Daddy Figures It Out!

Dear Baby Hawley,

It didn't take long for Daddy to figure out that you are on the way.  Catherine and I were going to surprise him with the special shirt we ordered, but he guessed our news before the shirt even arrived!

I am still nursing Catherine and I came home from school today with my little black bag.  I commented that it had been a tough day and I didn't have much milk to give Catherine.  Daddy turned around and asked, "Are you pregnant?" but he had a goofy smile on his face.  He was only kidding when he asked that.  I told him that I couldn't hide the truth and that, YES!!! We are!!!

He was really surprised.  He'd just asked that question because he had had a funny dream last night in which I was pregnant, and now it turns out that the dream was telling him the real story.

Daddy is so happy!  He asked that question as we were standing in the kitchen.  I was getting ready to leave for a meeting with Aunt Anna.  Uncle Mark and Ezra and Leah were staying here with Catherine and Daddy for the evening.  They were just arriving and we quickly decided to hold our little secret to ourselves for a bit longer - you are still so tiny inside me and it's fun to have such a big secret that others don't know about yet.  We are going to enjoy our private knowledge of you for a while before letting the rest of the family know that you are on the way.

Dearest Little One, we love you so much!  Keep growing and know that you have a family that loves you and can't wait to share our world with you.

Dear Baby Hawley,

I am so excited to be able to say Hi to you!  I learned today, after a few days of wondering, that you are on the way!

Unlike with your older sister, not much changed in my life when you were conceived.  So far, I have not been super-tired, I have not yet craved any foods, and I haven't had to change my gym routines.  All of those were tip-offs that Catherine was on the way.  You, however, have slipped into our lives quietly.  I wonder how long that will last?

I have decided to not tell your dad about you quite yet - Catherine and I ordered a shirt for her that says, "I'm going to be a big sister."  When it arrives, she will put it on and surprise him with the message.  I know he will be as happy about you as I am today.

While Catherine is too young to understand that you are on the way, I can tell you that she loves babies.  She has begun to carry her baby doll around the house and gets excited when we see babies as we are out and about.  She is going to be a great big sister and I am glad that you two will be close in age.  You really will get to grow up together.

I'm looking forward to sharing the news of you with everyone - and meeting you in a few short months.

I love you already, Little One,