stay tuned!

we're having a....

I seriously can't watch that video without dying laughing. 

She eventually calmed down. Eventually. 

In all seriousness - what we're having looks to be a very healthy baby. 

Thank you all for you prayers over the last week or so. The big, big, big scary problem that my doctors thought I was dealing with looks to be more like a much less big, much less scary problem. I'm still on "light rest" - no more running that 10k or standing up for too long but I will take that ANY day over serious problems for me + baby. 

This weekend, I've let my heart get attached all over again to this baby. 

Picturing bringing him home and cuddling him and singing him to sleep. 

Watching him wrestle his brothers and bless his sister.

I always hoped deep down I'd get to be a mama to three boys. 

And now, I have that precious princess thrown into the mix too:). 

Again, thank you for praying for our family. 

We will repay you with MANY adorable and precious baby boy photos come early 2013. 

That's a promise. 

on bedrest.

I wrote late late last Thursday night about "the best kind of overwhelming" and how coming off an insanely busy few weeks had me longing for a 14 hour car ride to South Carolina to see family. The plan was to drive to SC, spend three whirlwind days helping my mom, my sister, visiting with my Nana, playing with nieces and nephews, being a star aunt to my newest baby nephew, sightsee with my friends, visit a few friends here, and jet back to Indiana all refreshed on Monday.

What happened instead is that after I got to the hospital to see my new baby nephew late Thursday night, I ended up a few floors below him and my sister in my own little predicament. We had some scary things happen with this baby and I'd say we're not out of the woods just yet. I'm doing all I can to make sure I keep baby + me as healthy as possible and right now that means super strict bedrest. So you can imagine my trip looked a leeeeetle different than I'd hoped. 

There was no helping out at my sister's house or going to visit my Nana's nursing home. There was no sight seeing with my girl friends or running over the beautiful bridge to downtown. No following my mama around at church helping her and bringing her coffee. Just me. On the couch. Getting to visit and chat with the people I love. Enjoying my precious friends from Indiana who came with me and have loved the mess out of me. Texting my husband and talking to my kiddos whenever they get a spare minute. Sitting quietly and thinking on God's great mercy. 

I've been looking up the definition of mercy. 
Compassion or kindly forbearance shown toward someone in your power. 
Pardoning someone by sending them to prison instead of death. 
An act of kindness, compassion, or favor. 

All of these fit with how I feel the Lord treating me right now. 
The true, true story is maybe my "best kind of overwhelming" was just too plain overwhelming. Maybe it was even straight up disobedient and sinful. And God, in His great grace and mercy is giving me a big old fat chance to see a little more clearly. To draw a little closer to Him and listen a little more intently to exactly how He wants this life to look. To pray for my precious baby and to fight for them, the rest of my family, my community, and anyone who may be watching. 

And maybe not to fight in productive, overwhelming, productivity based days but in quiet. In laying. In listening. In prayer. You know, the best kind of underwhelming. 

Today, I've gotten the ok from my doctor to head very carefully back to Indiana on another 14 hour car ride - laying down in the backseat the whole way. The first long trip on Thursday was probably what the Lord used to turn my hospital visit into a very scary one rather than a very sad one and for that, I'm incredibly grateful. While I ride and sit and rest and pray and catch up with my kiddos and wait expectantly on the Lord, we'd love for you to join us in prayer for the life of this precious babe and for the rest of our family. 
Thank you, thank you, thank you. 

the backstory.

Well, you guys. Thank you for being so excited with us. 
We are so stinking excited. 
SO. STINKING. EXCITED. 


So some details? 
Anyone want to hear? 
It's a story I want to tell:). 

me at 3.5 weeks feeling so PREGNANT. ha.
Nick the day we found out. That's his really happy face.
the test. Nick said we had to get the nice test for this go-round. 

- It wasn't planned but we weren't sad in the slightest. Shocked. But grateful. 
- I'm about 12 weeks right now, but we found out RIGHT at 4 weeks so woosh, it's been a long wait to tell people. 
- The kids know and they are over the moon excited. Their first responses were things like "oh! you don't ever need babysitters! we'll babysit!" and "let's name it Henry!" and "Can the baby sleep in my bed?!". They've been so precious. 
- I've been sick like a dog since 5 weeks on the dot. I've never had a pregnancy like this. It was six weeks and five days of the most intense nausea, fatigue, and general awfulness. But it was God's grace to me because when I'd feel ok for an hour or two, I'd be scared I was miscarrying.

(on that note if you're waiting on an email from me or anything in general, now you know why. I'm slowly working out of the black hole of first trimester! feeling better every day!) 

the blessed ultrasound that showed one beating heart.
my new favorite position. I developed some serious narcolepsy in this pregnancy.
food is of the utmost importance these days. 

- I knew with my whole self that I was expecting at about 3 weeks. But my patient man had me wait to find out so we could make it special. One day on vacation, we went on a lunch date and I took a test in the bathroom without looking at it. I kept it in my purse till we both couldn't wait any longer. We fist-bumped, kissed, I cried, and we got some chocolate cake to celebrate. 

- I am showing, but not in a cute way. bahahaha. In a everything-looks-a-little-soft-around-the-whole-midsection kind of way. 

- Now that I'm back in the land of semi-normal-eaters again, I'm craving two major food groups: fresh, raw vegetables (YAY!) and disgusting processed food (OH LORD). Think veggie sandwiches and microwaved egg rolls. Taco Bell and homemade hummus. Papa Johns and sliced red peppers. No meat. No dairy. Lots of mustard on everything. EVERYTHING. Nick has yet to let me succumb to my Taco Bell desires because he keeps telling me it's a "slippery slope". He knows Benjamin was basically grown from bean burritos and we're trying to avoid that route again. 

- We WILL find out if it's a boy or a girl and I have pretty much no suspicions either way right now. Glory would like a girl and the boys would like a boy:) Either way, we will be thrilled! 

Thanks for letting me indulge in all my stories. 

I've been so excited to tell ya'll. 

I promise to keep the food craving and bodily change posts to a minimum. 

For the most part:) 

another precious arrow.

Last year on Father's Day, we lost a precious arrow to heaven. 
This year on Father's Day, we were hopefully, joyfully,  & tentatively beginning the anticipation of another one. 

We are overjoyed to announce that, Lord willing, there will be a fourth Connolly kiddo arriving in February of 2013. 

Because this blog is all about telling true stories, you can expect more details soon. 

Thank you SO much to Megan of Project 54:5 photography.  You're the best.