Baby Andrew

Hi family and friends-

We welcomed baby Andrew (yes, we did finally decide on a name!) to our family last month, just 5 days after celebrating Griffin's first birthday.  We've got our hands full for sure, which is why this announcement is coming five weeks late.  But we are really having a blast with these little boys!!  Darin summarized our feelings well in a text he sent me the other day when he simply said "I love our life."  It's full of the good stuff.

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive and helpful!  Hope you are all well!

Love,

Darin, Rachel, Kayden, Griffin, and Andrew

belly

Some of my family out of state have been asking about belly pics, so I guess I'll post some.  As a matter of fact, I thought I'd post some comparisons just for fun.  I wasn't sure if how big I am this time around was all in my head.  For the record, it's not in my head... it's in my belly:) (mah mah mah)

 

Pregnancy #1 at 30 weeks

Pregnancy #2 at 25 weeks

Pregnancy #3 at 22 weeks

Yup. I'm about 2 months ahead of schedule in size! It's gonna be a long (or should I say big) 4 more months!   At least the first 4 flew by;)

I am welcoming excessive amounts of compliments from now til about September (that includes that yucky post-baby weight period). haha!

Baby boy #3

Here is the story...

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been intrigued as I have noticed that my tummy has become quite round and begun to poke out...again.  At Christmas time, I was feeling pretty good and knew my tummy had trimmed down a good amount since having Griff so to be growing a belly when it seemed that nothing about my exercise or eating have changed was so strange.  Some days I just chalked it up to the fact that I’d had another baby and muscles get stretched out and I hadn’t been working very hard on my core recently...so things must have just loosened up.  Or maybe it had to do with not breastfeeding anymore? (why my milk dried up is a mystery solved! haha)

Anyway,  I just had the thought this week that I really ought to go get a pregnancy test just to make sure...since, it’s totally possible I could be pregnant.  We took the test Friday night and you should have seen the shock on Darin's face when as he watched the "+" sign appear. I feel so so blessed that I have felt just fine! NO sacroiliac joint pain to speak of so far (which was quite painful from 4 weeks on with the last pregnancy) and that has been a huge tender mercy for me that has given me the peace and strength I need to believe that I can totally do this and it was part of the big plan.

We got in to the doctor ASAP Monday (yesterday) and had an ultrasound done.  The tech looked at my belly and was guessing I was maybe 10-12 weeks along but when she got the first image she said, "woah, this baby is much older than we thought.  You are 16 weeks pregnant! And it's a boy!"  We laughed pretty hard and I was thrilled.  Of course what woman wouldn't be thrilled to find out you've only got about 5 months to go?!  But honestly the biggest relief for me was that I can have pregnancies that aren't excruciatingly painful!  I had really begun to fear a third pregnancy, sure that there was no way I could take care of two little ones with that pain.  I feel so peaceful and happy about it all and the more I think about it the more I think Heavenly Father had a plan that we couldn't foresee and it will be great for our family.  I'm sure I'll have days I just cry and wonder how I'll do it, but that's what life's about right?  I will have to lean on Him.

The due date is August 18.  This baby and Griffin will be about 12 months apart:)

3 boys under 3! here we come!