It’s a ….

Spring has definitely hit the south. The weather is warming up, round two of the “pollen invasion” has struck, and I am officially in nesting mode. The last few months I’ve been attempting to keep my pregnancy stress level down by putting my energy into things that I can control such as buying diapers and organizing baby supplies. There are so many pregnancy variables that are out of my hands, and it helps distract me a bit.

In 2015, my very artistic sister-in-law painted two beautiful scripture verses on canvas for me when I was pregnant with Mark. They hang on a wall in the nursery. One of the verses has been my pregnancy anthem with both Mark and this little one:

“Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Just as God promised Joshua and the Israelites, He is with us through all of life’s mountains. As I walk the pregnancy journey for the third time, I try to cling to these words as a reminder that I am not journeying alone.

This week I spent a very rainy Monday sorting through baby supplies in the nursery while Mark ran around pulling things out of drawers and playing with long-forgotten baby toys. I reread that verse on the wall for what seemed like the hundredth time, and it occurred to me that I had been avoiding my blog a bit this pregnancy. I apologize for my absence. I always seem to avoid it a bit during pregnancy. However, writing has always been a way for me to help process things, so now that my third trimester is in full swing, I figured it is time for an update.

For those who have been eagerly waiting, we are having a…

Boy!!

We actually found out much earlier than we initially expected due to an unexpected ER visit. I learned the hard way that chasing a toddler up a flight of stairs in your second trimester is not a very good idea. I still have a nice bump on my leg to remind me of that. Thankfully, all was fine, and we found out the gender a few weeks early.

Logistically, this makes things fairly easy since we are already in boy mode with Mark. He has been in his “big boy truck room” since January, and I intend to keep the nursery exactly the same. Preparations for our expanding family are definitely underway, though. Last month, I pulled down the first 3 months of baby boy clothes and spent an afternoon washing and sorting them. I’ve been gathering fun activities and games in a basket to pull out one at a time when I need something new and exciting to entertain Mark in those early weeks. Half of a lasagna I made last week started my post-partum dinner stash in the freezer. I’ve also been brainstorming where all the baby supplies are going to go in our toddler-dominated downstairs.

For the most part, things have been business as usual here. Mark has loved the warmer weather because it means more outside time. The water table has reemerged on our porch, and playground trips have become much more frequent. He is now mostly potty trained, something he picked up on much faster than I anticipated. I am really enjoying the brief break from diapers before the craziness begins again in June.

In other news on the toddler front, Mark is learning to spit toothpaste into the sink. I never thought about how difficult this concept is to explain to a toddler. Teeth brushing sessions have become quite comical in our house. Additionally, much to my amusement, he is also beginning to use phrases that he must be picking up from Matt and me such as: “Does that make sense?” and “Let’s make that happen.”

Example #1:

Mark: (Walks into the kitchen)

Me: Hi Mark.

Mark: Mommy, I need my water bottle. Does that make sense?

Example #2:

Me: Mark, it’s going to be nap time in five minutes.

Mark: I want to go for a walk, please. Let’s make that happen.

Overall, we are enjoying the spring and this phase of life. When pregnancy stress and thoughts of the traumatic ending to my first pregnancy lurk in the back of my mind, I’ve been turning my focus to God and the tasks I need to accomplish that day. I’ve also been really trying to appreciate the one-on-one time with Mark lately, because I know that my attention will be divided in a few months. The two-year-old phase has been filled with a few tantrums but also a lot of comical and memorable moments.

Thank you for the prayers!