Telling the Kids

Since the big kids were with me when I got my fortune, I told them why I was so excited about it.  So they knew the next day about my pregnancy.  I have never told them so early, but it felt right.  I have been a little concerned about my oldest son's and daughter's responses to any mention of having more babies.  They are both really responsible, reliable kids, and I can see how they take a lot of the burden upon themselves.  I was hoping they would be able to find some room for excitement, though.

A couple of weeks before my test, Ruby had come up to me during co-op and told me about a dream.  She said she dreamed I had a red-headed baby girl and she was so excited.  She said when she woke up from the dream she was really sad because it had seemed so real.  That warmed my heart and reassured me that she would be ready for the news if and when it came. 

I was surprised that none of the kids asked me in the morning about my results, but it was a busy day full of classes, etc.  I brought it up to Nathan when he got home.  "Aren't you wondering about the test I took this morning?"  I asked slyly.  "Oh yeah, I forgot," he said.  "Looks like you might have a birthday buddy," I said.  He continued down the stairs, smiling.  A few minutes later he ran back up and said, "How close of a birthday buddy?"  And I could tell he was excited.  My due date is only 2 days shy of what his due date was. 

Brandon and Daisy were thrilled.  We waited a few weeks to tell the younger kids.  When I told Sarajoy, she said, "Good, now we can have another girl."  Simon said, "What are we going to name her?"  I told Sullivan there was a baby growing in my tummy and it was going to grow up and come out so he could hold it.  He said, "Yeah, and it is going to be a girl." 

Needless to say, we are all getting a little too attached to the idea of having a girl...

And at a Relief Society party when I told someone I was craving pomegranates, they said, "You must be having a redhead..." 

(Sometimes superstition is a little bit fun)

But we are all very excited to find out for sure and we will be so thankful either way. 

The Heart of a Brother

I decided to grow a backbone and hold our 16-year old to his curfew agreement last week.  It is never easy for me to administer consequences, but I really felt I needed to help him learn the commitment and punctuality that keeping curfew requires.  So he lost the privilege of going out this week.  Not a big deal, really, because he is so busy, but he loves going to the high school football games and there was one tonight.  He could have made a big deal about missing it, but he made a better choice instead. 

His choir was singing the national anthem, so he had to be there at the beginning of the game.  When he learned that his sisters had been invited for the evening to go to a friend's house, he cheerfully offered to drive them since it would be on the way.  The next thing I know, he's loading Sullivan in the car, too.  I wondered how that would work having a 2 year old with him while he tried to sing.  That little guy came back feeling so special, with so much to say!  He got to see flags and fireworks and hang out with "Mrs. Christensen", a friend's mom, while Nathan sang.  I think those two guys genuinely had a great time together, even though they didn't get to stay for the whole game. 

So big brother came home and cleaned out the van so he can use it for his big homecoming date tomorrow night.  As soon as he was done, he was down on the couch with his little friend.  Diego is always more fun when you have a big brother to watch it with. 

It is such a joy to see my kids care for each other.  It makes the hard parts of big family life completely and totally worth it!

Fortunately

In 2010, when my heart was opened to the idea of having more children, I had no idea what it meant.  I have previously shared the confusion I have felt over whether our family was complete or not.  Since Sullivan came to our family, I have had lots of questions from others about whether or not we were "done."  I am not offended by this curiosity like many people are.  It doesn't bother me to share things like that with others, and I frankly feel a need to talk about it sometimes because it occupies my mind and heart so frequently!  But I never had an answer.  "I don't know,"  was all I could say.  When Sulley was past 2 and weaned at 26 months and my body was showing no sign or regularity, I started to wonder if maybe I was done.   I don't know if I will ever not feel baby hungry, but I have felt pretty peaceful about things going either way.  People like to tell me I am still young, but my body is 7 pregnancies "old", and I am tired!  Not tired enough to deny somebody a chance to come to our family, though. 

It is sometimes fun and exciting, and sometimes really scary to put that decision in the hands of God and nature.  I prayed about it daily for years.  I think through the summer Dallin and I both felt a roller coaster of emotions about it.  I got to a point where I was definitely in the baby hungry and ready phase, but nothing was happening.  At a homeschool meeting, I borrowed a bouncy, giggly baby boy from some friends for a few minutes.  He is their 11th!  Dallin and I played with that little guy and drank in his smiles and giggles.  I asked Dallin later if he was baby hungry.  "How could you not be after playing with that little guy?" he said.  Pretty heartwarming! 

Weeks went by, and I was paying more attention to my body and wondering if things were beginning to wake up.  I watched and waited and arrived at the day before I had decided to take  a pregnancy test. 

It was temple day with the big kids.  I have taken fewer homeschool trips this year so I have some time alone with my 3 big kids.  We usually get some dinner after we are finished, so I invited my niece who is at BYU to join us for dinner afterwards.  We drove around Provo for a few minutes until we settled on Panda Express.  I was kind of excited to read my fortune cookie after we ate because I was anticipating the pregnancy test the next morning.  I had Brandon read it to me and giggled with delight:

A very welcome visitor!  And the next morning I got the good news!

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