Bring it On!

One of the things that makes Utah so Utah-y, is that you can go right to the mall, pay a small fee, and get a quick gender check from an ultrasound shop at only 14 weeks into pregnancy. With the option to take a sneak peek at our baby's gender just dangling in front of our noses, we couldn't wait another six weeks for the standard 20 week ultrasound performed at the doctor's office, and decided to cheat and find out early.

Backing the story up a bit, when Aaron and I felt the inspiration to add a fifth and final baby to our family, it was in large part due to the fact that I felt like I needed a daughter to keep me company and feel closure in our family. Of course I knew that there was no guarantee that we'd have a girl and I was fully prepared to accept and love any baby that our Heavenly Father sent to us. Just based on mathmatical probability, Aaron guessed it was a girl. Since I've been wrong nearly every time in the past, I didn't even bother to take a guess. Then, about two weeks ago, I felt my heart being softened to having another boy and when I thought about the idea of having five boys...it just felt right. When I thought about being the mother of five sons, I felt a sense of clarity and deep purpose. So, as we geared up to learn the gender of our newest little one, I felt nervous excitement, but happy that it would be a win-win either way.

Last week I was completely consumed by thoughts of eating food. I'd no sooner finish eating a meal before I'd be planning what to eat next. I couldn't contain my own hunger! Well, ta-da, as if overnight it seems my little tummy doubled and the great appetite mystery was solved--I think I had a month of growth all at once!

The gender scan took all of thirty seconds before our little baby made HIMself known. Aaron and I couldn't stop laughing and smiling at the shock of adding another little rascal to our crazy family. According to Google, the odds of having five consecutive boys is 1 in 32, or 3%! I always knew we were special, but now it's confirmed! We are super thrilled and proud to be the parents of FIVE boys!

As per tradition, after the ultrasound we purchased a tiny newborn outfit to bring our little boy home from the hospital in (probably his first and last item of new clothing, poor guy), and presented the outfit at home to the boys as the big gender reveal. Although Hank was hoping for a sister, he was super excited about having a new little brother and felt pleased with his responsibility as the eldest of four little brothers. Max had hoped for a boy all along so he was happy with the news as well. As for Ben and Joey, they're still so young they will never know any different!

I love my boys to peices and feel honored and humbled to be blessed with five little boys to raise. When friends and neighbors ask me how I feel about having five boys, I say, "bring it on!" Bring on the camping (hey, I'm being open-minded!), hiking and fishing. Bring on the Saturdays spent at the ball park. Bring on the years of cub scout birdhouses, boy scout overnighters, and Eagle Scout projects. Bring on the wrestling and rough housing. I'll take the stinky feet and bottom-less appetites. They're loud, they're wild, they're mine, and I love it!