And another makes 5

We're having another baby! 

Old news to the Facebook and Instagram crowd, as the blog takes the backseat these days as far as updates go, but yes, for posterity, I can't gloss over this *tiny* little tidbit. We are so thrilled to grow our family, though I confess: I waited three whole days to spill the beans to Luke, mostly because I got the budget talk two days in a row, the same day I found out. Didn't think that telling him another person was joining our family would ease his stress any. ;) His mom offered to watch the girls so we could go on a date, so I told him over yummy pizza when he was calm and happy.

And his reaction?

Priceless. 

I feel so blessed to have a husband that excited for another baby. Especially since this one surprised us.

Luke's mom wins for best reaction. I will re-enact it for you if you ask. That makes 10 grand-babies on Luke's side, with my mom rapidly catching up at 7.

The first trimester was rough this time around. I haven't thrown up in any of my pregnancies, nor did I this time, but instead of mild nausea for a week or two (both with Avery and Eleanor - I know, be jealous), it was all day, constant, never-letting-up, for 10 weeks. And nearly passed out a few times at church, and at home, and in the grocery store. And then I got a stomach bug, just to keep it interesting. But, that bug also took care of the weight I gained more rapidly due to the massive amounts of food I consumed in an effort to ease the nausea. I'm showing MUCH earlier than last time...I'll have to dig around and do a side-by-side comparison of belly pics. My abs have waved the white flag of surrender. As long as I don't tell people how far along I am, I just have a nice little bump and I let them assume I'm about halfway. Thankfully, the midwife told me I'm not measuring too big and that my uterus size is right on track. I was starting to worry that Luke's wish for a double-digit birth weight was being granted.

I started feeling better after the stomach bug; it seemed to knock out all the nausea, and I'm back to eating a normal, healthy diet and walking some in the mornings as time allows. With the weather cooling down, we'll start walking in the evenings too. No major cravings, though during the first trimester potatoes always sounded good, as did cereal. Smells bothered me more than usual (not really much of an issue in the my last pregnancies), and again, marinara sauce - not really a winner. That means no pizza either, unless it's a white pizza. I usually crave red meat, but not so much this time. Salt sounds better than sweet most days, like it did with Eleanor. I wanted nothing but sweet with Avery. Interesting fact - I had diabetes with Eleanor, but not with Avery. Wonder if I'll end up with the pregger-betes again. Salads rocked my world a couple weeks ago, and hoping that craving comes back soon. Better for me than craving pie or potato chips. Water gets boring, so sometimes I splurge and have a sparkling grapefruit water just for the fizz. Chipotle and I are best friends, as are good home-cooked comfort foods. I try to not splurge too much on the fatty meals, but nothing beats a good bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup (thanks, Nana!) or chicken pot pie, or beef stew.

We are going to use our doula, Sara, again. I'm sure we could handle labor fine, but I just love the element of calm and peace and confidence that she brings to the event. Seriously, she makes you feel like a rockstar. Delighted to have her be a part of our birth story again!

We are not going to find out the gender, either. It was so fun last time, and I figure if we have a boy, he certainly won't go naked for long thanks to generous grandparents.

We absolutely cannot wait to meet this baby, though I'm enjoying this pregnancy as if it is my last. Don't know that I will be able to talk the hubby into any more after this one.

Oh, and somehow the baby has been nicknamed Bruce Wayne. It's awesome to hear Avery tell people about mommy's baby, Bruce Wayne. Their eyes get really wide.

Today marks 15 weeks, due April 5 (which also happens to be my grandmother's birthday).