braxton Hicks, last week. It seems a little early, though. This little one feels SO much lower than Tatum ever did, so it feels a little different. 
• Every once and a while, when I shift positions too quickly, I experience round ligament pain (a sharp pain in my lower abdomen that lasts for a few seconds). I never had this with Tatum, either, so it kind of freaked me out at first! However, my doctor said that it's completely normal. 
• I've noticed some faint stretch marks, already, which is funny because I didn't get stretch marks until the last month with Tatum... it's like my body remembers what it used to be like.  
• I've been SUPER emotional. Oh my goodness, talk about crying at the drop of the hat! I don't know if it's harder for me or B (I'm sure he would say him :) ... he's been AWESOME!).
• I haven't been sleeping very well, lately. It's been really hard falling asleep and once I wake up (to use the restroom 8 million times a night), it's hard to fall back to sleep. Getting ready for those long nights!

Weight gain: 11 pounds (a little more than I would have hoped, but I'm not dwelling on that!)
Maternity clothes: I have two pairs of "non maternity" jeans left. I'm, also, wearing shirts a size larger than I usually wear. Maternity shirts are still a little too big. Pretty soon it will be time, though! When I've worn dresses, they have been maternity.
Cravings: carbs, carbs, and more CARBS! Anything having to do with bread and pasta have been consumed by this preggo, lately! I, seriously, will eat loaves of bread at a time (ask B, he will tell you!). This is a craving that better go, or I will easily gain 100 lbs by the time this pregnancy is over!
Movement: I still feel this little one moving at night. However, lately, I've been feeling kicks consistently in the morning, too.
Gender: BOY!!! I totally called it! :) We had our first ultrasound, last week. It was so exciting! We brought Tatum with us, and she did great! She understood everything a lot better than I thought she would. She even waved to her baby brother when she saw that he was holding his hand up. SO cute! We already have a name for him (still working on the middle name), but we won't share it until he's here! We're so excited to have a son. I was a little nervous, at first, because I've been surrounded by girls my whole life, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it! :) Meet our son...

Tatum Update!

My mommy has been doing a good job blogging about her pregnancy, but it's time to have some updates about me.
I'm 27 months right now (I just like to say that I'm 2), and here are some of the things that I've been up to...
Things I like to do: I love to jump, run in circles, do somersaults, talk, go to Walmart and Fareway, read books, color (and sometimes eat crayons!), play "come back here" with Papa (Mommy and Papa still don't know the actual rules of the game), talk on the phone, watch Sesame Street (well, actually Elmo's World) and America's Funniest Home Videos, tease and chase Charlie, go to youth group, build towers and knock them down, and go on the swings at the park.
Favorite toys: I love my "walker", my kitten, my babies, stickers, chap stick (Mommy says I can carry them around as long as I don't open them... I obey pretty well), my Elmo, and my Leap Frog book.
How I've been sleeping: I usually sleep from around 8:30 to 7 or 7:30 in the morning. I've been fighting my naps, lately, but when I do nap, it's usually from 1 to 3:30ish. I do the best when I get a lot of sleep! Mommy always tells me that. I sometimes like to try on all of the shoes in my closet when I'm supposed to be sleeping...

