Plans Schmlans!

Everybody has "plans" for their future and for their children's future. And as much as we like to think that we have control over whether or not those "plans" come true or not, ultimately, God might have different plans for us.

My original plan for how many children I want and how far apart in age I'd like them to be was to have two children 3 years apart. I think I liked that idea because my brother and I are 3 years apart, and it's just the two of us. Now fast forward to giving birth to Finley. That plan immediately changed to "I'll start thinking about more children as soon as I forget the pain I just went through, and something tells me that wont be for about ten years!" Then as more time passed, Hooper and I started thinking that maybe we'd start trying for another when Finley turns 2 in January. Surely it'd take us several months to try and then they'd be close to 3 years apart. THEN, I started thinking that maybe that's too soon. Maybe at the beginning of the summer when she's 2 1/2 we can start trying. And then in August, Hooper had a GREAT IDEA! He said that if we got pregnant right now, we could have the baby at the beginning of the summer, and then he'd be home for those months with me! I told him what a great idea that was, but let's shoot for that plan NEXT August.

But remember how God is really the one in control? And how our "plans" aren't always His plan? Well, forgive me for grossing you out, but on a certain August day, I knew in my heart that I had just gotten pregnant. I can't explain why I knew, but I just did. I told Hooper that I knew it, and for the next couple of weeks, I had feelings and emotions that furthered my suspicion. I took a pregnancy test from the Dollar General a few days before my period should have come, and it was negative. Even with a negative test, I still knew. I realized it was just too early to test, especially with a dollar store cheapy. So a few days later, I took another test during my lunch break from work. I told myself that I'd pee on the stick, then go let the dogs out, then return when it had been 3 minutes. When I returned to the test, it was positive. I knew it.

I told Hooper via text message because he was at work and I HAD to tell him right then. He was really excited, and we immediately started thinking of how we could tell our families. Since we wanted to tell them ASAP, there wasn't a whole lot of time to plan out something cute. So I got on Old Navy's website and ordered a $5 tshirt and had it overnighted for $18! When the shirt came in two days later, we put Finley in the shirt and showed Hooper's dad who was visiting us. Of course he was super excited! Then we took her to my mom and dad's. It took my mom FOREVER to finally read her shirt, and when she did, she screamed so loud that Finley started crying. (Sidenote: I had been talking to my mom about how I didn't even think I wanted another kid lately. It was a total lie, but I didn't want her to suspect anything during my pregnancy suspicions I was having! She and I are a lot like twins, and I figured if I didn't throw her off, she might suspect also.) So she was over the moon with joy to know that we were indeed having another baby, and having one soon! My dad was excited also, but we had to tell him to read her shirt, too. Next we took her to Anna and Eddie's and Anna finally read her shirt on her own. They were all really excited. I think it took Elliott and Beckett a good 24 hours for it to fully sink in. Hooper FaceTimed his mom and his brother and sister and everyone is super pumped.

So here I am... I'm 8 1/2 weeks pregnant. I went to the doctor Friday and everything is good. On a really "yay me" note, I'm 45 pounds lighter than I was at my last visit to her office which was when Fin was 6 weeks old. Annnnd, I'm 25 pounds lighter than I was when I got pregnant with Fin. I begged my doctor for a sonogram since her office is in Ft. Worth and it is really hard for me to get up there with my work schedule. :) They let me have one, and the little baby just looks like a tiny alien connected to a big cheerio (the yolk sak). The baby's heartbeat was 170 at the visit. My due date is May 7th, but the baby is measuring with a due date of May 12. I never was quite sure if Dr. Deem is changing the date to the 12th or not.

How am I feeling? I feel like I'm hungover constantly. I'm always sleepy, always hungry. Nothing sounds good to eat, and when I finally find something that does sound good, I regret it an hour later. I have a stomach ache on a daily basis. I constantly have a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm not sleeping well already. This is very different from my pregnancy with Finley. I am very excited, but also very nervous. I'm looking forward to growing this little bitty baby in my belly, and then meeting the little guy or girl in May. But I'm also still getting used to the whole thing. For a walk down memory lane, here is my blog from when I was 9 weeks along with Fin. I'm hoping that I will keep up with this blog as well as I did with the last pregnancy!

Oh yeah, remember how Hooper had that great idea about getting pregnant in August so that he could be home all summer? Well, it's gonna work out that way!  Oh, and I'm also starting to think that maybe this wont be the last kid after all. :)