fackrellfamilyadventures: Our Little Surprise...

THE STORY:
In April, I was super sick with the Flu...luckily it was on a weekend so that Regan could help me with the kids! I was in bed feeling miserable and Regan had taken the kids on a lot of fun adventures. I was in the bath tub feeling awful, but trying to look on the bright side. "At least I'm not throwing up AND on my period" I said to myself.

WAIT...My period...When was my last period???

I jumped out of the tub, wrapped a towel around myself, got a calendar out to see when it was...FEBRUARY!!! WHAT? How could I have not tracked better...Oh ya, we were at Great Wolf Lodge and not at home for me to write it down.

After a second of freaking out, I gain composure and call Regan...

"Where are you?" I say. "I'm about to pull into the driveway with all of the kids" Regan says.
"Go to Walgreens and pick up a pregnancy test right now" I say!
"uh oh...okay-I'll be right back" he says.

One word: POSITIVE!

2 pink horizontal lines that say 2 words to me: FIVE KIDS!

I'm excited, I'm nervous, I'm thinking that God had another plan for us! Regan and I had made the decision a few months previous to be done having more children...haha. Ya, that's what happens when you make plans! I honestly think that this baby was meant to be a part of our family and that this is the way that it needed to come!

Did I mention that I have either given away or sold every single baby item we owned? Crib, high chair, swing, clothes, stroller...ya, we are starting all over again!!!!

NOW---back up a few months before this all happened.

Elle loves getting the mail out of the mailbox everyday after school. One day, she came running up to me and had 1 flyer in her hand! "Mom, isn't this baby soooooo cute? Look at it's cute chubby cheeks! I bet you would want to kiss those cheeks!" It was the only piece in the mail and she loved that baby flyer enough to ask if we could have another baby. "Sorry babe, I think 4 kids is the perfect number!"

Sunny has been BEGGING us...I mean BEGGING us to have another baby so that she can help change diapers, help feed, be a little mommy to a new little baby! "But Sunny, you have Emery to be a little mommy too" I keep telling her. "I know, but I just want a cute little baby now that I know how to take care of babies" she says. This conversation has gone on for MONTHS previous to this...

Since this is our LAST BABY, I really want to make each milestone memorable for the kids! I want them to really enjoy and remember this journey! Telling them about this was HUGE for me because I knew it would set the tone for the baby...

I thought and thought about a fun way to tell them, then I came up with the perfect way! I wanted to be able to document their expressions, so my awesome friend Lindsay came over to take pictures of everything!

When we answered the door, I said, "You guys, there is a package on the porch for all of you"...sure enough, a big package addressed to all of them was right there! Riley and Sunny both brought the box into the music room and were anxious to see what was inside! Once we gathered the little kids in, they all were very curious!

Here is what transpired with "THE BOX"

REACTION TIME:
All of them did NOT get it! They thought it was super cool to have pink and blue balloons come out of a box...Did they read the great big one that said 'WELCOME BABY'? NOPE!

ALL of them thought it was cool that they got pink and blue bags full of pink and blue candy.
All of them thought the pink and blue baby outfits were cute.

It wasn't until Riley grabs the ultrasound pictures at the bottom of the box that things started to register...
"WHAT? YOUR GOING TO HAVE A BABY?"
Finally---it all makes sense! Not once did they even question why my friend Lindsay was in the corner taking pictures!

Riley immediately gives me a hug and is SOO EXCITED! That's more like it!

Sunny says, "You are tricking us!!! You said we were done having babies so you are tricking us!"
"I know that's what I said, but I'm not tricking you! This is a surprise that we weren't planning on, but we are so excited" I tell her.

"OH MY GOSH! WE ARE HAVING A LITTLE BABY!" Sunny says!!! Then she gives me a huge hug!!!

Elle is smiling from ear to ear, but is literally speechless! I think it was all a little too much for her!

Emery starts bawling! I look over at him and am so confused! We think as he saw all of the baby stuff coming out of the box that we were saying that HE is a baby! Sorry buddy, this is not about you, but it is about a baby! Once Regan explains to him what is going on, he stops crying and is excited to have a baby! "A baby like Baby LUCY" he says! "YES, buddy, a baby like baby Lucy!"

Then the questions come...
WHEN?
WHAT?
WHY?

When--December 5th
What--we get to find out in 2 weeks because of a new blood test if it is a boy or girl!!
Why--because sometimes Heavenly Father has other plans for us even when we think we have it all figured out!

Regan is explaining that just that day, we went to see the Doctor and that the doctor said the baby is the size of a peanut! The kids got a kick out of that!

As I look at these pictures, I can't get over the sense of gratitude! I am so grateful that a loving Heavenly Father would entrust me to raise these amazing children of mine! They are beautiful and amazing and I get the privilege of being their MOM! What an honor!

I love them so much and I am just grateful to be able to love one more child.

I am far from perfect as a person and as a Mom, but one thing that I am perfect at is LOVING these kids I have been entrusted with!

Is 5 a lot of kids? YES!

Am I capable of loving and taking care of 5 kids? YES!

That is all I need to know.