Favorite foods: I love sugar snap peas, frozen peas, fig newtons, apples, STRING CHEESE, cottage cheese, veggie straws, eggs, carrots, goldfish, and Cheerios.
Favorite songs to sing: ABCs, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Stars (yes, I sing stars, not star), I Love You So Much (a song that Poppy made up), Jesus Loves Me, The B-I-B-L-E, and any song from church and youth group.
Milestones: I am talking a lot. My mommy and papa can usually recognize what I'm saying, but sometimes other people cannot. I can recognize my capital letters, but not my lower case, yet. I can recognize the numbers 0, 1, 4, and 9. I can count to 20, but I usually forget 13, 15, and 17. I can count down from 10 to 1 (I sometimes need help with that, too). I know how to spell my name (only out loud). I can draw a line and circle... one time I drew the number 9 on accident, but I could recognize what it was. My mommy was impressed. I can recognize some shapes: a circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, hexagon, star, and moon. I can take off my shoes, socks, and coat. I can, also, balance on one foot.
Milestones I'm working on: Mommy and I are working on recognizing my lower case letters and other numbers. Mommy has also been talking a lot about using the big girl potty. I'll probably start doing that soon. We've, also, been working on getting myself dressed and undressed. Mommy's been trying to help me write letters and numbers, but it will probably be a long time before I can do that. Mommy's, also, been correcting me with my verb tenses. Apparently, when I do things in the past, "I did it", not "I do it". I still say "hold you" when I want my mommy to hold "me".
My personality: I have a very sensitive heart. When I hear or see someone crying, I try to comfort them. I really make my mommy and papa laugh, a lot. I love people and to be the center of their attention. I'm very aware of my surroundings, as well. I try to be polite (saying yes please, thank you, and excuse me).

My mommy and papa say that I'm a good helper and will be a great bigger sister. I'm excited to have a new brother, but I don't think I really understand what that will be like. My mommy and papa also tell me that I bring them a lot of joy. I know that they love me a lot!

18 Weeks!

Almost halfway there!

Size of Baby: Our baby is now about 5.6 inches and about 6.7 ounces (about the size of a sweet potato!).

Symptoms: My back and hips have been a little more sore, but nothing too bad. I, also, started getting a few nosebleeds, as well. I don't know if that's from pregnancy or the colder air.... Also, my allergies have still been horrendous! I'm hoping that the colder weather will bring more relief.

Maternity clothes: This will probably be my last week wearing "normal" shirts. I don't want to stretch them out, too much! I'm still wearing one pair of "normal" jeans... the rest are maternity.

Cravings: HUGE breakfasts! I feel like I could eat eggs, pancakes, bacon, a bagel, cereal, etc. every single morning! I obviously don't, but I feel like I could! I still really love carrots and bagels and cream cheese. I've, also, been eating grapefruit every morning! Yum!

Movement: Most of the time, I feel this little one at night. The kicks have been getting stronger. In fact, on Monday night, Benjamin felt the baby move for the first time! That was so exciting... especially because he didn't feel Tatum move until around 22 weeks, last time.

Gender: Ok, this week, I definitely started feeling very confident that this one is a boy! The main reasons are because of some of the differences between this pregnancy and last. I feel like I'm carrying lower and more round. Also, I had horrible heartburn with Tatum... pretty early on. I might be speaking too soon, but so far, I've had none. This baby seems more active. All of these things might just be different personalities between this baby and Tatum, but it might be a gender thing. We will find out (hopefully) on Monday!

17 Weeks!

Last week was a super busy week, so I didn't have time to update. However, I'm thinking of maybe updating every other week. 23 more blog updates in this pregnancy seem like a lot. We'll see!
Size of Baby: Our baby is now 5.1 inches and almost 6 ounces (about the size of an onion!).
Symptoms: I'm starting to feel my belly "stretching". I've been told by a few people that I seemed to "pop" this week. Besides just feeling bigger, I haven't noticed any new symptoms.
Maternity clothes: I'm pretty much only in maternity jeans, now. I'm still not in "official" maternity shirts, only stretchy ones. I've gone up a size or two in hoodies, too.
Cravings: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! I could eat one for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! I, also, started to eat cottage cheese for the first time this pregnancy. I've, also, unfortunately been craving salty things. I have to be careful of that!
Aversions: I feel like, at this point, things are not as nauseating as before. However, blueberries still sound gross.
Movement: This is a busy little one! I usually feel him/her (I hate it when people say "it") at night. It's usually around 8:30 (will we have a night owl??) and as I'm trying to fall asleep. I still can't feel our baby moving from the outside, but I can definitely feel movement on the inside!
Gender: Wow, at this point, I have NO IDEA! One day, I'll feel like this one is a girl (just a feeling and B and T still say girl). Plus, he/she's heartbeat has been higher. Other days I feel like this one is a boy. I feel like I'm carrying more in front, as opposed to side to side (like T). Also, I've been craving more salty foods... rather than sweet (different than T). Come November 7, we will hopefully find out for sure! No more guessing. :)

