Guess Who Is Coming?

So soon after we got home from our cruise we started to notice.  We noticed something different, but not too different for our family.

We discovered by way of home test first and then confirmation by doctor that we're PREGNANT AGAIN!

I know - at this point, big surprise in several ways right?  First, huge surprise that Tamy for the fourth time in four years is pregnant!  And second, by now everyone and their dog is not only not surprised their tired of hearing about it.  But still, I wanted to make it official on the blog.

We were really excited, especially because at this point this brought up the question: are we done now?

Needless to say that as we've been going to doctor appts, and taking their wonderful tests, we've also been thinking about whether or not our family is done.  For some the obvious answer is a resounding "yes"!  But I'm at a different place.  I'm not the kind of mom that will do well with a surprise baby in 7-10 years, so I'd like to be sure the Lord, Chris and I are all on the same page at the same time.  I'm already "in the trenches" so to speak with potty training, diapers, formula, and constant neediness.  It's not such a big deal to add one more.

Plus, the Lord has taken really good care of us.  We trusted that the military was the right choice for our family even though it was the harder, delayed gratification, route.  We trusted that going to school for Chris for another four years was the way to make the military happen.  We trusted that although I would love to live near our family while I have so many little ones, we would still be cared for appropriately while we were living so far away.  We also trusted that though having so many little ones in such a short amt of time sound very crazy to...ok well just about everyone, that it was the right thing for us.  But the biggest thing we've trusted in is that the Lord knew what he was doing the whole time.

When we look at where we could be and we look at where we are, we have to just be grateful.  Thanks to a lot of pro activity on my husband's part, some willingness to be humble on mine (not my gift), and a lot of prayer for Heavenly Father to be around, we have a great marriage.  We work hard to make it that way every day.  We are well supported, as long as the current president (whoever it is or will be) continues to take care of the military.  And we have great kids.  Who wouldn't want to be in a family like that?  Now seriously, before you go putting any one of our family on a pedestal, we still have lots and I mean LOTS of drawbacks, but having another child would not be one of them.

So with all that in mind, having a 6th child is not a big deal for us, but we wanted to be sure.  During all this discussion and prayer we found out that we were having......A BOY!  I know....that's fantastic!  I knew I'd be good with another girl, I mean seriously, after three what's one more?  But I really wanted a boy this time.  I wanted Joe to have a little brother so badly, but I knew it so wasn't in my hands.  So here we went trusting the Lord again.  I mean really, that's all we've got right?  So when Sandy, the sonographer, joked that it was a girl we took it with a good sense of equanimity.  But when she said that we were having a boy, no for real!, we both just about jumped up (Chris out of his seat, me off the table).  We are soooooooo excited!

So if you can't tell, this is his profile.  

Cute little foot up by the head, just like Liz and Ally!

With the news that our second little boy would join us shortly (May 25th is the unofficial, official due date) we started feeling like he was the last.  Then of course, after hearing Chris say many times that he was very comfortable with being done, I took my decision to agree with him to the Lord in the temple.  Honestly, it's the best place for these kinds of conversations.  After having talked to Heavenly Father, laying out my feelings and my reasons for choosing to be finished, I felt really good.  I didn't have an angelic visitor (I am NOT the virgin Mary), or anything else remarkable.  I just felt happy, peaceful, and ready to start planning the next phase of motherhood.  You know what I mean, the raising kids part, instead of the having kids part.  We are really excited about this decision especially because I'm the get up and go kind of mom, even with lots of kids, so the thought of just picking up my kids and going to do whatever I want is so appealing.  I've been restricted on activities, foods, and just about everything for a long time.  I can't wait to really play with my kids like I've wanted to!  That jungle gym is calling my name!

Our Temple: Columbia, SC

So, yes, it's a boy.  Yes, that makes a total of five wonderful little Fosburgs with two handsome boys to carry on the Fosburg name and love of God.  Yes, this will be our last little one.  Yes, it's been a good, but sentimentally hard decision.  And finally, yes, I can't wait to be done with pregnancies, bottles, diapers, potty training, and all the other little, little kid things.  It's been a wonderful and surprisingly fulfilling time, but I'm ready to move to the next one.

We have discovered so far that this boy loves MEAT!  I know that sounds funny, but the rest of my kids had me swearing I should be a vegetarian.  He also is not a fan of processed sugar.  I can eat all the fruit I want, but sweets from the gas station are limited and only after something else has been in my belly first. He also looks like he's going to be a big boy.  If he's even close to Ally's weight this is going to be a definite epidural delivery!  Ally was 9 lbs. and the doctor's are still puzzled how she ever pulled it off!  Chris still swears that she unfolded like origami.  So either this kid is going to be very flexible or he's going to fall in line with the other Fosburg kids.

By the way, his name will be Vaughn Madsen Fosburg.  No, really.  Stop giving me that look.  That's his name.  We'll be calling him "V" or whatever comes out. Joseph's nick name is Joe and Buddy.  Vaughn is named for Chris' most influential mission companion, Vaughn Heaston.  He is also named for Truman G. Madsen, an amazing LDS author and historian.

Keep checking in as we discover more and more about our newest Fosburg boy!