Baby #4, all the details

Thank you so much for all your sweet congratulatory comments on my last post about baby #4. You guys are the sweetest.

After Bean was born, we thought we could be done. Frankly hubby was probably done but I was not quite sure. By the time December rolled around, we started having the conversation about a new baby and we decided to pray about it. 

A job opportunity opened up for me in Paris while at the same time a promotion opportunity opened up at HQ. I applied for both jobs and we asked God for his guidance. If he thought we were done having kids, then we hoped to get the Paris job and we would make the move without looking back but if for one second he thought a 4th baby was in our future then we prayed for the promotion at HQ. Low and behold a month later I was offered the position at HQ. You guys, I was so happy because in my heart I wasn't done and I was happy God's plan answered the desires of my heart.

We wanted the kids to be 2 years apart and planned to start trying when Bean was a little over a year then my brother and his fiancee decided that they wanted to do their traditional wedding in Cameroon in February of 2016. Given this very important new information, we delayed our baby making plans. I didn't mind being pregnant and traveling but I didn't want to be 9 months and traveling to Africa with 3 kids.

As soon as we were in the window where we wouldn't be more than 7 months pregnant in February 2016, we threw caution to the wind. It didn't happen right away this time around which made me so nervous (I know it really wasn't that long but it felt long to me). Less than 3 months after we started trying, I was staring at a positive pregnancy test. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. We've been blessed beyond our wildest dream in the baby making department and we thank God everyday for his grace.

The first few tests I took only had the faintest of faint lines. I was squinting so hard to see anything. I asked hubby to look at it and he said he couldn't see it. There is a reason I always buy cheap test, I am a test addict

I pulled out the digital because I thought I could see a faint line but it said "not pregnant", I was so bummedI am not one to give up easily so two days later, I took another test and low and behold, the line was there clear as day but it was on another cheap testI decided to get a good test and another digital and sure enough, that beautiful word "pregnant" was starring me in the faceAhhhhhhhh, we are having another baby. No one was interested in doing a photoshoot with me so I just took this picture with them in the backgroundWe told our families right away. We didn't want to sleep on such good news because we want all the prayers in the world and if anything were to happen we would tell them anyway. Everyone was so excited for us. I was just hoping that I wouldn't get sick since we were headed to Disney World in 2 short weeks.

After the initial excitement, the fear and anxiety clouded the next 3 weeks of my life until the first appointment in November after we came back from Disney World. I was a nervous wreck, just scared out of my mind. The minute the Dr put the U/S machine on, I knew all was going to be well with the world. Our little bean just showed up on the screen with the most beautiful and loud heartbeat you've ever heard as if to say "don't worry mama, I am here to stay". We cried tears of joy, relief, and happiness. It was the week of Thanksgiving and we were just so thankful for this new life growing inside of me

Our littlest shrimp, 7 weeks young, the most beautiful sight ever

The week after we came back from Disney World, all the pregnancy symptoms flooded my body. I have been just exhausted and hurting. I am also somewhat sick, nausea all day but no vomiting. I just have a never ending feeling of wanting to puke all day, this is a new symptom for me, I've never had this with my other pregnancies. This pregnancy is seriously kicking my butt and I am barely holding on. I am so thankful that we are done with the first trimester and our baby is growing strong and healthy.

We were fortunate to see our baby again around 11 weeks, shrimp was looking more like a baby and moving around like crazy. This made it so real to me, it was really happening. Our beautiful shrimp 11 weeks and 3 days young :)

I started taking bump pictures around 10 weeks because I was feeling hopeful and that bump showed up so soon, I felt that I needed to start documenting. I guess 4 babies in 5 years will do that to the body.

I do love this pic of me and hubby, 7 weeks pregnant with our 4th baby

10 weeks with our shrimp11 weeks with our shrimp, it is so nice to be pregnant during the Holidays12 weeks with shrimp and my mommy on Christmas day

A day shy of 13 weeks with my friend HJ who is pregnant with her first. I love being pregnant with my BFFs

We are all caught up with baby #4. What a blessing, we are super happy as you can imagine. Everyone is asking us if we are hoping for a girl and the answer is yes of course. We have 3 amazing sons and we've loved raising them, it would be awesome to experience raising a daughter. At the same time, we trust God to give us whatever is best for our family and if a girl is not in the cards for our family then we will still be the happiest family full of boys. Either way, we are done, our family will be complete when baby #4, whatever sex we get, joins our family in July. We are so looking forward to this new adventure in our lives. Glory be to God for all good things come from him.