Roses are red, violets are blue,
I’ve got something to share with you!
We’ve got two boys, they are our whole world,
which it’s about to expand by one little girl.
A party of 5 is what we’ll soon be,
and this little family is filled with glee!
Guys, there’s a very clear reason I haven’t written a poem since the 6th grade. Thank you Rhymer.com for help with…whatever that was…but yes, we are having another baby. I still almost can’t believe it!
As I mentioned in my post announcing our pregnancy with Cameron, I am very sensitive to the feelings of the women and men who are praying to God and pleading with the universe to bless them with a precious little one. Please know that I see your desires and struggles and wish nothing more then to be by your side with a supportive squeeze and listening ear. You got this.
But yes, a baby girl. Sugar, spice and everything nice! I am full of feels. ALL the feels, hahaha! Shock, excitment, nervousness – did I mention shock? I’ll admit I’ve raised a proverbial eyebrow in the past when people claim to know the gender of their baby before an anatomy scan, or having the baby of course, but the eyebrow is forever lowered because I knew from day one this child was a girl. My pregnancy with both boys was identical but since the day I got a positive test, everything’s been different. Crazy nausea, headaches 24/7, insanely vivid dreams. If that wasn’t enough, the moment she popped up on the screen during our first ultrasound at 11 weeks (I’m 17 weeks right now – due in late July) all I could see in my mind was a giant red heart. A girl…I just knew it.
Fast forward several weeks later and I got a call from our doctor’s office with the results of some blood tests that would also tell us gender. “Um, how accurate are these tests?” I asked the nurse on the phone. “Hmmm, let me check,” she said while rifling through some papers. “Oh, here it is. 99.9% accurate.”
Ok then!!
Hey listen, I have two brothers, two little boys, and am the least girly girl on the planet to boot, so to be honest with you I had a minor panic attack when the news I’d felt in my bones since the beginning was confirmed on paper. Barbies, bows and nail polish are foreign territory, but I can handle it. (**Edited to add: of course being a girl doesn’t automatically mean these things – I was a tomboy!) Where my thoughts immediately went was mean girls. Peer pressure. Body image. BOYS!!!! Which is weird since I had a mostly normal and happy teenage existence. I just very quickly realized how big of a part I’ll play in raising a strong and independent, kind and responsible woman. No pressure! Luckily my sister-in-law wisely advised me to focus on the here and now – aka picking out an adorable, ruffly onesie for her to come home in.
Everyone asks how Ben is feeling about having a third, and a girl. Umm, Ben is probably the most excited! We both grew up with two siblings and have always felt like a full house was a fun house. Lincoln is so so pumped, and Cameron has no idea, poor thing. We’ll get him a doll in the next month or two so he can start practicing. He and little sis will be 21 months apart.
Ok, parents of 3+ and/or 2 under 2, talk to me about:
- Double strollers. Lightweight, jogging – let me have it.
- SUV car seat configurations (what we currently have.) I’m all for becoming a mad mom in a minivan but Ben is insisting we hold onto what’s left of our cool card for as long as possible.
- Literally everything else. Give me all your good stories and advice. I feel WAY less nervous about having this baby then I did Cameron for about 100 different reasons, but being a mother to three precious children under five is still somewhat terrifying.
Thank you for allowing me share our wonderful news with you – oh my gosh, it feels so good to not hold it in anymore! I think this may help connect the dots as to why I’ve felt a bit preoccupied lately too. I’m finally past the “I’m so tired all I want to do is stare at the wall” phase, but being pregnant with two little boys and a business is no joke. So that said, thank you also for your understanding if things get a little willy nilly here for awhile. I am grateful to have the best, most loyal and supportive readers in the world. <3
Congratulations! I am so thrilled for you and your family! Children are a blessing!
I have a 12 year old son, and over the past 2 years, things have happened and I cannot have any more children. At first I was so upset and a little angry that that choice was no longer mine. Then I came to realize, my younger friends are still having babies, and I get to help them not only with the baby, but with their other children. They are younger than my son, but that’s ok because new friendships have been formed, and my friendships have strengthened. Everything happens for a reason, and I am as excited for you as I was when I was expecting. There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who has a life growing inside of her. Prayers for you in helping with the headaches and nausea, and also for a safe and happy pregnancy.
P.S. my sister has 3 boys then a little girl, and her brothers take care of her like no other. It is so cute.
Congratulations! So happy for you!
Congratulations! How wonderful to know ahead of time the what the newest member of your family will be. You’ll do just fine with all three of them. I had three little ones all 3 1/2 and under. The last two being 17 months apart. Must remember that the new little baby will be sleeping much of the time and you still can give your attention to the other two. Relax and enjoy the time with them. Read, play forget the dust. Routines change a little but the newest member just fits in with it all.
