i can't prove i'm not a robot

does anyone else ever fail these "prove you're not a robot" tests? or is it just me?

that particular one isn't too difficult, but you should have seen the one before it! 

How I told my husband about baby #2.

If you've been pregnant, you've probably been asked some version of the question, "were you planning on it?"

We could talk about why this is a funny question for a while, but instead, I'll just share a video clip that may give you our answer to that question.

It helps to know that Addie is wearing this shirt in the video :)

The details.
We had friends in town over the weekend of September 28. On Sunday night, we went out for a big seafood dinner. I felt suddenly nauseous later that evening and one of our friends joked, "maybe you're pregnant." Ben didn't even catch it, but I thought hmmmm I am a couple days late. 
So the next morning, I took the one pregnancy test we happened to have around, and sure enough 2 little lines. Clear as day.

Well, since I hadn't told him I was taking it and it turned out positive, I started to think about how I should tell him.
Option 1: Pretend I hadn't taken one yet and tell him that night I think I should take one in the morning because I'm a few days late. Clearly I ruled this out because 1.) It's lying 2.) I would have NEVER been able to keep a secret like that for 24 hours.
Option 2: Casually bring it up at dinner.
Me: "so I realized this morning I was a couple days late."
ben: "oh. should you take a pregnancy test?"
me: "well actually I already did" [beaming with a huge smile.]
Ben: "and....?"
me: "I'm pregnant."
Option 3: Something fun and cute and surprising.

Back up a couple years.
We had had a discussion when we were 'trying' with Addie about how he wanted to know when I was late and when I was taking a test as opposed to being totally surprised with little booties on his plate at dinner like all the cute stuff you see on the internet.
But this time around, I didn't really expect this one to turn out positive, and I took it after he left for school... and we hadn't been 'trying,' so I didn't want to text him in class with "hey, I'm a couple days late, gonna take a preggo test."
Dilemma.
Anyway, I had already taken it and it was already positive.
So, fun surprise option #3 it was.

I'll probably not announce it this way for future babies, as it took him at least 24 hours to recover from the extreme level of surprise.

But there it is folks.


Disclaimer: I'm not even sure if this is worth writing, but just in case... please know, I have dear dear friends who have struggled with getting pregnant for months or years. I do not take lightly their pain or the fact that I've seen the hurt on their faces when they've been 'trying' and you haven't and somehow we're the ones who end up pregnant. I hesitate to even use the word 'trying.' But at the same time, it's part of our story and it would be false to pretend otherwise. And for whatever reason, our gracious God has entrusted us with another little one and we are so thankful and giving Him alone the praise for this blessing. Meanwhile, it reminds me often to pray for my sweet friends who ache for a baby. If this is you, I'm reminded of the verse Psalm 30:5 which says, "weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning."  

tomato soup & grilled cheese

This has been my go to lunch for a couple weeks now. Not every day... but almost.

It's so so good.
I know it's a staple and probably doesn't need any instructions, but here's how we do grilled cheese and tomato soup around here.

Tomato Soup
Melt 1 Tbsp butter in sauce pan on stove. Whisk in 1 Tb. flour. Slowly stir in 1 C. of milk. Heat through on medium-low. Add a regular sized (14.5 oz) can of tomato sauce. Season with basil and pepper & stir until heated through.

This makes 2 generous servings. I'll either have it 2 days in a row or share with a friend who's over for lunch. If we're having it for dinner, I'll sometimes double everything so I can use it for lunch the next day. It's so easy and delicious.

Grilled Cheese
For the grilled cheese, I like to use whole wheat sour dough bread. Ciabatta or a french loaf would be yummy too. I get it near the bakery and produce area of the grocery store rather than the bread aisle. I don't need fancy bread, but it is so much better :)
(Addie gets her grilled cheese on not-fancy store brand bread.) And if I'm feeling sassy, I'll throw some turkey on. Deeee-lish.

Anyone else have a tasty variety to share? Enjoy! :)

13 Weeks & Anticipation

Oh pregnancy. 

The first thing people seem to ask when you tell them you're pregnant (after they mentally calculate how far apart our kids are going to be... I'll save you the calculation.... 17 months), is "how are you feeling?" 

I was feeling gross. 

Tired, unmotivated, nauseous. 

I ate a lot of apples, cheese & crackers, and pizza. And deli sandwiches. 

Standing in a grocery store made me want to vomit. So.many.smells.

But then, week 10 or 11 hit. And one morning, I woke singing the Hallelujah chorus as I realized I didn't need my dear husband to bring me toast in bed. (Through those nauseous first trimester days, I have to eat something before my head lifts from the pillow to avoid puking :)... anyone else out there do this?!?!)  That I could get up all by myself, go to the kitchen, and have a cup of coffee and some cereal. That was a glorious day. 

Slowly but surely, I remembered how to get dressed and leave the house and make real food for dinner. Phew.

So, here we are. 13 weeks now, and so thankful to be feeling more normal. I've started to feel teeny tiny bubbles in my tummy... I think New Baby is pretty busy in there. I remember the first time I felt Addie. I had been waiting and waiting and waiting. A friend had told me it felt like little bubbles, not like kicking. I think it was somewhere around 20 weeks or so. But now that I know what I'm looking for, I think I can feel it quite a bit earlier. 

Tiny movements. 

Tiny precious life. 

Did you know most of the baby's critical development has already taken place? Organs, tissues, skin, fingernails, reflexes, eyelids, eye color, tooth buds, bones, fingerprints. 

Fingerprints!! This little one already has fingerprints. 

There's something about your second pregnancy that is more amazing than the first. 

With the first, everything is new. And that is fun in its own way. So much anticipation and wonder. 

But, with the second, it's like - you have a glimpse of what's coming; you have a memory of the first moment of meeting your sweet child; the known replaces the unknown; excitement replaces fear. 

And in a way, it is so much more fun to be pregnant the second time. 

Because you can imagine more clearly what's to come. 

At the same time, I have no idea what's to come. Or rather, who. 

Who this wonderful baby will be. 

What s/he will be like? 

What will his/her personality be? 

What will s/he like? Dislike? 

And so, just like the first, I am still filled with anticipation and wonder. 

I used to think it was over blown that people called it a miracle. Because it happened all the time. So, how could it be a miracle. 

But, I think I was wrong. 

Sure, people have babies all the time. But, just 13 weeks ago, this person didn't exist. Then there was 1 cell. And now there is a 3-inch sized human with fingerprints. And in less than 7 months, that little life will take its first breath of air and I will again be overcome. 

"You knit me together in my mother's womb... fearfully and wonderfully made." 

Baby Update

Well, it's been announced. 

It's facebook official, y'all.

Baby #2 coming sometime around June 6. My sister-in-law happens to be a due a day before me (what are the odds of THAT!?!?!) So we announced with this picture. 

If you don't recognize Addie, you must be new around here, because I only post a gazillion pictures of her in every post. My sweet niece Lanie is on the right. These two girlies are 5 1/2 months apart. It's been so fun to have the cousins so close in age, and to share in this parenting journey with our siblings who are more like dear friends. 

This was the photo I sent to my side of the family who doesn't know my sister-in-law. 

More pregnancy details to come, but for now I just wanted to say - it's good to be writing again & it's fun to have our big (or rather, little) news out in the open!

p.s. just for fun, here's the first post I wrote about sweet Addie girl... before we knew she was a she.