March 2020

Sharing the News with Jacob and Lydia

In early March we shared the exciting news with Jacob and Lydia that our family was going to have a new baby! I ordered  "Big Brother" and "Big Sister" t-shirts and a "Newest Addition" onesie to surprise them. It took them a minute to put all the pieces together, but when they realized the shirts meant we were going to have a baby they were SO excited! They couldn't believe it! It was such a fun moment and a special memory that we'll never forget!

Papa's Birthday

We met in Morganton for Papa's birthday lunch. Jacob and Lydia wore their new shirts to surprise him with our family's news. He was shocked!!! He'd just heard the news that Thomas and Ryan were expecting their 3rd baby in September, so he almost thought we were joking! To say he was happy would be a huge understatement! We enjoyed lunch, ice cream, and a walk together before heading back home.

Field Trip

Just before schools closed due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, I was able to join Jacob on a class field trip to a gem mine in Hendersonville. He had so much fun that he decided he wanted to have a "Rock" themed birthday party!

Meme's Birthday

We also celebrated Meme's birthday this month. Unfortunately I was feeling really sick that day, but we still got together for a dinner and cake celebration!

Grandma and Grandaddy also stopped by for a visit during this weekend and we shared the baby news with them. Jacob and Lydia had their Big Brother/Big Sister shirts on. It took them a minute to notice and they were very excited and surprised to hear our big news! Uncle Craig and Aunt Lori are expecting a baby about a month after us!

Shelter in Place

We had no idea life would change as drastically as it did this month. The Covid-19 pandemic led to schools, businesses, parks, playgrounds, and pretty much life outside of home closing. Everyone is doing their part to slow the spread of the virus by staying at home. Essential businesses like grocery stores, gas stations, and medical offices are still open, but unless there is an essential need, we stay home. Scott continues to work and do our grocery shopping, but the kids and I have stayed put. We have been doing "Learn from Home" as well as having a lot of extra time for playing. We try to get school work done in the morning and then spend the afternoons outside, playing games like UNO and Candyland, watching movies, doing art, or just playing. Since our weekends are wide-open, the kids and Daddy have been able to camp out in the backyard a few times.

We've also had a lot of time to work on our yard and prep our garden. We had a truck load of dirt delivered to re-fill the vegetable garden. The kids had fun helping me load the wheelbarrow and dump the dirt in the garden. We've also worked on re-organizing the garage.

Its a GIRL!!!

Towards the end of March we decided to share the baby's gender with the kids. I've actually known the baby was a girl since about 10 weeks, because I had early chromosomal blood testing. It was such a relief to get positive test results, and an extra bonus to find out the gender so early.

I baked a pink cake, covered it in chocolate icing, and topped it with pink and blue sprinkles. The kids both guessed that the baby was a GIRL! They were so excited! Jacob says he can't wait to be the big brother of two sisters, and Lydia says she's always wanted a little sister!

I also started feeling the baby move this month! The first time I felt her was on March 21st (a few days shy of 16 weeks). The kids and I were watching the end of Frozen II while Daddy got the tent ready for camping that night and I felt a "flop." I had the same feeling a few other times that evening. I wasn't completely sure it was her I was feeling, but as I continued to feel the same thing over the following week I became more confident. I think this is my absolute favorite thing about being pregnant!