Congratulations on your wonderful news !! I was nervous about having a daughter as well. I am not a girly girl and I just didn’t think I would be any good at it. I had my son first and boys are definitely different…lol ! Fast forward….I have a 7 year old daughter and she is the best as is her brother….they are different but they are the best of buddies and I can’t imagine life without them. I try to keep the body image etc. in mind and I am careful what I say about myself now because I don’t want her to develop a negative self image. You will be great !
This is beautiful news, wow! Congrats and bless you all!
I also have two boys and my youngest is a girl. I imagined having a partner in crime to go shopping with and do “girly things”. Well, she is the least girly girl you’d ever meet. :) She plays club soccer, lives in active wear, hasn’t voluntarily worn a skirt or a dress in years, and has been trying to keep up with those brothers since day one. In fact I’d say her whole goal in life is not only keep up, but surpass. She’s an excellent athlete and skier and has no time for girly nonsense. It’s actually really refreshing. Now that she’s in middle school, her focus on sports and school and NO DRAMA is fantastic. Enjoy the ruffles and bows while you have the chance because she may be the type to box up all her barbies (mine did) to make room for legos.
Of course I should have started with Congratulations!! Love your blog!!
Congratulations to all! I have three girls and one son.I love them all of course.Now just waiting on some grand babies.
So happy for you all, with this news of your growing family! Praying for a healthy pregnancy and baby girl. PS: she doesn’t have to be all frilly and wearing pink everyday to be a girl😊
Congratulations!!! That is SO exciting! As a veteran mom of 3 that we had all within a 4 year span….2 years and 3 months between #1 and #2 and then only 18 months between #2 and 3, those early years are kind of a blur, but a soft, warm fuzzy blur that makes me smile because I have no idea how we did it but we did and I look back and smile at the wonderful chaos it was or maybe it’s blurry from the exhaustion of that time…Hard to say! ;) There’s something awesome about having them close together like that and having this tiny tribe of little people surrounding you. My 3 are all teenagers now and we say all the time how glad we are that we had them close together for so many reasons. It’s worked for us and I’m sure it will work for your precious family!
WOW not even a hint, you hid that well, Congratulations and you’ll do fine
Happy for you and your growing family! But remember, pink and frilly isn’t the only way to be a girl😊
Congratulations & best of health with your pregnancy! So, so happy for you & your family to add another beautiful child! Love your recipes which we eat probably 3 to 4 times a week, but your focus now should be on yourself & family. Best of luck & always look forward to your family activities & pictures of those sweet boys. Regards, Joan
Fitting three car seats across the back seat of an suv or car is a pain in the butt.
Being able to open the van sliding doors with a click of the key button is almost as good as a pain free birth – especially when manuvering three kids under 5 by yourself in a parking lot.
spreading the kids out = less bickering in two years
No dingned up back doors from kids opening the door into the car beside you
Still room for more than just the stroller in the back.
Dude, minivans are what all the cool kids are driving.
Congrats on the baby on the way!
Congrats! Don’t assume that just because she’s a girl, she’ll be “girly”. She could turn out to be a tom-boy like you, and she probably will with two older brothers.
We have 4 girls, and the first one has never been a “girly-girl”! It was all dogs, blue and green, and sports with her. Even now at almost 15yrs old she is the exact same way. We got in plenty of Barbies and princesses and pink with the next three, but I wouldn’t trade my non-girly girl for the world. And with 12 years experience with the mini-van I say go for it and don’t look back. The sliding doors and space are so worth any hesitant feelings. Even now with our youngest at age 5 the doors are perfect for preschool drop off and pick up. Just imagine coming out of Target with a full cart, 3 kids, and just pushing a button to let them all in while opening the back at the same time to load everything up. Now imagine that in the winter with the winds -20 degrees. Every extra second you have to get in out of the cold is precious!
Good luck, can’t wait to meet you newest family member later this year. Your boys are so adorable.
Diono Radian car seats are safe and narrow! We have two dionos and a Chicco keyfit30 in the backseat of our Subaru Outback. Best of luck with your pregnancy!!
My kiddos are 4.5, 2.5 and 4 mo. I would advise to wait on the double stroller and the minivan. Our middle guy is so obsessed with keeping up with big sis that the thought of him in a stroller is laughable. Blows my mind to even consider it. We have the kids three across in my Highlander. The Diono Radian car seats fit just fine. Older two can climb right up with no problem, and our oldest hooks herself in. It’s tempting to buy ALL THE THINGS everyone says you need, but wait to see what works for your family.
