D-Day

Here we are, once again, anxiously awaiting the latest addition to our family and time couldn't be moving any slower! Ah, yes, I seem to vaguely remember this feeling during my last pregnancy with Joseph. With the clock moving at a snail's pace, I thought this would be a good opportunity to reflect on our past few months . . .

First, I have to say what a different pregnancy this has been from my first. Not sure if it's the fact we're having a girl -- yes, we did find out the sex this time thanks to the new ultrasound technology being tried out for the first time during our 20 week ultrasound. Despite the very clear picture and exact placement on the "nether regions", I have to admit that I had a moment of weakness that ultimately led to our confirmation. Retrospectively, Brad and I both talked about how that first shot all but confirmed that our little one was a girl. Once I caught a glimpse, I simply couldn’t resist and just had to be sure. The shopping of cute girly clothes ensued and the rest is history. We couldn't be more thrilled to balance out our brood and add a little girl to the mix!

But I digress . . . I have heard wives' tales that pregnancies with girls tend to be a lot more difficult and, wow, did that end up to be so true in this case! I'm not sure if it had anything to do with this pregnancy falling mostly over the germ-infested winter months or my level of fatigue resulting from both chasing after a very busy toddler and trying to work full-time -- my guess is that it was a little bit of both. Anyways, the majority of our winter months were spent perpetuating and trying to defeat the endless cycle of ailing symptoms, including two rounds of antibiotics in April due to a bad case of bronchitis. Who even knew that they gave pregnant women antibiotics?!? Anyways, we can thankfully say that the long winter is behind us and we look forward to brighter days ahead.

Over the past several months, we have watched Joseph's amazing transformation from baby to little boy. Ever since he put on his "walking shoes" in December, we haven't been able to slow him down! He just loves exploring the world around him and I am just so incredibly thankful that he is still such a good sleeper. Where would we be without those naps?!? Every day brings something new and we've enjoyed seeing our "little professor" learn and grow in leaps and bounds over these past few months. Yes, that's one of our affectionate nicknames for him because -- as much as he loves to be the physical active little boy that he is -- he is such the studious analytical observer as well. One of the first things he does before he gets out of bed in the morning is point to his books so he can pick one out for his morning read. I swear there is no funnier image than seeing him so intently focused on his book of choice while we change his morning diaper. Every once in a while, he'll even cross one leg over another just for effect! These last few weeks, I've been getting particularly nostalgic with him and trying to simply cherish those quiet moments that I have with him. Whether it's quietly reading a book together, working on a puzzle or simply rocking him to sleep -- yes, I still rock him like a baby and I will continue to do it as long as he lets me -- it is in these moments that I am reminded of how blessed we are to have such a special little boy. I know the next few months will be as much of a transition for him as it will be for us as we try to remember what it's like to have a newborn, but I don't doubt that he'll continue to amaze us as he takes on his new big brother role.

Which brings us to where we are today, the official due date of Baby Girl Hunter, appropriately falling on the 65th anniversary of D-Day. The infamous day signifies the high-cost invasion that officially marked the turning point for Allied forces in WW2. This day is often noted as "the longest day" in history and that has certainly taken on an entirely new meaning to me. Let's just hope that, similar to the storming of the beaches in Normandy , this little one decides to take the world by storm soon! Oh, and on a side note, let's also hope that she goes easy on mom in the process. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and stay tuned for news . . .