15 Weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is about 4 inches and 2.5 ounces (about the size of an orange!).
Symptoms: I haven't had many "new" symptoms, but my skin is starting to breakout, again. My lower back is still a little achy, but not too bad... yet! I do have one new weird symptom (I don't remember this happening with T)... I get an unusual aftertaste in my mouth after I eat certain things (strong flavors). It's probably just the hormones affecting my taste buds.
Weight gain: I've gained 4.5 pounds so far.
Maternity clothes: I had to put another pair of "regular" jeans away. I'm still wearing a few non-maternity jeans and stretchy non-maternity shirts and tanks. Many of my hoodies have to be worn unzipped.
Cravings: Anything with chocolate and mint... York patties, Junior Mints, and Mint chocolate chip ice cream! I, also, had Chipotle on Tuesday... it was delicious! Yes, I will most likely go there when I have my appointments. I am, also, loving anything having to do with potatoes... baked potatoes, french fries (yikes!), etc.
Aversions: I went to an Italian restaurant on Tuesday evening. Mushrooms sounded nasty to me (same as my pregnancy with T).
Movement: Yes, movement! I thought I possibly felt movement last week, but on Sunday night, it was for sure! As I was lying in bed, I felt definite fluttering. I asked my doctor on Tuesday if it was even possible to feel that this early. She said that because this is the second time around (I know what it feels like from the last pregnancy), it is possible! The fluttering and movement isn't very consistent, but I've felt it since Sunday! Very exciting! :)
Gender: Our ultrasound is scheduled for November 7! I'll be almost 19 weeks, but my doctor seemed pretty confident that they'll be able to tell if this little one is a girl or a boy! At my appointment on Tuesday, the heartbeat was 149 bpm. It was definitely lower than last time. A boy?? We'll hopefully see in a few weeks! We'll be ecstatic for either!

I'm so happy to be in the second trimester. We've been so blessed by this pregnancy... and this little one!

Hello, 2nd Trimester (14 weeks)!

Size of baby: Our baby is 3.4 inches and 1.5 ounces (about the size of a lemon!).
Symptoms: I'm definitely getting more energy back and starting to feel more like "myself". A few times, my lower back has started to hurt if I stay in one position for too long... I just have to keep walking and stretching! I, also, started to feel my belly stretching a little this week. I've noticed that when I wear my contacts (as opposed to my glasses), sometimes my vision is a little blurry. I remember my vision changing when I was pregnant with Tatum, too. It's so strange... I have no idea why that happens! The good news is that my skin is starting to clear up a little. I have to keep drinking that water!
Cravings: On Sunday, I drank my first (half) cup of coffee... and it tasted great! :) It sounded good to me, so I tried it. I haven't turned back since. I wouldn't say that I "crave" it, but I'm definitely enjoying it. I only drink about half a mug in the morning (I probably won't ever drink more than one full mug), but it gets the job done. Benjamin is thrilled! He was really struggling drinking coffee by himself. ;) 
I'm still really liking bagels and cream cheese, carrots, pretzels, and black beans (??). I'm, also, looking forward to Chipotle opening in Davenport on Tuesday! T and I will be there! :)
Aversions: Certain foods are not as "nauseating" as before, but they certainly don't sound good.... blueberries, dairy, etc. I had Pizza Hut's deep dish pizza on Sunday night.... wow, never again! I felt so sick, afterward. I don't know if it was a pregnancy thing or not, but it was not worth it!
Gender: This week, I actually started feeling like this little one could possibly be a boy. I don't know why, but I started picturing our family with a little baby boy.... mother's intuition?? B and T still think this one is a girl, though. We'll see who's right in about 6 weeks!