Congratulations! 💕👶🏻💗
Congratulations!!🎀🎀🎀
I’m 21 weeks with my third girl. You’ve got this. Our first two are 21 months apart and my youngest will turn 3 right before sister arrives. I’m sure we’re in for a bit of craziness but we are so excited. Can’t wait to hear the tips and tricks you get from others. Need all the help we can get. Congrats on your growing family.
Congratulations! My parents raised three girls without a station wagon or a minivan!
SO excited for your growing family! I actually squealed in delight when I saw your bump on Instagram, and I don’t even know you (although I’ve followed your blog for years)! I have two kids 2 and under and I love the Contours Elite double stroller. Feels like a fancy one but for a lot less money than the REALLY fancy types.
Congratulations!!!!! That is sooo exciting! I had three in about 4.5 years so I HEAR YOU! Being pregnant with toddlers is no joke. Tips: Put biggest kid in the back of SUV, double stroller for sure (I LOVED my side-by-side City Mini–black Friday special), and try to work out “special time” for toddler so you can nurse. Read books, little games, etc. so they still feel special while you have to give such undivided time to newborn. Your middle will need this more than your oldest.
Congrats again!
Congratulations Kristin!! I’m so happy for you and your family!! What a wonderful blessing.
Yay!!’ Congrats!! I have 2 boys and never tried for the girl. Part of me wishes I did! We did a lot of walking when my boys were little so when little brother was born big brother (he was 2.5) was booted out of the stroller and we got a “stroller skateboard” for him to ride on when he got tired. He loved it and never complained about never getting to ride in the stroller. I can’t wait to read all about your crazy new life!!
Congratulations Kristin and family! So happy for you guys 😁
CONGRATULATIONS! I have 3 within 4 years. My oldest is now in middle school and it seems like forever ago and yesterday at the same time when they were all little. First off – I LOVED those times. In the moments when they were all little it felt very chaotic but wonderful at the same time. I had a double stroller and found I didn’t use it much – I preferred the single stroller and then carried my baby in a wrap until they were about 1 years old. I felt like it was easier to have 2 hands free to wrangle the older 2 and not worry about the baby. All the best – it really is wonderful and magical!
First of all… congratulations!!! That’s such exciting news. I am a mother of three boys. My youngest two are 20 months apart. There were times that it got hectic, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I made sure to spend as much time with each of the older two after their brother was born. Letting my middle son help out as much as he could to be a part of his younger brother’s life. The oldest one would help when the middle one couldn’t do the things he thought he could do. I used a double stroller that was tandem. It took up less room in my vehicle. I put the oldest child and his carseat in the very back of the minivan and had the younger two in the middle so it was easier to get to them. My boys are now almost 21, almost 18 and 16. Best of luck and again, congratulations!
Congrats, that’s so exciting!! Same experience here on the gender. We have a 14 month old girl and while hubby and I always assumed our future kid would be a boy (?) I just KNEW she was a girl when we found out I was pregnant. Weird how that works!! As for the car sitch, I had an SUV that I loved. But after 9 months with the baby in tow, ditched it for a Honda Odyssey mom mobile and I super duper love it! Love the extra room but also the sliding second row seats (amaze) and did I mention all the room?! Congrats again!
Oh, and I’ve been regularly making your cheesy ham and broccoli rice dish and the chicken salsa verde rice one too and my daughter scarfs it right up! So thank you for those!!
So many congratulations! I have 4 (3 girls and 1 boy) and it is an adventure I wouldn’t change for the world. My 2 youngest are 19 months apart and if you don’t have a good baby carrier I would suggest investing in one. Double strollers are cumbersome and baby wearing was a godsend for me this past year. I suggest finding a store that will let you try on carriers to see which one fits best. For carseats look into clek or diono brands. They are slim and can fit 3 across in a seat. Most importantly be prepared to have your heart explode with happiness. Watching your babies become close and develop their own special relationships with each other is amazing! Congratulations again!
Congrats!!! So exciting!!! 💖💖💖💖
My kids are 2 years and 10 days apart. My oldest turned 2 and 10 days later we brought home twins! They are now 8, 6, and 6 and we just got a minivan (Chrysler Pacifica) this past July. I DID NOT want to drive a van, but I LOVE it! Those automatic doors come in really handy!! My one recommendation is for car seats – the only thing that would fit across my Dodge Journey are Diano Radian car seats. They are the slimmest ones out there! Make sure you bring your tape measure if you look in stores. We measured every single one and they are too wide. Our Dianos also convert to boosters which is also a nice feature. Congrats to you and your family on your new baby girl!
