It's a...

Kim

It's a...

...BOY! 

Wait, what?  Oh right...this happened...

I'm going to be a big brother!

Henry was happy to make our big announcement to all of our family with his tee-shirt when we were in Richmond for the CF Walk this year.  It only took them a good 15 minutes to actually read his shirt and process what it meant.  It was pretty funny.  But yes, a big brother.  It is all very exciting.  I realize that at this point in my pregnancy with Henry I had written 20+ blog entries.  I guess the second-child syndrome really is true?  It used to annoy me so much when people would talk about it(being a second child and all), but I totally get it now.  We don't love you any less little babe 2, we are just a bit busier this time around :) 

So anyways, I am 17.5 weeks, and we found out this past Monday that we're having another boy! 

Hi little buddy!

Everyone seemed to think it was a girl this time around, but I think they is mostly because we already had a boy.  We didn't care either way and were just happy to know we have a healthy, growing little babe!  During the ultrasound he was super squirmy - literally flipping from side-to-side as we were watching him - but everything checked out great and we're on target for a due date of December 17.  Yep...a Christmas baby...I'm getting all my shopping done by Thanksgiving this year.  Seriously!  And of course, since Henry technically came two weeks early, I'm already preparing myself for failure by thinking that there is a good chance this babe will come early too.  (He'll probably be late and come on Christmas day or something since I'm thinking that!)  But we'll be delighted whenever he gets here, and we know it will be a busy time whether he comes early or late.  Oh, and another fun fact...my sister-in-law is also pregnant and literally due on almost the same day!  They haven't found out what they're having yet, but it is going to be a busy time for the Richardson family this winter.  It is so fun to think about the cousins being so close in age, and it has already been a lot of fun to go through all of this with her this time around. 

They say that every pregnancy is different, and I would say that this one has been a little bit different already.  My sense of smell has been really strong.  I didn't have that so much with Henry, so it has really taken me by surprise.  Also, I've been ridiculously tired...even now in my second trimester.  I am assuming part of this has to do with the fact that I have a 17-month-old to chase around and don't ever get to sleep in past 7:30am anymore, but still...that has been a little rough.  Oh, and I have been HUNGRY!  I mean, breakfast-and-two-snacks-before-lunch hungry.  It is ridiculous...but I am glad to know the babe is growing.  I definitely started to show a little earlier this time around, although I am still able to wear my pants with the belly band, and I'm still too small for maternity clothes.  It's that weird time of pregnancy where you mostly just look like you've eaten too many Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  Lovely. 

I think that I am starting to feel him move.  I have noticed a few little "pops" down low in my belly over the last few days and even as I type this now I can feel them.  They are not consistent, but the more I feel them, the more I am sure that it is the babe.  Feeling him move is probably my favorite part of pregnancy.  It is so amazing and so comforting to know he is in there and swimming around. 

Oh, and we're pretty sure his name is going to be James Matthew Richardson.  Just like last time, we were able to pick out a boy name pretty quickly, but were having the hardest time coming up with a girl name.  I told Matt that I knew it was going to be a boy because of this...if it was a girl, we would've come up with a girl name.  Don't run out and get anything monogrammed yet, but we are fairly certain he will be James.

It is so fun now to know that it is a boy and to think about him and Henry growing up together.  I hope that they will be close, and I know there are many adventures in our future.  Matt is excited to have built-in hunting and fishing buddies, and I know there will be lots of scouts and sports games.  I still have a lot to learn about boys, but it has been a fun 17 months so far and I am looking forward to our lifetime ahead.  Also, this little guy is going to be great in the clothing department.  Since he'll be born around the same time of year as Henry, he should be good to go. Poor little thing won't know anything besides hand-me-downs for the first bit of his life, but I think he'll live.  Plus, Henry has excellent style :)

So that is our news.  It has been a ridiculously rainy summer and we're going a bit stir crazy at home, but overall, things have been good and we have nothing to complain about.  We had a great time at the beach for the 4th of July (with no rain!), but I'll save that for another post.  Here's a sneak peek of the cousins all together though.  Have you ever tried to get a 1-year-old and two 4-year-olds to sit still long enough to take a picture together?...yeah....

They are still cute though.