Where did this kid come from?

It's time to talk about my third child.
Let me preface this by saying how much I prayed to get pregnant with Avery. We planned on having a third, and it took at least six months of trying before, finally, we found out she was on her way. Her arrival was so special. She fit in so sweetly. It had been over four years since I experienced a newborn, and I just ate her up. My little dollbaby. She was so pretty as an infant too...

NOW...

Avery turned two last month, and there have been several occasions when Greg and I have wondered where she got her personality. We just NEVER know what she's going to do next. There are unpredictable two year olds, and then there is Avery. We both agree that we will raise Emily and Kaleb and think we've seen it all, and then she will show us that there are always surprises in store.

Here are a few examples of her various adventures:

She's obsessed with trying to take Levi's diaper off and change it. She has opened it up in the past, seen his parts (that are obviously different from hers) and she's convinced it's "poopoo". I think she just wants to get it out of there, because I keep catching her trying to change his diaper, saying, "Get poopoo off," even when he's clean.

At my nephew's funeral, everyone was obviously in a very somber mood. There were reunions with family members we haven't seen in years. People were very sweet to come and offer their many condolences and words of hope. There were sounds of tears, sighs, soft laughter...and, what's that? Avery laughing and screaming at the top of her lungs, running through the funeral parlor with her tongue hanging out and her hands flailing in the air.

When I was pregnant with Kaleb, Emily was just about 20 months old when I would get sick. I would be sitting on the bathroom floor, leaning on the toilet, and Emily would come in and pat my back and say, "It's okay, Mommy." Avery, on the other hand, comes into the bathroom when I'm getting sick with this baby, and yells, "EWWW! Yuk! Poopoo mouth!"

There are more stories than I can tell with this child. The point is, she will ALWAYS keep life exciting...

Hmmm, where is she, by the way???

Still amazes me...

Yesterday morning was my first sonogram for this pregnancy.

I needed one because my midwife was concerned about a couple of things. Everything is fine.

As I lay on the table, a bit nervous to see if the baby was okay, I was amazed at how, well... amazed I was. Here I am in my fifth pregnancy...I have laid on a table looking at the black and white images of my baby on the screen six to ten times before...and the sight still brought tears to my eyes. I don't care how many times you've been through it...there's still something so wonderful about feeling that probe hit your abdomen, not yet protruding or appearing pregnant, and seeing a little person wiggling around in there. The little fluttering heart, the tiny arms and legs waving...it's such a miracle. It reminded me of how much I love being pregnant.
Sure, I'm in the thick of the toughest part. I found out yesterday that I am NOT 11 weeks as I thought, but only ten. That means that there are potentially three more rough weeks ahead of me. But when I saw that baby...I was so happy for the sickness and fatigue and mood swings. It's all physical evidence of what I can only see on those black and white screens for now...there's a baby in there.
And in another month or two, I'll start to feel better, I'll look pregnant, and I'll get to experience something I thought I'd never do again...I'll feel that little miracle moving and growing inside of me...anticipating the moment when I'll get to hold her. (Oh, yeah, by the way...I'm convinced it's a girl!)