Here we grow again!

We must have a family motto such as "the more the merrier" as we add one new little birdie to the Nest this fall! I had grand plans of a super adorable announcement with pictures of each child holding "their" birdie. The past two weeks have been pretty rough on all of us so I decided to be a bit more realistic...

Just to add some reasoning behind each birds' whereabouts...

1. Charlotte is my sidekick. She LOVES math & enjoys naptime each day when we get to knock out a lesson over tea.
2. Eloise has a favorite toy, a cat piano. It is not my favorite for multiple reasons...she carries it around & plays it in my ear, it has a setting where each key "meows" & if left on unattended, it does a lion like purring sound & makes me jump every time. 
3. Poor Owen has been throwing up since Saturday night so this is his current diet minus the Lysol wipes in the background. I have wiped down just about everything in this house more than once....I'm surprised I have any left. 
4. Since his best bud has been sick, Anson has been in the playroom A LOT by himself or with sisters. Legos are top on the list. We haven't even picked up toys since Sunday & it could be hazardous to your health to navigate the room in the dark. 
5. Sweet baby number five is making him or herself known by way of nausea. It is a staple symptom of pregnancy for me & happily welcomed. I do love me some crackers & gingerale!

We were so certain that our nest was full after the twins were born. So much so that we passed along all the baby contraptions, bottles & most of the clothes. There is something for us that happens when the baby, or "babies" in this situation don't seem like babies anymore....we want another one! We had decided to wait until my follow up neurology appointment at the end of January to make any official decision but apparently all it took was a mere thought of another baby....and there was a positive pregnancy test.  Coupled with my neurology appointment I had a repeat MRI to make sure there had been no changes from the previous scan. That was the first week of February & I actually had to take a pregnancy test in the office to verify I was not pregnant so they could proceed as directed. It was negative, I had my scan & went on with life.  A couple weeks later I was at a pregnancy center where I have started back as an RN a few hours a week.  I was going through a patient file prior to meeting her & noticed the date of her last cycle & it got me thinking. I had picked up a box of pregnancy tests prior to my MRI & figured I would just take one for the heck of it. It was positive within seconds. Robby was gone for the evening & I was about to have a heart attack! I told Owen & Anson first since they are still capable of keeping secrets. I was SO excited & slightly shocked wondering how it had already happened. I know we have been through this (a few times) but there is still an element of surprise which keeps us going back for more ; )  I shared the news with Rob once he got home & he was just about as surprised as me! 

I called the doctor the next week & within two days had an ultrasound to see how far along I was. I don't think it matters how many times I've been pregnant I feel nervous right when they put the probe on my belly. This time I felt nervous that there would be another set of Twinkies! There happened to be only ONE six week old little baby in there with a healthy heartbeat & we were thrilled. The prospect of another set of twins was hilarious & overwhelming at the same time but we would have happily welcomed them : )   

After another scan today & appointment with the doctor, Baby #5's expected arrival date is October 19th. A fall baby....that's new to us & sounds lovely....and cool!

Here is the first look ....

The morning after the positive test we decided to tell the girls our exciting news. Robby said "do you think it would be fun to have another baby in our family?" They of course said "YES!" to which he responded "well, there is a teeny tiny baby growing in mommy's belly right now!" Their faces were so adorable as they grinned ear to ear. Charlotte could not stop saying "Really? Really? Are you serious?!" As soon as she stopped saying that she asked "Mommy, can I pray for our baby girl right now?" 

A little back story, in December, a friend of a friend welcomed a baby girl named Annabelle with Trisomy 18 & a two chamber heart. In full knowledge of this, they chose to carry to term & waited to see how the Lord would work. She lived for one joy-filled week. I spoke often with the girls about this family as we looked at pictures on Facebook & prayed for them. They watched a video of Annabelle's big brother singing to her "I love Annabelle" & it captured their attention. We truly believe the Lord has used the painful loss of this child to help Charlotte understand more of who God is & how He works. The day after Annabelle died we had someone over & Charlotte said "Do you know about Annabelle? She is this sweet little baby that was growing in her mommy's belly. The doctors told her that Annabelle would die but her mommy & daddy believed God more than anyone else & waited for her to be born. Then she came out & was so small. God kept her alive for six sleeps (which is a week in Charlotte language) & then she died. Her family was sad but now Annabelle's body is perfect & she gets to live in heaven forever with God & Jesus." My jaw dropped & my eyed filled with tears. First of all, the way this couple honored God as the giver & taker of life makes me feel deep sorrow & joy considering the pain in suffering they went through & the hope they have in Christ. Secondly, to hear this story summarized by a five year old whether to her sister or a random person at school helps me know that the foundation is being laid for Charlotte as she learns about who God is & how we fit into His story. I along with the girls have thought often about this family & continue to pray for them as they grieve the loss of their sweet Annabelle. 

