Standing on the Edge

The year of Avery has come. As I write, it's Epiphany, which is the day of the church year where we celebrate the presence of the baby Jesus being made known to the world. And I can't help but think about our baby girl, Ms. Avery Kathleen, who is probably doing gymnastics in her mommy's belly.

This pregnancy has been unusual in every facet and measurable statistic.

Avery is super active, especially at night. She likes the low tones of my voice and will kick the very spot that I spoke from. A few weeks ago she kicked me right in the mouth. She moves a lot, sticking out body parts and sometimes pushing her butt to the back of Ashley's belly button.

Other notes of difference, aside from being the girl we've been waiting for:

Ashley's heartburn level has been high the whole pregnancy, and her nausea is higher too. She still can't look at chicken the way she did pre-pregnancy.
Avery is the first child of ours to be born in North Carolina.
Avery is most active at night
Avery is carried mostly in the front, people comment to Ashley that the cannot tell she is pregnant from behind.
Ashley feels huge. She almost won't let me take any more pictures, (even though we both know it can't be worse than when she was pregnant with Jacob)
Ashley is smaller overall except in the front.
Avery seems to be carried high compared to the boys.
Avery has two older brothers, one, who is today 5 3/4 (he told me when we were waiting for the bus) who will almost definitely remember bringing his sister home. And Thomas, who just turned 3, is nesting. We bought Avery a bassinet last week off of craigslist, and when Thomas saw it, and every day since, he says, "I like Avery's bunk bed"

Needless to say, we are all excited to meet her.

I was meeting with Pastor Rinn last week who said it best, "I know you love your boys, but just wait"
A little girl is a blessing I've never known. And I can't wait.

Ashley and I also talk a lot about how exciting it will be to have a completed family. A family of five has always been our dream, soon to be realized. We feel so blessed. From the support of the families and friends we know that love abounds.

What else can I tell you? Ashley loves her job working at the WIC Clinic in Mocksville. Things are going great at the church.

Jacob is smart and sassy. On one hand he will impress with his reading skills- he learned to read in about three months of Kindergarten and is exceptional at it. His real love though is math where he is usually working on math in his head and asking to learn more. He has his first piano practice this afternoon. He plays basketball at the Y and enjoys that too. For all his smarts, his common sense seams to be pushed to the back burner. He does things that he 'forgets' will get him in trouble and he doesn't know when to give up on an argument he's losing. But he's getting there. He has a lawyer's persona much of the time.

Thomas is classically three. Fun and hilarious, snuggily and imaginative, and then seconds later throwing a tantrum because he hates wearing a coat or using the bathroom or he wants dessert at 2pm. He got Spiderman pajamas that have webs sown between the arms and the torso, and he wears it every night. He loves to play superheros and he loves to sing. Sometimes they are songs we know, and sometimes he makes them up on the spot.

All told, we're one big, happy family. We have much to be excited about in 2014. We will strive to keep this blog going in order to better get our thoughts down and track swiftly-moving time. Love to all.