Excited as Can Be.....

To announce Baby #3!!

If Doug and I had to describe our news in one word it would honestly have to be….surprise!

But we could also describe #3 as a blessing, an eye opener, a gift, a miracle. That is how we feel about Baby Jansen #3.

Telling people you are pregnant with your third is much different than telling people you are pregnant with your first or second. For the first they are just so excited for you. With the second we got a lot of “I was wondering when that was going to happen…” With this one we have gotten so many  “well that wasn’t the plan...was it?”

Nope. This wasn’t our plan. We had one plan and God had another. Remembering back to newlywed daydreams, I used to dream of the pitter-patter of lots of little feet. I used to picture going outside to yell “Supper’s ready!” and having 3 or 4 kiddos race in to beat each other to the table. I always secretly wanted the crazy even though I love having acting like I have it all together. Over the past few years, Doug and I’s plans had changed a bit but I guess God always knew our hearts.

This third pregnancy feels really different for me. I am not talking pregnancy symptoms--I have now been lucky three times to only have one symptom and that is I cannot keep my eyes open (I might blame Em and Aug for a little bit of that this time.) What I mean by feelings is the overwhelming feeling of how blessed I am and how life changing this little one is going to be. How life changing all littles are. After this year, after meeting the sweetest little girl there has ever been and after seeing the unwavering smile and the radiating love of a proud Mommy, I will never be the same kind of mom I have been for Em or Aug. If Sharon can thank God for every kick and hiccup, for every month, week and day she had with Madison, why am I not shouting to the ends of the earth all that God has done for me???

With Emery, I had no idea the love my heart could hold. It was a shock to my system and nothing I could have prepared for. With Auggie I fell hard and fast. My goodness I loved that little boy from the moment I knew about him. The past few years I have been reminded many times of how blessed I truly am. I have been blessed once, twice and now three times with healthy babies. Baby #3 has a strong heartbeat of 158 and put on a little show of waving and kicking at his/her’s first sonogram. Doug couldn’t get over how perfect our baby already looked and I cried because I am sooo in love again. Okay so really I have been blessed four times because I count Doug as one of my greatest blessings. I have had easy pregnancies and near perfect births. We have good jobs, a nice home, too many close friends and family to count. We have gone through no trials. No heartache. The same cannot be said for so many around me. So why am I not waking up every morning with praises on my lips, sharing God’s great deeds throughout the day and going to bed with a thankful heart, eager to get back up in the morning and do it all over again?

I feel the great urge to do that this pregnancy. To let everyone know what great things our God has in store for baby #3. I feel the need to slow down and enjoy what I have right now. When the time comes I want to cherish every kick, every little milestone. I know I won’t. Because I am only human--a busy-working-mom-of-almost-three human. But I do vow to really try. It it the very least I can do compared to all that I have been given.

We are really really excited. Doug said the other night “I bet we will look back and think ‘what did we ever do without #3?’” I enjoy being pregnant and love the newborn stage (weird I know.) There is just something about a curled up little ball asleep on your chest. And their smell. I know in a blink of an eye they will be one...then going into kindergarten...then….you get the idea. I am already looking forward to Mommy-baby alone time while the kids go to school and the babysitters. I just want to soak it all in this time. I think Doug is excited to see the change in Emery and Auggie, the change in our family dynamic. He could really care less if it is a boy or a girl--he has embraced being a Dad of both. Em on the other hand thinks it has to be a girl because “we already have a boy” and is most excited about getting bunk beds. And Auggie’s little world is about to change. All of our worlds are about to change.

Telling Douglas: For the other two I had cute little ways of telling Doug. Not this time around ha!  
Me: Come here. I have something to show you...

Doug: What is that….

Me: Rolling my eyes…..because clearly he knows what that is…

Doug: Gives me the biggest hug of my life in excitement

Me: Tears. Lots of tears.

I was randomly nervous to tell Doug. I don’t know why. After the hug I started the “But What About” List. What if babysitter can’t watch baby? What about our cars? What about insurance?” He just said we would figure it all out. (During the next few days, we switched. He kind of freaked out with the what about list and I was the calm one haha). Now we are just equally excited and in love. I am so very thankful for the husband Douglas is to me and for the father he is to my babies.

Telling Family: Again, the last two times we had cute ways of sharing the news. This time we just slipped it into conversations--we loved all the different responses we received. My Mom went from telling me from experience “it doesn’t get any easier...it just gets harder” to texting me the next day hoping I was having twins….thanks Mom! I swear Doug’s parents were just as excited about number 26 as they were with the first. Their joy for their grand babies is so infectious. My grandparents said “about time”(they have been the only ones to say that!) and my Dad was excited to spread the news. Doug’s siblings love nothing more than a new niece or nephew to love on and can’t wait to welcome another Jansen. My favorite response out of everyone’s has to be my brother Avery’s. I texted him a video of Emery announcing our news and he texted back “3rd child doesn’t get a big grand reveal? I know how it feels to be the 3rd child…” I laughed out loud with that one! The forever joke is that poor Avery wasn’t loved as much as Austin and I. He swears there are no pictures of him and that he has always been forgotten. Poor Avery….poor baby #3 ha! I am so very thankful for the love my little family receives from our families.

Telling Emery and Auggie: We waited to tell Em and Aug until after our first doctor appointment. We set them on the couch and I told them that Daddy and I were having a baby. That got a blank stare from both of them. I then showed them the ultrasound pictures and Emery’s slow smile told us she was getting it. She commented that the baby had a little foot and then Auggie just started yelling “Baby!” We talked about the baby growing in my belly and it was made very clear from the beginning that Em thinks it has to be a girl. No question. The news of sharing bunk beds with Auggie got a few excited jumps from Em and the biggest smile and that night she said she was going to dream about her new bunk beds ha! She talked to Nana and Grandpa Sammy on the phone and announced “I am having a baby!!” and Doug and I just laughed. She told me the new baby can sit in the high chair when we eat supper and that we need to put the crib back together. The girl has everything figured out. At bedtime both kids hugged me and we reminded them that the baby was growing in Mommy’s belly. Em giggled and Auggie just stared at my belly….very confused. He also keeps saying there is a puppy in my belly. Silly boy. I am so very thankful for the forever bond of a sibling and the excitement in children’s eyes.

Telling my Girls: The joke is Kaci and I only call each other when we are pregnant. She is my best friend but life doesn’t necessarily allow for long conversations on the phone--but to us pregnancy news needs a phone call. She was the first to know about Em and Aug and I loved getting the phone calls about Orie and Baby #2. So I called her and just simply asked if she had any guesses as to why I was calling. It took her two guesses but she got it! She was quite surprised. So was Kendra. I can still hear her saying “Really!?!” I love her excitement because I know she loves my babies fiercely. When I told Sharon, I didn’t know what to expect. She scooted over on the couch and gave me just the hug I needed. I should have known she would be happy for us. I should have known that she would be excited that her sweet babies have one more little one to watch over. I am so very thankful for these girls and the support they give me and the love they have for my kiddos.

I know Doug is right there with me in feeling different about this pregnancy. We feel more blessed than ever before. So bring on the bunkbeds, the mini-van, the sleepless nights and the sweetest gift God has to give. Bring on Baby Jansen #3!