Praise God from whom all blessings flow...

I need to start updating my blog with this all-wonderful post... I'm not one to show off my belly to the world, more less my over-sized pregnant belly, but here goes...

After Madison was born I never had the feeling of 'I want to wait awhile for #2'.  Don't get me wrong, I was totally overwhelmed in my new world of being a mom, but for some reason I new #2 would happen relatively soon.  After Eliott was born, I new I wanted a break.  Not because of him, but because I wanted my body to have a bit of freedom from big bellies and a constant food source.  We're not quite sure when we decided #3 was on the radar, but it was somewhere between Eliott and Madison successfully sharing a room and Matt finding a different job which would land me at home.  We decided we would give #3 a whirl and a month later we had a positive.  Wahoo.

The next several weeks went by and only Matt and I knew.  We are kind of secret-keeping people and like to keep it between ourselves for the first trimester.  We like to hear/see life before we spread the news.  Well... #3 bellies grow much larger and earlier and I had several people inquire.  I'll always remember the day that the kids and I were in our bedroom.  I turned to grab something and Madison says, "Mom!  What's in your shirt!??"  I'm still amazed that she caught onto that, but I told her that it was a little baby.  We weren't telling people but Madison is not the girl to go blurting out news to random strangers so I figured we were safe.  Since then she has asked many many questions about the world of having a baby.  One of my favorites, "How does God put a baby in your belly?"  Try answering that one.  The concept of 'miracle' doesn't quite sit well with her... she wants an explanation.

The ride of pregnency has been relatively smooth and I am starting to feel on the larger stage now.  I am 22 weeks along and due on January 7th.  I know that so many say that going to 3 is crazy since you are outnumbered but for some reason I have little fears about going to three.  Maybe I will be surprisingly overwhelmed, and I know there will be days, but I am so thankful to have my focus at home for the first time when a new baby arrives.  No thinking about long-term subs, going back to work and pumping milk, finding day care, ...  My mind gets to be in one place.... simplified (sigh).  Madison will be a great help.  Eliott... well I'm sure he will still be scaling counters and getting popsicles out of the freezer but he will keep himself constantly entertained.  I'm sure there will be productive days of tower building and cookie baking, and then others when it seems like I got nothing accomplished and when Matt comes home and I hand them over and collapse on the couch.  I am so thankful that my kids get to have brothers/sisters.  It is so much more work to have multiple children but my joy so full when I hear them squealing in laughter with one another.  Or when I hear Madison say, "Good job T!"  I pray often for the love that they have for one another and thank God that they do.  We talk a lot about how God gave them each other and they are so blessed to have one another.  Little #3 will move right in as a new little blessing for us all.

I am soaking up days of having two mobile, good-sleeping, independent kids that we can do so much with for I know soon these will be coming to a close.  Loving my little family in our humble little house on Hawthorne Dr.