Nora has a big announcement to share…

Yay and Praise the Lord- we’re expecting another baby! We are so excited and happy to report that I am 13 weeks along, everything is looking good and the little one is about the size of a lime. (I find that to be a cute comparison for some reason.) We’ve been able to hear the baby’s heartbeat, which always seems like a miracle. Baby Teague is due in March, right around the time Nora is turning two. The official due date is March 19th.

And just in case you wanted to know it, here’s the story:
I was experiencing one or two mild symptoms right before my mom arrive for her visit in July. Just enough to wonder if it was possible. I knew that if I was, it would be super early. So I waited until after she left. It was a great distraction having her around and I tried not to get too excited. In fact, I thought I played it cool. Although it turns out, Mom was a little suspicious after I randomly decided to take a nap on the couch one afternoon and fell asleep instantly. But she didn’t say anything. At least not until her suspicions were confirmed. =)

Mom left on a Tuesday and I had told myself I would wait until Friday. Just to give myself time and to make sure the result was accurate. And also because Friday is my favorite day of the week.

I made it until Wednesday morning. I couldn’t settle down and started praying and felt like I should go buy a test right then. So I did. I came home, waited for the results, and gasped out loud when I saw the positive test result. I can’t think of the last time I did this, but I literally fell on my knees and starting praying. I prayed for the Lord to help this baby grow so we could welcome him/her into the family. I also prayed for trust and peace no matter the outcome. (Sadly, we had experienced a miscarriage a few months before.) I prayed for a few moments before I felt the familiar pat of Nora’s hand on the back of my head. Naturally, she thought I was playing peek a boo. I looked up and saw her happy little face and thought how great it would be if she could be a big sister in a few months.

I managed to wait until Josh came home to tell him the news. (I’m still a little proud of myself for that display of self discipline.) On any given day, I try to take several pictures of Nora (gotta keep those Pictures of the Day coming). So it’s become a natural part of our routine for Josh to look through the camera to see what pictures were taken that day. On this particular day, I had these gems waiting for him.

By the time I went in for my first prenatal visit, I was almost 9 weeks. The doctor was able to find the heartbeat. When we heard that whir, whir, whir, my entire body relaxed in gratitude and I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Josh and I were so grateful that we were able to hear the heartbeat that day. The weeks went by and we got into the double digits on our weeks. Yay! Soon it was time to go home to Atlanta for Tiffany’s wedding (Hooray!) We were able to announce the pregnancy to family and a few friends we were able to meet with in person.

And I’m feeling so much better! Poor Nora has become quite the independent player since I had so little energy. I supervised her playing, and that’s about it. And Remy. I just couldn’t stand the stank that is Remybreath. And when he comes in from outside? Forget it. I had to cover my nose and hope the cloud would lift soon.

But I think I’m over that The World is Made Up of Overwhelming Smells stage. I have some energy back and I’ve even been able to clean the kitchen without wanting to retch. Big progress. Speaking of big, I realized a few weeks ago that I was going to be needing my lovely maternity jeans sooner than I expected. Unfortunately, I had just lent them a few months ago to a friend who isn’t due until December. I felt like such a cheater having to email her and ask for them back! She probably didn’t even get a chance to wear most of them. Of course, she’s wonderful and was very understanding. She’s just one of many people who have been so supportive and happy for us.

There’s already so much excitement and love for this baby. He or she is loved and covered with prayer and we couldn’t ask for better support.

Josh and I have been so blessed and the blessings continue! In the past month, we gained a new nephew, James, Kemble’s engaged to our soon to be sister-in-law Ashley, we got Rex as a new brother-in-law, and now we get to announce that we have our second child on the way! Praise God for family, especially family that keeps growing!