Surprise Surprise ( part 2)

I left off with Micah and Sarah joining our family and the 7 of us living and loving life here in NC.

Last summer, I began training for a half marathon. I was running around 10 - 15 miles a week, eating healthy and strength conditioning.  In February,  I ran the Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. It was awesome. (I throw this in here because I am unsure if focusing on my health and diet is the reason I was able to conceive or if it was something else or just Gods timing. It is the only thing that I can think of that we did differently. )

Fast Forward to this April 2015. We went to my parents house in Virginia for a pre Easter visit and decided to hike up to the Cascades in Giles Co. We started out around 10:15 and about 10 minutes into the hike, I was starving. Like really really hungry.

Me: Anyone bring any snacks?
Kids: Mom, you are the one that packs the snacks, not us.
Me: Anyone have any gum? mints? tic tacs? anything???????

OK... that is a little weird.

 By the time we got to the top I couldn't even enjoy the beautiful view. I wanted food and right then. I  contemplating crashing some college students picnic.  I smelled chickfila in the woods. I felt like Esau willing to give up a birthright for one bowl of stew.  I made everyone search their pockets again for mints or gum.

FINALLY,  we made it back to the car. I tore open my protein bar, took two bites and thought to myself, " This is the nastiest thing I have ever tasted in my life." Couldn't finish it. I ate a few handfuls of the kids chips, but really, they didn't taste very good either.

So weird.

We left Virginia and drove back to NC and the next day had a brunch and egg hunt at church. Again, I was starving but nothing looked or tasted good at the brunch and that was when it first crept into my head that there might be a reason for this food aversion/hunger. I did some calendar checking and realized that I could accurately take a pregnancy test, so I left the egg hunt and ran some errands before going to Micah's soccer game.  While out,  I bought and took a pregnancy test.

( In the Target bathroom!)

Positive.

Say, what???? I am 41 years old. It had now been 10 years since Greg's vasectomy reversal.

10 years.

So I did what any other sane women would do..... I bought more pregnancy tests. Over the next 24 hours, I think I averaged peeing on a stick about every three - five hours.

 And the line just kept getting darker.

It was Easter weekend still and every pastor's family knows that is one of the busiest weekends of the year, so I actually kept my news to myself all day Saturday and all day Sunday. Finally, after Greg was finished with all his Easter Sunday responsibilities and had a good nap, I told him Sunday evening.

He didn't believe me.

Why should he really. 10 years is a long time and there had been plenty of " Maybe I am" months in there... Good thing I had about 10 pregnancy tests to back up my claims. ;)

We decided to wait until I had been to the doctor to tell the kids. Trouble was the doctor didn't want to see me yet ( I was, by my calculations,  only 5 weeks)

 AND we were leaving for Florida the following week and being so close together,  if I was sick, the kids would know.

 AND I stink at keeping secrets.

Soooooo, we told the kids the following Tuesday.  They were a mix of giddy excitement, shock and disbelief. Mostly happy and excited... for which I was thankful. We also swore them to secrecy until I had went to the doctor. We did end up telling our Florida parents and I texted my mom on the way home from Florida.

Mom: How was your vacation?
Me: Ok. I have been sick a lot though. Nausea and really tired.
Mom; Maybe you have a stomach bug. or gall bladder issues Or diverticulitis. Or an ulcer.
Me: Don't think so. What else could it be.
Mom: Maybe you are pregnant HAHAHAHAHA
Me: (Texting her a photo of the positive pregnancy tests all lined up) Ding Ding Ding. You are correct!

so the news was slowly getting out.

I did have my doctors appointment the following week to confirm what my dozen tests had already told us..... I was indeed expecting a baby.

Baby number 6.

All the emotions.... Shock. Surreal. Thankful. Scared. Nervous. Excitement.  We kinda ran the whole gambit. I would be considered higher risk because of my age.  Of miscarriage. Of Downs Syndrome or Spina Bifida. My blood pressure was high. I was fighting some pretty yucky morning sickness.  The reality that by Christmas, I would have a 1 month old AND an 18 year old started to set in.

Greg and I both decided that the only thing we could do was give this baby ( like we had all our others ) to the Lord. He had decided, in HIS time, when this baby should be born and we would have to trust Him with all the details.

And so far, that is what we have been able to do. :)

I am 19 weeks along now. The baby is due December 7 ( which was also my due date with Abigail back in 1997) I did have a genetic blood test done and the baby shows no signs of being special needs.

We also found out that he is a BOY!

So, I am trying to enjoy this second trimester of what I am assuming will be my last pregnancy. Even though I am in better shape than I was in my 20's, being pregnant at 41 is tiring. Being pregnant at 41 with a 4 year old to chase around is especially tiring! I am trying to record every milestone and memory. Bringing this blog back to life will be a part of that.

So if you are still reading, thanks for joining us as we get closer to welcoming Gideon Burke Mullis into the world and into our crazy family.