We're Expanding Our Home by TWO FEET!

So…we have a big announcement...

I AM PREGNANT!

WHAT!?!?! I know. We're shocked, too. Even I had come to terms with the fact that we were going to forever be a family of five.

Last week, we officially saw the heartbeat on the ultrasound, so it's suddenly very real. I was on my way to getting back in shape, I had started jogging, I was eating really clean, and now I'm the thinnest I'll be for at least 18 months. (*sigh*)

But the prize at the end is worth it.

I just turned 39 last week. My body was doing such weird things this past year, I actually wondered if I was going through early menopause. No joke!  According to my doctor, I have nothing to worry about, women have perfect, healthy babies well into their early 40s. But my friends are all VERY done having babies, so I may as well be 55…that's how old I feel starting over with a baby and diapers and sleepless nights and infant seats and strollers and diaper bags and…all of it.

The kids could not be more excited. Jason, especially!  He can't wait to be a big brother and has already made two great suggestions if it's a boy: Chester and Darth Vader. Kaylin likes Claire for a girl. She tells me almost every day. They are all loving the week-by-week pregnancy app on my phone. The baby is currently the size of a blueberry…I hear about it all the time.

I've been feeling pretty blah, especially in the afternoons. It's not "we're having a girl" nauseous, I'm really pretty sure this is a boy. I remember crazy sickness and nausea with the hormones that Kaylin brought through my body. Of course, that's just speculation.

This time around is going to be very different. I am in a place of simplicity in my life and I really don't want tons of STUFF. We'll be just fine with a crib, some onesies, and a package of diapers, right?  ;) The big kids are enough entertainment for the kid, so who needs rattles and toys! Because we are completely starting over. I don't have a single thing left after getting rid of it all a couple of years ago.

Expect to hear a lot more from me now that I'm pregnant. Lots of thoughts and experiences that I'll want to document for later.

{4 Ingredient} Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

These do not fall under the "clean eating" category, but they are definitely fast, easy, and delicious, not to mention gluten free. 

I found the recipe on Pinterest and Ryan (quite literally) made them 3 minutes later. My pictures aren't nearly as impressive because they were baked by an 11 year old, but do not let these little lumps of goodness fool you. They are fantastic!

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup chocolate chips

- Preheat oven to to 350*.

- Combine ingredients in a medium bowl, until dough forms. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar (optional). Flatten slightly with your hand or a fork.

- Bake 6-8 minutes.

- Yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Unable to Finish Strong

It should be noted that this wonderful, yet very surprising, pregnancy is going to keep me from finishing several of the items on my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list.  For instance:

#29 - Jog for 30 minutes straight. I was actually working up to this one, but I just can't see doing this while pregnant. I was struggling to do it before I was pregnant!  I realize pregnant people jog all the time, but I'm not them. This is getting pushed off till after the baby arrives.

#30 -Take an international trip with Mike. This is a bit of a disappointment, because we had plans!  Our good friends, who we have traveled with for beach vacations as a family, are in the process of relocated to Japan for a year. We discussed it and decided that it would be a great opportunity to take the whole family to Japan! We planned to go in the spring, right around the time I'm due, which just isn't  logical, let alone safe. (*sigh*)

#95 - Lose 15 pounds. I was working on this one and doing pretty well…the scale was going in the right direction! But now I'm going to gain it all back, plus 20-30 more to keep those pounds company. But it's all worth it.

#20 and #21 - Pray for Mike (and the kids) every day for a month

Some of the items on my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list were included to create a habit. #20-21 fell into that category.

Sadly, I had to set an alarm on my phone every morning to remember to pause and pray for Mike and the kids. But it worked!  Usually, while I'm still in bed in the morning, I'll pray for their days, pray for direction as a mom, pray that the kids will get along and that I can respond to them gracefully.

Hopefully, I'll keep up this habit because we could all use someone out there praying for us!