Third???? Trimester????

Already?

I'm not sure I'm ready for this baby bouncing business. 2 kids under 2 years old, under 14 months. I'm crazy, right? Don't answer that.

Colt Montgomery has had an excellent month. Sweet boy had an important ultrasound called a Fetal Echocardiogram. During this hour long procedure, the technician and doctor spent time admiring Colt's perfect heart. This visit provided us with a lot of assurances.

Colt's heart looks wonderful- in fact "beautiful" according to the doctor. It's nice to hear that his heart is unaffected by the diabetes.

Also, my son is definitely Daddy's little mini-me. He needed to show off and make his audience laugh during the ultrasound. Colt swung around his arms, heard his sister talking and moved his mouth like "blah blah blah", and push his tongue further out of his mouth than I knew was possible. This was also very reassuring, as he couldn't stick his tongue out that far if he was tongue tied. Lucy was tongue tied at birth, struggled with eating, went 2 days without a wet diaper and therefore had dangerously high jaundice levels that put her back in the hospital after birth. The pediatrician had to "clip" her frenulum in order to allow her to eat, but Colt will more than likely not have this issue. I'm hoping this will make breast feeding easier this go round.

Finally, just like his daddy, Colt held up both thumbs and made a goofy face for his photo. Typical Jason Colliver photo face. Apparently, typical Colt Colliver photo face too. It's reassuring that Colt already seems to have many of his daddy's characteristics. My guys will probably drive me crazy from time to time- and probably drive Lucy crazy even more often, but they're mine. I wouldn't have it any other way.

So I guess I might be crazy, but I'm crazy in love with my hubby and my babies. And I can't imagine a better way or time to further this crazy beautiful life. Thanks be to God for my sweet healthy boy. Check him out...

Love like your daddy

Lucy and Colt,

I'm excited to write this first letter to you both. I'm been planning it for quite some time. Today is a very special day in our family. Today is the day that your daddy and I first celebrated our marriage.

When we made our vows to each other, we were really making those to you as well. As we started our life as a family, it was very important that we remember our promise to love each other all the time so we could teach you how to also love endlessly.

I'm not the best example of unconditional love. By the time you read this, you'll be old enough to realize that I have a temper. I fly off the handle sometimes. It's worse when I'm tired or feel insecure. I worry. I get scared. I open my mouth without thinking first. There are times when my words hurt feelings. I'm not proud of this, but I want to be very honest here. I'm not perfect, but I am trying to be better... for all of us.

Your daddy constantly teaches me how to love better, bigger, stronger. Your daddy has such great big love for the two of you and for Poppy. He works hard to provide a safe place for you. He tries beyond his best to make your time together fun and important. Your daddy makes us a family.

My prayer for you, especially as you may someday want a family of our own, is that you'll learn to love like your daddy. Daddy remembers to say "I love you" every night before bed, at the end of every phone call, and a lot of times in between. Daddy likes to give hugs and kisses all the time. He never gets tired of holding us. Daddy likes to snuggle for naps and at bedtime. Daddy likes to play outside in the yard, at the pool, in the mud, with animals. He is a lot of fun. Daddy likes to try new things with us. He cooks, visits, reads and creates things that interest us. Daddy loves God above all else and treats all people with great acceptance and kindness. This is how you know and show true love. When someone loves God so much, they realize the way to show God that love is to pass it on to others. Daddy passes on his love to us all the time and this is how I hope you will learn to love.

I promise to keep growing and trying my very best every day so that I can be a good model of love also. Please remember that no matter what, when, where or how, Daddy and I love you both beyond measure. And we love each other and this family that we're growing. We are committed to giving you the life of love that you deserve, and part of that is loving each other so you learn how to treat your future family, one another, and anyone you meet.

I love you to the moon and back,
I love you for forever.
And if you ask if that could change,
My answer will always be "never"!

Happy 4th anniversary to my sweet husband and the wonderful father of my precious babies. I love you for always.

And sweet babies, I hope our love totally grosses you out. That will tell me that we're doing something right.

Love you so big,
Momma

It seems the secret slipped!

So here's the deal... When we were close to our anatomy scan around 18 weeks, I felt very strongly that I did not want to learn Sprout's sex at the ultrasound. After all, I was 100% confident in my mommy intuition (which has said I'm pregnant with my son since I first took a pregnancy test). My sweet husband felt differently and being the incredible wife that I am, I agreed that he could find out. After all, I get to have these babies all to myself for a long time before he gets to hold and snuggle and bond with them. I understood his desire to know as much as possible about Sprout as soon as possible.

Add to that... We learned a few days before the ultrasound that I have gestational diabetes. It came on quick and is being well managed, but it does require a lot of extra ultrasounds. This makes it difficult to keep baby's sex a secret from momma, since I'll soon have a peek in there every week.

We wanted to do something very special at Sprout's scan, so we invited PaDon to join us. Nana and Grandma stayed with Momma and Daddy during Lucy's delivery and will more than likely do the same this go round, so we wanted to include PaDon somehow special.

The morning of the scan, we had no real plan for learning sex: other than we wanted to keep the news to ourselves as long as possible. And we wanted to tell people to see their reactions. Nana visited with PaDon and also attended the scan.

We have known since that morning just who we're expecting and have shared with close friends and family. However, it seems you can't tell a grandma to keep a secret this big. Not only have Nana and Grandma shared (well, at least them to my knowledge), but GG (Naomi's maternal grandmother) has told all the ladies at weight watchers... oh and most of our family. So, now that the holidays are over and we have seen plenty of people, enjoyed reactions and done some "damage control" on Facebook, I'm over the secret keeping. I'm just too busy and I haven't exactly gotten my "way" with any of this plan, soooooo....

During our scan, the tech asked if we wanted to know baby's sex. I hesitated (see above) but agreed. She wiggled baby a bit and then asked if I had any guesses. Guesses? No. I know I'm looking at my son. So I told her "I've thought all along that I'm having a boy." She just quietly and nonchalantly said "Yeah, he's definitely a boy."

I'm just over the moon that we'll have our sweet girl and our feisty boy! Here's your formal introduction to our son:

Colt Montgomery Colliver :)

P.S. As stated in an earlier blog, that means all the girl clothes are useless for now. If you're having a girl, come dig through my 6 bins of clothes and take some home! And send supplies for a boy:)