New Shirts!!

Can you read Jake's new shirt? Yup...it says "Big Brother!!" :) Darrin and I recently found out we're expecting baby #3!! We're very excited and feel extremely blessed.

Word gets out quick and we've been getting swamped with the usual questions....so here's a little FAQ for you all:

• Yes....it was planned. Happened pretty quickly, but that's the way it goes with us and our growing family, I guess! :)
• I am still VERY early... about 6 weeks now. I should be due about mid-February. I go to the doctor next Wednesday and we have our first ultrasound next Friday. So stand by for pictures that make you twist your head to the side and ask "what am I looking at, exactly??.....Ohhhhhh.....oh, there it is....I think...." :) :)
• I am feeling good for now. All very normal 1st trimester stuff. I get ridiculously tired, way too easy; a little bit of cramping which is quite annoying and uncomfortable; and I get a little sick here and there throughout the day, but nothing that's not tolerable. However, since I'm still so early, I know the worst is most likely yet to come. Just trying to take it day by day and hope that it's not that bad. Thank goodness I have 2 little ones who keep me distracted, husband who is incredibly helpful and I know that there's an end in sight!
• When the baby is born, Rylee will be 3 and half, and Jake will be 2. Yes, we will have 3 kids, 3-years-old and under. Believe it or not, people have had kids closer together and they survived.....barely, but still. ;) And No, we are not the next Duggar Family. (side note...I LOVE the reactions I'm getting about having THREE CHILDREN!!!!!! lol Quite entertaining)
• We won't be able to find out the gender for another 4 months or so. However, we aren't sure if we want to find out. We might just leave that as a delivery room surprise. :)
• We will need a bigger car. Got one that you want to give us? :) **Although, I'm still trying to convince Darrin (and myself) that we really can fit 3 carseats in the back of my Saturn. :)
• We told our family by way of other people spilling the beans. Brenda was able to get an actual surprise. We showed up with Jake wearing his "Big Brother" shirt. She was surprised, "knew it" and excited. Rylee ended up telling my dad and grandparents that she's "going to have a baby sister" (I guess she's on Team Girl) without my mom even there. So we had to let her tell my mom later that night too. I wanted to wait until Father's Day. We should have known a 3-year-old was a bad secret holder. :) They were all very excited and not very shocked. For the record, my mom is also on Team Girl and already has Rylee calling the baby "Baby Lola" :) John and Cindy found out about 5 minutes before we were able to tell them. A little birdy called them up and accidentally congratulated them before they knew. lol OOPS Oh well -- no harm, no foul... It was still fun to hear how excited they were, though (and also not so shocked) :)

On a bit of a "deeper" note - I've been getting some wonderful and very touching encouragement by some friends and family. I get very self critical and am very harsh on myself, and I often project that feeling into assuming that others feel the same way about me. This is something that is very evident in how I view myself as a mom. It's a battle I constantly wage against the enemy...who wants me to be negative and doubting in the position the Lord has put me in as a mother. But I've been getting some wonderful words of encouragement, telling me that I'm a good mom and that I'll do great with 3 kids. It's all been very sincere (not just a passing "oh...you're a great mom!" in a high pitched I'm-just-trying-to-make-you-feel-better voice. You all know what I'm talking about). And those sweet words have been so precious to me. It reminds me that I have a wonderful group of supportive friends and moms around me. We help each other on this crazy, tiring, confusing, joyful walk of parenthood. I know that I have friends who really understand the struggles of parenting (and all things in life) and who don't judge others because they know everyone struggles with many of the same things. I have a great group of family and friends who surround each other in love and prayer. It's a place where we can expose our faults and fears and be carried to the Lord in prayer. It's people who know how to give you an encouraging word, even when they didn't know you needed it....nor did you. :) I love that. I love that kind of community. I feel really blessed to be apart of it and am so grateful for these people in my life.

Anywho -- enough with the sappy stuff. Here we go with #3!! Thanks for being along for the ride!! :)