Announcement!!

We're pregnant!!

This isn't really a surprise announcement to most of you, since we told most of our family months ago.  But, we thought we would finally make it Internet official, haha.

When Mitchell and I were visiting family in Missouri in April, we decided to throw Mitchell his 2nd birthday party.  During his party in Springfield, Chris's cousin, Kara, made an announcement that she and her hubby were expecting their first child.  I was over the moon excited (for them and us, lol).  You see, I have been after Chris's cousins for a while now (I'm sure they are more than annoyed with me about it, lol), to hurry up and give Mitchell some cousins to play with who would be relatively close to his age.  Normally, I get the same answers, that none of them are in any hurry to start that chapter in their lives and that Mitchell may be waiting a while.  So, when Kara announced that she was pregnant, I was crazy excited and happy for her.  I even made the joke, that every time Mitchell has a birthday party someone ends up being pregnant (last year at his first birthday party, our friends, the Marsh's, were expecting); little did I know how right I was about that:)

Later on in the week, we headed down to Jackson to see my side of the family, and again, had a birthday party for Mitchell.  I was excitedly telling my family how Mitchell would have a new little cousin soon on Chris's side of the family, but then it got me thinking... Hmm... between all the hustle and bustle of traveling, seeing family, having birthday parties, etc., I was running late on something myself.  I didn't think too much of it, because sometimes the stress of traveling can affect my cycle.  But after a few more days of nothing, I decided to take a test... Haha, I had every expectation that it would prove me not pregnant, and would show it was all from stress like I originally thought.  Nope, I was wrong... there was the big 'ole positive sign:  I'm pregnant!!  What wait?!  Haha, the curse (or blessing) of Mitchell's birthday parties, Ahhh!!  I immediately called Chris, he was really excited, which helped get me excited (not that I wasn't happy, but I think I was in a bit of shock).  When Kara made her announcement the week earlier, I had no idea I was pregnant; but now I was even more super-duper excited that she was pregnant, because now we are going to have cousins really close in age!!  Oh, the fun they will have together:)

Chris and I decided to wait to tell people until I came home and could confirm the news with a doctor.  But then, we decided we couldn't pass on an opportunity to tell our parents in person.  So, I told my parents (they were really happy and excited for us) and then the following week when I went back to Springfield, we told Chris's parents (who were also really happy and excited for us).  Ok, truth time... our plan on keeping it quiet didn't last too long, haha.  I decided to tell my two sister's, Christine and Karen, who live in Jackson as well.  I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell them in person.  But, I had to be fair... if I told them, then I also had to tell my other siblings; so, I did:)  I also told my Aunt, who lives across the street from my parents (again, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell some family in person).  Haha, then when in Springfield, of course, Chris's brother also had to know:)  And we went to dinner with Aunt Vonnie and Uncle Kevin right after we told Chris's mom, and she said there was no way she could keep it a secret from them.  Haha, so they found out too.  But that was it, until we confirmed it with a doctor, haha!!

We are really excited to be expecting this little guy or gal on December 31st!!  That's God's sense of humor on display, since after we found out, Chris and I just prayed that the baby would arrive before the end of the year if possible (for tax deduction reasons, and we have a high deductible on our insurance, which we really don't want to have to pay twice in a row).  Well, we couldn't really cut in any closer than December 31st.  We are elated to have our New Year's Eve baby!!