5 months down and a baby brother

We had the best trip to California recently and I am almost done sorting and posting all those pictures.

5 Months down and 4 long ones to go:-)

I think everyone who reads this, already knows we are having a boy but if you needed visual evidence, here it is:-)

He is a mover, thus it is hard to get a decent image. A banana with legs and arms is how they describe a 20- week old fetus.

Walking into the Doctor my Mom asked Mason what he thought the baby was. He has always said girl and that day he said "A baby boy"-)

The ultra-sound was awesome, well fairly awesome, after I broke the table in the first room and they had to move the machine and us to another,  it will be a moment I will never forget. I had my Matty, my Mason, and my Mom all in there eagerly waiting to see this sweet baby. The ultra sound tech announced the sex fairly quickly and Mason said "I am going to have a baby boy and I think he is going to look like me!!!" Pure Love.

So I am sure after you read my 4 month blog where I stated my desire to have a girl, you are wondering how I am feeling? I am going to be honest; I am excited and sad at the same time. I feel guilty saying that. I know my feelings are not a reflection of how I/we will feel for this beautiful gift of a baby boy, they are just my selfish want for a daughter. I know the pure love I will feel for him and the bond he and Mason will share is going to be awesome, far more awesome than I can even imagine. At first the news was like "OK, I know how to do this baby boy thing" and than in the middle of the night I woke immensely sad as if I was mourning the loss of some little girl I never knew. I just kept thinking of all the things I share with my mom, all the things a mother and daughter have, and that when my boys someday marry and leave....I would be all alone. Pretty stupid to worry about right? So in the wee hours of the mourning I called my Mom. She just kept saying "we have to trust his plan" and that she was sad too but after she prayed about it, she just felt at peace, that all these boys were going to be a grand part of our lives....and they are.  She said "the doors in our life our never closed and I know you and Matt have always planned two kids but who knows what the future holds!"

My dad's reaction "well at least the wedding budget will be small and who knows maybe we have a pair of Manning's on our hands:-)" Love my Dad!

So I am not saying one way or the other if a third will happen but for the first time I am open to it. I am sure a large percent of families with three kids have the third for this reason:-) BUT for now we are just going to focus on this great gift we are being given and look forward to all the wonderful things ahead with two healthy boys....

Another energetic and creative boy to own my heart.

Plus the bond of brothers is so special and all around me: 

My Dad and his older brother Mike. Best friends, they moved all the time as kids because my Grandpa was in the air force and my Dad said "he never had to worry about making friends because he had Mike."

Matt and Nick, only 20 months apart and though Matt thought we were having a girl he stated "I think its really cool that Mason gets to have a brother like I do, I wouldn't change that for anything."

and my nephews Keegan and Cormic; totally buddies and playmates!

I found this cute quote that is a little out of date for the times but still describes the brotherly love I can imagine:

It snowed last year too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea. ~Dylan Thomas