I'm so blessed that I had a pretty comfortable first trimester! I can only imagine how miserable it could have been... especially with a busy toddler! I'm praying that this little one will continue to grow, healthily. We are so blessed!

13 Weeks!

Size of Baby: Our baby is about 2.9 inches and .81 ounces (about the size of a peach!).
Symptoms: This week I started to notice that if I eat too much sugar, I feel super nauseous! I'm actually glad about this, though. I'd be stuffing my face with desserts if that wasn't the case! My belly is still growing like crazy, but I've had more energy.... especially early in the morning! I've been waking up pretty early, and haven't been able to get back to sleep. My body must be preparing itself for the early mornings! 
Weight gain: I've gained 3 pounds total.
Maternity clothes: I'm still not wearing maternity shirts... just stretchy ones. I'm, also, mostly in maternity jeans (some regular ones, still). 
Cravings: I feel like this changes every week. This week, I've been loving bagels and cream cheese, things with melted cheese (yeah, not good!), and still carrots.
Aversions: I'm still not drinking coffee. Things with a lot of dairy (besides cereal) are still nauseating. I'm used to craving chocolate (pre-pregnancy) and that has not been sounding good. Weird!
Gender:  I still feel pretty confident that this little one is a girl. This pregnancy is pretty similar to when I was pregnant with T.  We'll see! 7 more weeks! :)

This week, I had to remind myself that my tummy is expanding for a great reason! Sometimes, it's hard comparing (I know I shouldn't compare!) this pregnancy to the last one. When I was pregnant with T, I didn't wear maternity clothes nearly this early. I just have to remember that the more kids you have, the sooner you look pregnant. It's only natural. Our bodies are amazing. I just feel huge (haha, I know I'll look back at this when I'm 38 weeks, and just laugh!!)! :)
T will be a fabulous big sister. She's been "rocking" her babies to sleep, lately. So cute!

12 Weeks!

Size of baby: Our baby is about 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces (about the size of a plum!)

Symptoms: This week, I started to feel more nauseous. However, I did start to feel more energized... not as tired. I, also, started to get a few headaches. :(My face is breaking out like crazy, as well. Darn those hormones!

Maternity clothes: I'm still going back and forth between stretchy, low cut jeans and maternity jeans. My favorite American Apparel hoodie is now a little snug. :( I'm still wearing normal shirts and my hoodies and cardigans... unzipped and unbuttoned. :)

Cravings: My new cravings have been pancakes, juice (specifically orange), and carrots. I would, also, eat at Subway everyday if I could!

Aversions: I'm still not drinking coffee and dairy products are kind of nauseating too.

Gender: We, obviously, still don't know. Tatum still talks about her "baby sister". If it's a girl, she will name her "Baby Doll" or "Dora".

We set up the crib in the new baby/guest room. It's definitely feeling more real, and it's so exciting.

11 Weeks!

So, yes, at 11 weeks, I am already starting to show. I'm so glad we made the news public when we did. This would have been hard to cover up. :)

Size of baby: According to thebump.com, our little one is about 1.6 inches long and .25oz (about the size of a lime).
Symptoms: I've been super tired and a little nauseous every once and a while. It's a lot harder being pregnant when you're chasing a toddler around! As of this past week, though, my energy has returned a little and I haven't been AS tired. I definitely have a "pooch" going on, and tears come and go a little more frequently. ;)
Weight gain/loss: I've gained two pounds, so far. I think I gained those two pounds on vacation, alone! All we did was eat!
Maternity clothes: I'm still wearing "normal" shirts, but my jeans and shorts have been a little tight. I go back and forth between wearing stretchy, low cut jeans and maternity jeans. When I was pregnant with Tatum, I didn't start wearing maternity clothes until 17 weeks!
Cravings: I just started craving cereal and orange juice, lately (same cravings as the first time around.... maybe another girl??). I've, also, love raisin bagels and strawberry yogurt. If we had a Jamba Juice nearby, I would be there everyday!
Aversions: Anything having to do with blueberries makes me nauseous. Also, cottage cheese and string cheese have been pretty nasty too. At around week 7, coffee started to make me feel nauseous. However, that happened with Tatum, and I started to enjoy it, again, in the second trimester! Phew! :)
Gender: We, obviously, don't know yet. However, Tatum has been talking about a "baby sister" ever since we told her that there is a baby in Mommy's tummy. Benjamin thinks it's a girl, as well. I totally thought boy until I heard the heartbeat, yesterday. It was 177 bpm. The old wives tale says that anything about 150 bpm is a sign of a girl. I've let that... and the influence of my friends and family... tell me that it's a girl. Only time will tell. We will be more than happy with either!

