We're Expecting

Now that we're telling everyone we're expecting a baby I can blog about it.

I am 14 weeks along now. We are so excited!

We have been very blessed to be able to get pregnant as we plan. While in Italy we did not want more than two kids because that would make travelling harder to do. But planning to leave Italy we decided we were ready for a third baby.
When we found out we were pregnant we decided not to tell our ward members because we were leaving. What's the point of getting everyone excited and disappointed at the same time. "Yay, we're pregnant. But we're leaving you so you won't get to see the baby anyway." Especially my primary class. I did not want them to find out and make it harder for them to say goodbye to us. I had the 7 to 8 year old primary class. These military children who have to move and have their friends move all the time. It is sometimes really hard to say goodbye but military kids have to do it all the time.

I figured by the time we left Italy I would still not look pregnant because I wouldn't be very far along. However, this being my third child, things are happening sooner than previously. I started showing a tiny baby bump a few weeks before we moved. I started showing before the goodbye party the ward threw us. I decided that nobody would dare ask if I'm pregnant even if they think it...for fear they might be wrong. But I was wrong. Two different women, at the ward goodbye party, dared to ask. So I told them the truth. I am pregnant.

I think I was atleast 5 months along before I showed...when I was pregnant with Luke. But this time I was not even three months along! I was also surprised to find I could feel the baby move inside me way early! I started feeling the baby move around the time I started showing. The baby was still tiny and I was surprised that I could feel it swimming around and leaning against the belly. I was shocked when the baby pushed hard enough on my belly that Ster felt it through the skin. I was only 10/11 weeks along. Crazy.
Then when I had my first ultrasound I found my baby incredibly active.

I have seen the doctors at the base in Italy three times before I moved away. The second time I saw them they said we were going to hear the baby's heart beat. I did not bring Sterling. I left him home with the kids. Big mistake. They ended up doing our first ultrasound that appointment. I was very upset because it turned out to be the best ultrasound ever...and Sterling missed it.

The baby was moving all over and was playing with the umbilical cord! It was grabbing it, pushing it and kicking it! Crazy and cute.
The doctor and I were very entertained for some time by it. I wished so much that they could have recorded it on a dvd as a video. They did take a picture for me but it's nowhere near as cool.

I remember Tiberias being very active and moving like crazy in my tummy. I am hoping this one is a girl though!

When we got back to America we told our family members our amazing news as we saw them. Our parents we had told ahead of time over the phone.
So we told Sterling's family and Eliza first. But Tereasa and some of my family already knew by the time we went down and told them.

I had dropped a hint in my blog a little while ago and Tereasa picked up on it. She asked my mom if I was expecting and my mom spilled the beans.

The military does one ultrasound around 20 weeks. But by then Sterling will be in Mississippi for school. And I have learned that some medical places can do a gender ultrasound as early as 12 weeks along. So we are going to pay to have an ultrasound done before Sterling leaves.

We found a place in Provo that does them for a good price $45 but you have to be 16 weeks along. So we scheduled an ultrasound and I just have to wait. I am anxious and excited to find out the gender! I am a little scared too. I want a girl so bad. I want a boy.. but I want a girl so much more.

We are going to take Luke and Ty to the ultrasound. It will be an awesome experience for Luke and for Ster and I. I'm not sure Ty will really get it but that's ok.

The baby is due January 18 2014.
In December this year my mom is going to come with me on the ten hour drive up to South Dakota. I will be 8 months along and it will be winter. It is a long road trip and I'll have two little boys in the car. SO I definitely need mom to come along to help. We might have to make it a two day trip...because little boys can't last ten hours in the car in one day. And we'll have to make a lot of stops. Plus, we don't know what kind of weather or traffic we'll run into.

Our life is just full of adventures.