An Oreo of News

When I was going through school to become a teacher, my professor always told us to make our news like an Oreo.  Tell the parents or student something good, something not so good, and then finish with something good.  While this professor did not always follow her advice I am going to use her "Oreo Model" to give you a very glad, sad, glad family update.  Here we go!

Number 1: Glad News

All of our Georgia family and friends will be seeing a LOT more of us next year!  (I hope this is good news for you because otherwise the whole effect if ruined.)  We have missed you so much and can't wait to see you again on a daily basis!  Woohoo for Georgia - the only place sane people live!

Number 2: Sad News

I won't type about this for long because I will get all teary-eyed.  The reason for all our time in Georgia is because Danny is being deployed.  For the safety of him and his team I will not share dates or locations on social networks.  However, I can say he will be home for Christmas 2012 and 2013.  Please begin praying now for safety of all involved.  We will miss him like crazy!  I will stop now while I can still see to type. . .

Number 3: More Glad News

Well, "glad news" is a little more than deceiving because what we actually have to share is SUPER DUPER AWESOME NEWS.  I have been holding it in for almost fourteen weeks now.  (And you thought I couldn't keep a secret!)  Drum roll please ._._._._._._._._._.  (Nice drum roll huh?)

**There will still be FIVE of us traveling to Georgia!** 

I will give you a second to count - hee hee.  Yes, that's right.  We are having a precious baby! 

Now before you start thinking, "They are crazy!" and, "Do they know what causes this?" let me say a few things.  Yes, we do know what causes this.  No, we are not crazy.  Yes, we did it on purpose.  No, I don't need your "funny" comments.  They might just hurt my extremely hormonal heart. 

When we found out we were moving to Fort Bragg they told Danny he was going to be a part of a unit that was not going to deploy until 2015.  Our original plan was to wait a few years and have another baby.  However, with this new timeline that would leave me with a newborn and no help.  So we decided to go ahead and try for another baby.  A little too late in the game the ever-changing Army calls back to tell us that Danny is moving to a different unit that is deploying . . . soon.  So the waiting game began.  We moved and a week later Eli told Danny that he was going to be a big brother!  We were thrilled but it was also bittersweet.  Danny wouldn't be here for the birth or most of the first year of this baby's life.  We also have early pregnancy issues that needed to be handled and we couldn't find a doctor anywhere! (Our Army insurance hadn't kicked in yet.)  Many tears later I found a doctor that would see me once before the Army insurance would takeover. 

I went to my appointment, got the medicines I needed, and waited for an ultrasound.  The ultrasound didn't show anything!  I was so deflated.  The Army doesn't give ultrasounds until 20 weeks and with our past I couldn't wait that long!  But, I had to.  So, I got sicker and sicker (while taking care of Danny's finger along with everyday things).  Thankfully the sickness hasn't been anything like with Jonah or even the little boys.  Finally, my sweet hubby went to the equivalent of a complaint department and got my ultrasound moved up to 10 1/2 weeks.  Talk about a nervous wreck!   I walked into that appointment wound up tight. . . until I saw that sweet heartbeat.  I sight that will steal any mother's heart. 

Now we are almost 14 weeks.  It is on my bucket list to not find out what we are having.  Since I can't wait until I am 80 to do that one, we have decided to do it now.  We will find out if our baby is a boy or girl on February 15, 2013 (or close to it). 

Will Danny get to come home/stay home to see the baby?  How will everyone handle a short-term move?  How will we keep the new baby safe around Jonah who has already said he is going to give it a bear hug?  We still have a lot of questions but one thing we know:  We are held in God's hands and as long as we are there we will be just fine.  We appreciate your prayers and support on this wild journey.