i caved

so i had big, crazy plans of not finding out was little bebe #3 was {gender wise}...to which stephen quickly replied: thats ok. ill just find out and not tell you.
um NO!
plus, i loved LOVED knowing what each of my other babies were...same surprise just different timing :)
anyway, we found out and im so glad we did!
here is the video of us telling bennett {who was still in his "sleepy shirt" aka nap shirt at mimi and docs}:

* walker is one of bennetts best friends...i thought it was so funny that this was his immediate thought after us telling him about the baby. and that he and walker talk about these things at school.  AND that walker has every plan of his mommy having a baby girl...hear that ashley? better get busy! ;) hehe*

we are SO excited, of course, and couldnt wish for anything more than our precious healthy baby.
i have to be honest and tell you, the pure miracle of life does not get any less sweet with each pregnancy.
i still cry like a baby watching that little life {who, at our last viewing, was a teeny little tadpole-looking, flipper-yielding bean} all of a sudden look so ALIVE and REAL...opening and closing his mouth, kicking, twisting, pulling and grasping at unknown objects, responding to movements on the outside of my tummy {i.e. us proding and shoving the belly trying to get him to change positions for the anatomy scan portion of the ultrasound}.
one of my favorite things to see is the spine...i mean WOW how intricately and beautifully we are formed...even in the womb.

it is true, though, that i am so excited about this new baby that i kinda conveniently forget just how crazy the next few years of my life will be.

well, to that, i say
BRING.IT.ON.

i know there will be tears, and tantrums, and drama, and chaos...from both babies AND momma...but i am attempting to start this off on the right foot and already praying that i will take the precious, much needed time to realize that with great blessings come great responsibility...that each insane sleep/planning deprived day will also be filled with more than my deserved share of coos, kisses, and snuggles; nose scrunches, first steps, first words, developing feisty toddler personality and death grips of unconditional love and dependency; imagination, ideas, questions, and innocently beautiful life truths as revealed through the mind of a four year old.
and now im going to bookmark this post so that when i AM in the midst of an overwhelmed, laundry throwing, spit-up cleaning, dirty dish rearing tantrum i have somewhere to go to snap me back in line :)