Yesterday, I was able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the very first time! I forgot how amazing that moment is! I'm so thankful that God has blessed us with this little miracle. Hearing that has definitely made this more real for us. We're all so excited. Tatum talks about having a "baby sister" all the time (I hope she's not too disappointed if this "baby sister" turns out to be a "baby brother"). She's, obviously, excited too. :)

Tatum's Birthday (the birth story)

I know that not everyone is thrilled about reading birth stories. They are personal, very detailed, and usually pretty graphic. I'm, also, not under the assumption that everyone is interested in the details of someone else's child's birth. However, for those of you who are... here it goes...
On Monday, August 3rd 2009, I had my 39th week doctor's appointment. I was only 1 cm dilated, so we decided to schedule a day to be induced (Tatum was due on August 8). We decided that we would come in on Wednesday, August 12th for me to be induced. I was very disappointed because I was really ready for our baby to be here... I had to wait more than a week (I don't think any pregnant women ever wants to have their baby later than their due date)!!
The following morning (at around 7:30am), I woke up to my water breaking. We called Dr. Barr and she told me to take a shower, get packed (ha, like I wasn't packed yet! I was packed at around 34 weeks!), make phone calls, and drive to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, I started to feel some very faint contractions. I remember thinking, "Wow, these aren't bad. I can totally do this!". Little did I know that these were NOTHING compared to "real" contractions! We checked into the hospital at around 10am. Our room was awesome! It was a huge corner room with a big bathroom and windows everywhere.

Benjamin, then, ordered lunch.

 My lunch was a jolly rancher...mmm.

A few hours later (at around 3 or 4), the nurses came in and told me that the anesthesiologist was about to go into surgery.... I could either get an epidural then or after the surgery (hours later). I decided to get the epidural right away. I was only 4 cm, but the contractions were getting more painful. An hour later, I got my epidural. I couldn't believe the difference it made!
Around dinner time, the doctor decided to give me Pitocin (sp?) to move things along because I wasn't progressing. However, every time they gave me some, Tatum's heart rate would drop. They gave me oxygen to help.

As the evening progressed, I started to notice that the epidural was wearing off. They gave me more, but I didn't notice a difference, at all. At that time, as well, the weirdest thing happened. My left hand started to cramp up and hurt like crazy! For about an hour, I was in the most excruciating pain... not because of the contractions, but because of my hand! I was literally screaming. It was so weird! Benjamin was AMAZING during the whole time.... but specifically during this time. The birthing classes and books never prepared us to deal with a hurting hand during labor! Benjamin was so encouraging and helpful! I couldn't have done it without him.
My hand started to feel better, but the contractions were becoming unbearable for me. When I was around 9 cm, I asked the nurses and doctors if I could push (I was so done!). I pushed three times. The first two times, Tatum's heart rate dropped. The third time, it dropped and they couldn't get it to go back up. Dr. Barr decided it was time to "get her out". This next part was the scariest thing I have ever been through... it felt like hours, but it no more than a hour.
They wheeled me into the operating room and transferred me to the smallest table I had ever seen. I had to wait there (contractions and all) until with anesthesiologist came. One of the worst parts of this whole experience was being there without Benjamin. I did not picture going through this experience without him. Finally (again, it felt like hours later), the anesthesiologist came in and started to give me a spinal (I think that's what it's called). The first time, I felt a sharp, piercing pain down my right leg. He kept asking, "Are your legs numb, yet?" They definitely weren't. Finally, after the third try, my feet went numb, then my legs, then my arms, and everything else! Everything was so numb that I couldn't even swallow (or talk). I could only blink my eyes. I don't even know how to describe that feeling, except to say that I would NEVER want that to happen again! It was so scary.
Just seconds later, I heard a little cry. Dr. Barr announced, "It's a girl!" They brought our sweet baby to my side, however, I couldn't see her because I couldn't turn my head (and I didn't have my glasses on or contacts in). I just saw some pink. :) They brought her directly to Benjamin. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed in the operating room because of everything that happened with the spinal. :(
They finished with me and prepared me to be wheeled into our room. When I approached the room, I saw the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.... my incredible husband, Benjamin, was sitting in a rocking chair holding our precious baby girl! He had the biggest smile on his face! When I finally got to hold our baby girl, Tatum Sophia, I feel in love, instantly. :)

