Big News!

I'm not even sure where to start this blog post because it's been so long! 

Major things are happening these days. Biggest news first .  . . we are pretty excited to be expecting another baby, due the end of July. This time we'll be getting a little BOY! 

We went to the store right after we found out and bought some cute boy clothes and a "big sister"shirt for Abby!

 It doesn't seem completely real to me yet. I'm not quite sure what I'll do with a little boy . . . I keep thinking of all the darling little girl clothes that I won't be able to re-use and the fun girly ribbons and bows. I know there are a million cute things and clothes for boys, and I'll figure it out, but it's just kinda foreign to me. I grew up with 4 sisters and 1 brother, who was the oldest, and amsurrounded by mostly nieces. But I am very excited and I know I will LOVE this little baby boy just as much as I love my sweet little girl. Garhett is beyond thrilled! He has been on cloud 9 all week long!

From the very beginning I thought this baby was a boy, so I'm not sure why I'm so shocked that it actually is a boy. I should have known though because this pregnancy has been SO so different. With Abby I was nauseous all the time but can count on 1 hand the number of times that I actually threw up. With this one though, I've been nauseous yes, but I throw up all the time, sometimes without any warning at all! (TMI?) The morning sickness (or ALL day sickness as I like to think of it) has also persisted longer. I am mostly out of the woods but still get that crummy feeling if I don't sleep enough or eat enough. I'm 17 weeks now and with Abby the sickness was pretty much gone by 14 weeks (if I'm remembering correctly.)

This pregnancy seems to have gone faster, so far, than Abby's did. Maybe that's because I am busy, busy with a little toddler running around. Maybe it's an old wives tale or maybe not, but I've also craved terrible food! Pizza, hamburgers, french fries, potato chips. Maybe that's why I gained 8 pounds from 8-12 weeks. Freak! Maybe it's just me, but that seems like a lot for first trimester weight gain. I'll have to step it up from here on out!

It is so fun watching Abby. We are trying to teach her that there is a baby in Mommy's tummy. I know she doesn't totally get it, especially because we have been teaching her where her belly button is at the same time (probably not very smart).  But, I think there is a part of her innocent little spirit that TOTALLY gets it. It is the sweetest thing to say "Abby, where's Mommy's baby?" and she'll come running up to me and kiss and hug my belly. 

We have started thinking about boy names and thinking about boy nursery ideas! It's pretty fun! I mostly feel so so so blessed that we get to be parents again and get to raise another precious spirit of our Heavenly Father.

Sometimes I am so fed up by the end of the day that I just can't take it anymore. Then, I go into Abby's room after she goes to sleep and I sit and hold her and snuggle and tears come to my eyes because I love her so much and I am such an imperfect parent, yet she forgives without question and loves me so much and I want to keep her sweet and innocent forever. Then, I feel, I get a little tiny glimpse of the kind of love Heavenly Father has for me and for all of us. It really is quite remarkable.

This parenting thing, it's the hardest yet most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. I'm just lucky and so happy we get to do it again!