The best sort of SURPRISE!

My husband and I have struggled to a small degree with infertility. I didn’t seem to have much trouble at all getting pregnant with my oldest, *E*. However, I always wanted the next child to be pretty close in age to *E*. So when I didn’t get pregnant… and didn’t get pregnant… and didn’t get pregnant… we headed to my OB/GYN (a year plus of trying is quite stressful, actually). I was started on Clomid and after a two or three cycles I was happy to see the two positive lines on the home-pregnancy kits. (BTW… those pregnancy tests are EXPENSIVE! and I had to buy a few of those over the years! But I digress.) So now I have two beautiful boys, 31 months apart. (And of course my very handsome 16 year old step-son!) They are perfect. They get along, they play with each other all the time, all fears of being too far apart in age to be ‘friends’ were unsubstantiated.

I knew I wanted one more after that but Hubs decided HE was DONE after *C* was born. So after a little convincing (and a lot of praying on my part) we tried for a bit before he left for Iraq in 2008. Nothing.

And then… I started to grow very content.

I really started enjoying having the boys be a bit older. I really enjoyed being able to sleep in on the weekends, knowing they were downstairs watching cartoons. I really enjoyed their stories, their hugs, their ability to ride bicycles, the ability to watch them from the kitchen window as they played in the backyard. I really enjoyed their independence, and in turn a little bit of independence for me.

And then …

SURPRISE!

Amazing how my plan isn’t always God’s plan. And His plan is MARVELOUS! I will never forget the utter SHOCK my husband showed after I shared the news in late November. For a full 24 hours he kind of wandered the house in a daze. I fully skipped the shocked faze and went right to ecstatic. Pregnancy wasn’t exactly on our agenda anymore … and it only took a split-moment to throw that agenda right out the window! (BTW once Hubs got over the shock he was the one spilling the beans to everyone … so I know he is just as excited, too!)

I had my first doctor’s appointment earlier this week and she was kind enough to point out that I am ‘Advanced Maternal Age’… so ya, my body is a little older. Morning sickness isn’t just ‘morning’ for me. (In fact, it gets worse as the day progresses.) I have already gained 10 pounds (EGADS!) and have been in maternity pants since I was six-weeks. Funny thing is how often I get asked “So, was this ‘planned’?” I don’t know how to answer that … Yes, it was in God’s plan. No, it wasn’t necessarily in mine… and, yet, maybe it was. It sure is now!

Many blessings are ahead of us for 2010! The boys have both said they hope it’s a girl; they are ready for a sister. *E*, 7 years old, gets very upset if *C*, 4 years old, starts jumping on me or pushing on me when he sits on my lap. The older brother tells the younger brother “Don’t hurt the baby!” *C* keeps asking when we are going to /get/ the baby because he can’t wait. He’s still trying to wrap his head around this whole thing.

My head is wrapped. And I am fully wrapped in God’s grace & infinite wisdom! (Now I just need to go find a few crackers to nibble on and find my daily can of ginger-ale.)