Back to when Charlotte asked if she could pray for our baby girl...

We smiled & said "yes, please do." Praying aloud with our family is something new for Charlotte & we love when she asks or offers to pray. This morning it was simple "God, please protect mommy & the baby girl. We really want to have our baby home & please don't let her die after six sleeps. Amen." She has prayed that last part many times since finding out & says often, "I hope our baby doesn't die mommy." It kind of catches me off guard but the Lord has allowed us to have conversations with them about how some babies do die & how in death they are made perfect. We have been able to talk about trusting God when you are scared or sad. What a wonderful opportunity it has been to visit with these little ladies who have no filters & pray that they would know the goodness of God.

As far as my health goes, I am feeling great. My medication dosage had to be increased at the beginning of January & was finally therapeutic two weeks later. The seizure medication I am taking is safe for pregnancy but has a few risks associated with it & I will be closely monitored by my neurologist & a perinatologist. We are used to that "high risk" monitoring thing after last go-round. My immediate response to "risk" is to panic & to ignore the fact that the Lord is all knowing & does everything for His glory & our good. Basically this means me ignoring everything we teach our children.  Thankfully the anxiety was short lived last week, although I am guessing I will have to fight against it at other points during this pregnancy but, I am calling to mind His faithfulness in the past...the only way I know Him to be. 

The girls still say about a hundred times a day "I can't believe there is a baby in your belly, is she going to come out today"-Charlotte or "Mommy, your belly is looking really bigger"-Eloise. To that last comment, I will tell her once she is a few babies into motherhood that it is a relief to find out there is another bun in the oven & you don't have to suck it in anymore ; ) Also, they are certain it is a girl & like the names, Annabelle, Clarabelle & Violet. Charlotte said the baby must sleep in their room at night & she can take care of her. Eloise chimed in to say that she would feed the baby milk from her breasts. Oh my, hard to not burst into laughter but instead hold that sweet little mini mama & tell her that I love the way God made her. All that to say, I think I will have it made once we are home from the hospital with two live in nannies to provide night time care to the new arrival.  I feel fairly nauseated again especially if there is a banana within a mile of my house. The kids are sweet though & stay near me at all times whether I'm leaning over the sink or toilet. Eloise pats my back & says she is sorry I'm so sick. She also told me today that she hopes she never throws up because she doesn't want to make those yucky sounds I make. Haha!

Owen & Anson at almost two seem like babies compared to how we looked at Charlotte & Eloise at that age. By 22 months of age with each girl, we had a newborn in the house! I think this time around will be very different with potty training & big boy bed transition knocked out but a challenge with two almost three year olds. The boys LOVE any baby that comes to our house & say "touch'em, touch'em!" Anson is often spotted carrying a baby or two in the kid size Ergo & Owen is very nurturing with his puppies that sleep in his bed every night. They will love having their very own baby brother or sister come October.

What a way to start the year off! I cracked four eggs yesterday morning when I was cooking breakfast for the kids & this is what I got in this order....single, single, double, single. Hilarious which was exactly what I needed after being thrown up on by Owen just hours before. A friend of mine asked if I gave any thought to continue cracking to see what might happen next....I'm thinking five, six & under sounds good. 

One other story that brings a smile to my face is this. I went to the pregnancy center on Monday, four days before finding out about this little babe. When I walked in, the first person I saw was a friend named Jan that I used to volunteer with before we moved to Florida. She & her husband had prayed that the Lord would give us a baby way back then & actually had lunch with us in Orlando when they came for a visit. I was barely pregnant with Charlotte & we got to share the news. A couple weeks ago, when I stopped by the center, it was a chilly day so I had on lots of layers & a jacket that had a tie up above the belly area. She gave me a hug & put her hand on my belly & said "is there a baby in there?" I said "oh no, not at the moment but there have been four in there in the past six years which is why it looks like there may be!" She apologized while I reassured her that I never take offense to that comment. Four days later I took a test & six days after that it was confirmed via ultrasound that Jan & God were the only ones that knew what was going on ; ) 

In the past few months God has merged our lives with old friends & new that we are so excited to walk through carrying & welcoming our first true Texas baby. Robby used to joke that we couldn't have a 5th baby born in Texas because it wouldn't be fair to the others. Ha! Well, now it's happening! We are thankful for those of you who have loved us & prayed along with us through the filling of our nest & hope you will continue asking the Lord to protect this little one as they grow & to prepare our family for what is ahead. Thank you.