How We Announced Our Special News

On January 3rd I woke up and just had a feeling I needed to take a pregnancy test, AND WAHOO two lines! I went back to the store later that day to get a "pregnant word" test just to be sure! While at the store, I decided to pick up a few things to reveal our big secret to Patrick. That night we went for a family walk and it was killing me to keep our secret! When we got home I got started on dinner and while I was working on the meat for the sauce, I asked Patrick to grab the sauce out of the pantry.
When he grabbed the jar this is what he saw:

Here he is reading the label....AND one happy DADDY!
We are both so overjoyed!

Weeks later we decided it was time to tell our families, and my Mom and Dad were up first. We put Caroline in her "Big Sister to Be" shirt and announced our big news over Skype.

Getting ready to share our big newsCar's new shirt

We told my brothers by phone a few nights later, and needless to say my family is really excited for us! Since we were loving the new Skyping we were doing, we decided to skype with the Kanes (my SIL and her family) and share our good news while they were on vacation at one of our very favorite spots...Turtle Rock! The kids were so excited to be getting a new cousin!

On Superbowl Sunday we outfitted Caroline once again and shared the news with my FIL Smokey and SIL Laura

That face on Paw-PAw says it all!

Patrick's brother happened to be in town for work and we thought it was the perfect time to tell him about our new addition. While Caroline was coloring at the table I wrote a quick little note and Caroline went and gave it to Uncle Michael.

reading Caroline's note

He's excited!

Caroline's special note for her Uncle!

Patrick and I could not be happier to add another baby to our family and give Caroline a brother or a sister to share life with! We will once again wait until the baby arrives to find out the sex, it was just so special the first time! Please keep us in your prayers over the next few weeks and months as we prepare for this new arrival!

Caroline's BIG News...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love, Caroline

(Julia and Patrick too!)

Valentines Cookies

Today we made cookies in the spirit of the L.O.V.E. month!

First you ICE them,

then you add some sprinkles,
AND a few more sprinkles!

Next you do a quick taste test on your progress,

and FINALLY eating time!

check out those sticky hands

cookie perfection!

DInner with Uncle Michael

Michael (my BIL) was in town for a work meeting so we all went out to dinner to visit with him. We went to a yummy mexican restaurant and had a fun night of catching up! I think C looks so big drinking out of a cup!
Caroline, Patrick, and Michael

Smokey, Laura, and I

Superbowl Sunday

My SIL Laura had us over to her house for a small Superbowl shindig and it was nice to relax, watch the game, laugh at the commercials, and EAT (there was enough food for 15, and there were 5 of us!) We had ribs, potatos, salad, cornbread, veggies, and brownies a la mode...YUM! Aunt Laura and Caroline wearing their napkins as bonnets

Darcy and Smokey

AND of course no party is complete without Caroline wearing someone's shoes around the house!

apple mouth

Caroline is so funny....the other day we were eating a snack and she kept putting apples in her mouth and making funny faces! She is such a trip!She had backtracked a bit on the potty training, but with the help of a few M&M's (for bribes) she is back on track. She is also doing really well at her numbers, letters, and colors...We think she is quite a smarty pants!