This was one of the most amazing, awesome, scary, and incredible experiences of my whole life. I am so thankful for God's protection, grace, and peace. We have been so blessed by our precious girl, and we are so thankful!

Surprise!

So, I'm going to try and be very consistent with this whole blogging thing. I love reading other people's blogs, so maybe it will motivate me to continue....
We have exciting news....

Tatum's going to be a big sister! :) This has been such an answer to prayer, and God has been really working on my heart during this whole process.
At the end of January, Benjamin and I really felt that God was telling us that it was "time" to expand our family. It was a little scary for me. However, after a lot of prayer and talking, together as a couple, I was so excited. I am such a planner (ok, a controller), so I had everything all set.... I was ready to get pregnant right away (like what happened with Tatum). We would have a baby around Thanksgiving time (perfect time for family to visit, a little less than 2 1/2 years between children, I wouldn't have to be pregnant at Christmas, etc. Everything was perfect! Plus, a good friend of mine shared that she and her husband were on the track to becoming parents, again, as well! We would be pregnant together. What could be more perfect?!
After a few disappointing months, I started to become worried. My "plan" was not happening. My good friend because pregnant right away (which was so exciting!) I felt like every time I would log onto Facebook, I would find out that someone new was pregnant! I started to think something was wrong with me!
Meanwhile, I kept telling myself (and convincing myself that I believed it) that God was in control and that His plan was bigger than mine. It was easy for me to say, but (humbling to say) I didn't truly believe it. I kept thinking that I needed to do things differently, eat different foods, drink less coffee, track more dates and temperatures, exercise more, exercise less, etc. Talk about control issues! It was exhausting!
Finally, after 5 (I know that many people have tried for WAY longer, but it felt very long) months, I decided that it was truly time to give it all over to the Lord. I was no longer going to control. Thankfully, many close friends were praying and encouraging. I'm so thankful for them. God really transformed my heart. My mom said (in a nice way) that she was so happy to hear that I was finally giving up control... apparently I've had that issue for a while....??? :) God was just trying to get my attention, and I'm so glad that He is faithful in wanting to transform our hearts!
On July 29th (our 5th wedding anniversary), I decided to take a pregnancy test. Benjamin had purchased a bottle of wine for our anniversary, so we decided to make sure that it was ok for me to drink it. Benjamin was gone when I woke up in the morning (he had an early morning meeting), so I took the test before he got home. I had such low expectations (I had been so disappointed in the past... I got used to those negative tests). I had to check and double check probably 8 million times.... sure enough.... POSITIVE!! I had no idea what to do. I ran around the house opening all the curtains, emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen, and who knows what else. I was so excited, and I had no one I could tell! When Tatum woke up, I put her in the "Big Sister" tee shirt in the picture, and waited for Benjamin to come home. Finally (ok, drama, it was probably only an hour later), he came home, noticed Tatum's tee shirt right away, and was in shock!! It was an awesome moment!! We thanked the Lord and shed some tears.
I'm so thankful to God for this process. His timing truly is perfect!