Surprises.

I love having 3 daughters. I have said it many times, I never knew an odd number could feel so complete.
It has been the greatest gift of my life to love these three and to watch them grow...

And then one day in early December Pip made a picture of our family...

"1...2...3...4...5...6...? Who is the extra person, Pip. Is it Nana?"

"Itsa Baby Brudder!"

I thanked her for the beautiful picture (it was her first attempt at multiple people, and her first time ever to draw our family). We laughed and brushed it off. So silly! A baby? Where'd she get that idea? Maybe Daniel Tiger, he just had a baby...sister...Margaret, so cute!
Hmmm...Where'd she get the idea of a baby brother? We ticked through all her favorite TV shows.  Ciallou while generally forbidden in our home, is highly appealing to Pip and Ciallou does have a baby... sister.
Super Why...Sister.
Baby Bear from Sesame Street...Sister.
 Nobody she watches on TV has baby brother. We don't know any one who has baby brothers- every one we know recently has had girls.  Oh well, it's so funny we are NOT having a baby. We love having our three. And really, there is NO way it could happen any time soon. We have been 100% perfectly sticking to our plan and really, there is no way!

And we giggled over it for days. "Haha, so cute! Cute Cute Cute!'

Looking back I am wondering if we felt some...well, foreboding is the wrong word, but we sure laughed about this an awful lot.
 When Ryan and I went out for our Birthdays I was complaining of feeling bloated and weird. When Friendly and Pip went to take a picture of us before we left for our date, Hubby Joy popped his hand on my tummy to freak me out.

haha

Honestly, even with the joking, it really wasn't even on my radar. In the past when I've wondered if I could be I've obsessed about it until I got hold of a pregnancy test and got a definitive answer.  This time I was completely oblivious. Seriously, wasn't even a consideration in my mind. I was extra tired and feeling sick, it was stress! November and December are a crazy months and I'd had a particularly high dose of "extra" that season. The days went by and the Holiday passed.
My clothing was fitting differently- too many cookies...I'm a week late...no I'm not!

Yes I am!

And there we have it. Apparently 3 is a wonderful number, but 4 is even better! Some time in late summer, around the time of the Fair, we'll be adding a new person to our family!

Starting the Second Trimester!

We don't know if it will be a baby brudder or a baby sister- we don't plan to find out before the birth. Now that the shock has worn off we're all so excited either way and we cannot believe we'll soon be stretching to a family of 6! So many changes in the air and so many new things to look forward to! What I am most excited about is a new squishy love to know and hold and watch grow...Whoever is coming is in for a lot of Joy with lots of loving from three big sisters! Sisters who are over the moon excited to welcome another sibling, they are so full of ideas and plans- it's been almost as fun to watch them as the knowledge of new baby coming!

It's funny, we think we know what we want, and what is best for us, until we're surprised with a gift. We are so looking forward to have this person become part of our world.

Overwhelmed with gratitude and impatiently waiting for all the new things coming our way!

3 Years Old

I just realized that life got away from me and I never "celebrated" the Pip Squeaks 3rd Birthday on our blog!
Hard to believe it's been 3 years since her first day...

 

all 7lbs 8 oz and 20 1/2 inches of her. 

Looking through pictures of her first year it is impossible to pick a favorite...Never before has there ever been such a happy, wise, sweet sweet baby. She was delicious to have and hold and the joy of having her in our family has grown each day!

waving "hi" on her 5 month Birthday

Snuggle bug of snuggle bugs.

A Daddy cuddle is a wonderful thing!

Always finding some thing fun!

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world class climber at 10 months old- scaling all the things to dump all the things!

lovey.

Her First Birthday!

And then being ONE...Still such a baby! We called you our baby, you were walking but still such a sweet chubby toddling baby.

I have hundreds of pictures and millions of moments holding you like this. I have never known such a snuggle bug.

And then you were TWO! And what a wonderful year TWO was. You truly were a toddler now, running, talking...You loved to draw and "do school" and play letters and sounds and sing songs. And snuggle...always up for a snuggle....

you painted your face!

First viewing of Frozen, a favorite movie and theme of our life in your third year!

Our ever present little side kick!

But getting big enough to join your sisters in new adventures!

I am so glad I took so many pictures of this sleeping face, it has changed so much and I rarely get to see it now as you've begun to drop naps.

And the back/side of this head. So many hours of you pressed against my side, watching the world with me.

One of our night walks. Your chirpy little voice as you pointed to a squirrel in a tree or heard the wind blowing the leaves.

Your first trip to the beach.

I held you while you napped a lot, I thought you were my last and I couldn't get enough! No regrets.

Ever the book lover, you love to be read to!

Your "Frist Day Of School!"

We have a lot of inside jokes.

3 out of 7 days you'd wake up from nap before you were ready and come and find me and snuggle with me for the second half of nap.

First hair cut, you were very offended Mommy let that stranger TOUCH you! You still talk about it, though now you go on and on about how brave you were "In da summer when I got my hairw cut!"

"I'm Yourw WAINBOW!"

Doc McPip is on the job!

As My Mother put it, "Breakfast the most dangerous meal of the day!"

2 year old Pip was obsessed with Butterflies! (Bye-eyes!) getting to hold them at the Butterfly house was a giant highlight!

Mommy isn't the only one who gets snuggles, Daddy has had tons and tons too!

Gloriously 2 and now onto Fabulously 3! We are SO happy you are part of our world. 

Another true JOY!