YAY! :-D Congratulations!
Congrats! Having 3 is amazing chaos. You will rock it! We have a double bob and it is great, but bulky. We tried a city mini double at Disney and I think I liked it better. I went from a Hyundai Sante Fe to a Honda Odyssey. It’s amazing. Having a car with automatic doors when you are wrangling toddlers and carrying a baby seat is a must. My hubby has a big Yukon and it’s a lot of muscle to get that baby seat into it! Congrats again! Little girls are so much fun!
Congratulations. I gave up my mini van a couple years ago – kids do eventually outgrow them – I still miss it. The auto sliding doors are wonderful – when we came out of a store – my two boys would race to get in there seats and buckle up before I got to the van. I also liked the deep back end – groceries and items back there do not move all over the back end – in my current SUV – grocery bags and things move while driving. There is also enough room that the boys can walk in and out of the 2nd row & buckling up any of them is much easier from the open side of a van then any open door in another vehicle. Enjoy them while they are young – they grow up too fast.
Congratulations to the whole family!!
Congratulations! So happy for you all! Little girls are tons of fun. If you want a double stroller, I’d suggest the Combination Twin Sport. It’s compact, lightweight and fits through most standard doorways and store aisles! Good luck!
Congratulations! My kids are 21 months apart and we definitely have made good use of our BOB Double jogging stroller. It’s great for running/walking on sidewalks and trails and it also fits just fine in store doorways – I am constantly amazed that it fits.
Congrats on the girl. You’ll do fine I’m sure of it.
So excited for you! Our daughter is expecting her first child/girl in July also!! You’re a fantastic mom already, and a little girl will just be the icing on your cake!!
Congratulations!!! That is so wonderful! I have 3 kids, 4 and under, 2 are girls! With my first pregnancy, I wanted it to be a boy SO badly, because of all the Reasons you mentioned in your post about momming a girl. But she was a girl, and she is amazing, and wonderful, and soooo girly! I was a tomboy, and I actually love it so much! Girls are so so so special, and I’m so thrilled about having girls. Although, I am praying fervently for their precious, sensitive teen years. 😬 I know everyone is different, but I feel like I’m just now finding some sort of normalcy, 18 months into our third child’s arrival. It has been a hard adjustment for me, trying to juggle them all. I only say this because it took a lot to figure out that I needed to give myself more time than I thought was appropriate. So, give yourself TIME! Congrats again, that’s so exciting!!! ps. You will never regret switching to a minivan with 3 kids. We love our minivan life!!!
Congratulations!!
Congrats, Kristin! Non-girly girl here too, but once I had my daughter I was so fully on board with bows and baby dolls. You will have so much fun.
Congrats!!!! I have 3 boys and I’ve always said that I knew #4 was a girl before I even knew/admitted I was pregnant. She’s almost 2 now and sooooo girly. I have no idea where she gets it because it isn’t me. It’s totally ingrained. She’ll be 2 in April and can already pick out her clothes and dress herself. My 3.5 year old boy still struggles-benefits since she loves trying on clothes I guess. Her brother is 21 months older. We have 2.5 years, 3.5 years, and 21 month gaps here
BIG congrats!!!! Love following your blog and social media for both the recipes and lifestyle content :). So happy for you. I’m a mom of 3 boys (6, 4, and 18 months). It’s tough, crazy, chaotic and wonderful. And we knew our family was complete with the addition of our youngest guy. We have the city mini double stroller and I love the versatility – I know there are several out there that convert to a single or double but it’s worked for us (my first two were 22 months apart and I NEEDED the double stroller for at least the first year!). And we also still have our SUV (a Jeep Grand Cherokee) with all 3 in a row in the back seat. We put our oldest in the middle (he’s in a high back booster) and then the younger two on either sides – they are both in Britax marathons with the little one still rear facing and it works. It really is plenty of space for our family. And it’s nice having our oldest sitting in the middle to help with baby bro. Best of luck to you all :)
Congratulations! How very exciting!! You got this, Momma!
Our third baby turns one next week – she’s been our easiest, happiest baby yet! I’m sure that is how it is for everyone ;) We are solidly in minivan-loving territory… Wishing you all the best. So much fun ahead!
Awe, congrats on your special news!! Three will be so much fun!
Congratulations! I’m pregnant with #3 as well. I have a 3 year old and almost 2 year old – 2 under 2 is tough but oh so much fun as they get older! My only advice is to get the minivan! We made the jump a few months ago and I’ve never looked back! Automatic sliding doors are clutch!!