Johnson Baby #3!

My husband Alan and I are both the oldest of two children families.  Having come from such families, this is the way we always pictured our own family to be.  We found out we were going to be parents on June 8th, 2007.  Our son Shepherd Logan was born on January 31st, 2008, and we experienced a love that we didn't know existed.  Time passed, Shepherd got a little older, and we decided that we were ready for baby #2.  One June 8th, 2009 we found out that Shepherd was going to be a big brother! (yes ... exactly 2 years after we found out we were expecting the first time).  Josephine Abigail joined us on January 29th, 2010.  That same love we experienced two years earlier just multiplied and became even stronger.  We felt so very blessed to have a son AND a daughter!  Our family was complete.

It has been such a joy watching the two of them grow together for the last 18 months.  The love they have for each other makes my heart melt, and seeing them interact has been one of the greatest joys of my life.  With both of their birthdays being so close to Christmas, we have tried to make June 8th, "Found Out Day" a little special.  Basically it just gave me an excuse to get them a little present :).  June 8th, 2011 rolled around and Alan joked that it was time to find out we were pregnant again.  We were in agreement that we were happy with 2, but little did we know that despite our best efforts, I really was pregnant with #3.  It wasn't until June 20th, 2011 that we found out God had another plan for our family!  I have to admit that I was shocked/terrified/overwhelmed, and a little sad that our "Found Out Day" had been changed.

With both Alan and I being the planning/organizing type, this new information was almost too much to process.  It took me a couple of days to be able to even call our parents/sisters with the news.  (As a side note, my sister Alixe and her husband David are also expecting!  Alixe is due January 23rd with my first niece/nephew.  I am so hoping that having a newborn of my own will not put a damper on my first experience as Aunt).  

Having now had 3 1/2 weeks to get used to the idea of being a family a 5, we have accepted God's plan and are excited to enter this next stage of our lives.  We have even enjoyed talking about baby names once again :).  (Another side note, we decided before we ever had children that if we had a boy he would have my initials, SLJ and a girl would have Alan's [who is actually Jeffrey Alan] JAJ.  Again, I love the fact that we have been able to do both.)  We plan to keep this tradition going and have come up with a few names that we really like ;).

While I will admit that I am still terrified at the thought of having a newborn just weeks after Shepherd and Josephine turn 4 and 2 respectively, I am trusting in Him and reminding myself of Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  I know that a year from now we will not be able to imagine our lives without this new little blessing, and I am so very thankful.

I love the picture with this post of Josephine wearing her "Big Sister" shirt for the first time.  I just hope she is still this happy about it in February. ;)