...and baby makes 4!

If you read Facebook, are a member of my family, or work in the derm department at U of M, you may already know the news, but Don, Lydia, and I are expecting a new addition in September. That may be part of why I haven't blogged in a while--I keep wanting to share my huge news, but I've held off. However, I am now almost 16 (or almost 17) weeks along, and I feel comfortable sharing our news.

It took us about a year to conceive Lydia, so when Lydia was 9 months old, we decided to stop trying to prevent another child. If it happened, it would happen. I've shared our technique of conceiving Lydia, and of conceiving the child we miscarried before Lydia--we basically didn't get pregnant unless we had sex every single day from the end of one period to the beginning of another. When we were able to do that (which was exhausting, by the way), we got pregnant. However, if we missed even a day, we didn't. With this baby, we didn't have to call upon that technique. I think Lydia must have primed the pump, because we got pregnant when she was 10 months old, which means our little ones should be 19 months apart. I was so used to the idea of not becoming pregnant that I still am not sure of the date of my last menstrual period--either December 10th or December 3rd (hence my waffling on the dates). Although I'm obviously excited and happy about this big news, I'm also very nervous about having two little ones so close in age. They'll both be in diapers at the same time, we'll probably need 2 cribs (though we may be able to function without; more on that later), but most of all, they'll both require so much attention and love.

When we first had Lydia, I didn't want to have any more babies, because I couldn't imagine loving another baby as much as I loved her, and I didn't want to have to take any love away from her to give to another child. I now know that my love is not defined and limited, but limitless, and that I can love another child just as much as I love Lydia without taking anything away from her. Still, I'm nervous. As I used to say to myself when I was nervous about Lydia's arrival, other less capable people have done this before, so I can do it too. Don an dI have a great schedule, we'll be available and present for these little ones, and I'm sure they will grow up to be wonderful friends. Can't wait!

Here's our 12 or 13 week ultrasound, in 3-D. The little one is rubbing his or her eyes, which is so cute. We still haven't decided if we'll find out the sex this time around. It was fun not knowing this time, but this time I kind of want to find out early. Stay tuned...