Introducing Jellybean

Jonathan is announcing this week that he's going to be a big brother, and we're super excited.
Little Jellybean is 10 weeks along now and due to arrive around September 21st of this year. This highlight from today's photo shoot:

It was wonderful to see two legs and two arms already busy and moving, two little hands reaching out, and a perfect speedy baby heartbeat at 170 bpm. I'm hoping it's not a sign of a high-maintenance childhood to come that this pregnancy is already a bit rougher than Jonathan's. Maybe it's the fact that I'm chasing a toddler my every spare moment, but I definitely never found myself pulling the car over to get sick on the (at least it was grassy) median last go-around. At 10 weeks already, the blessed second trimester is only around the corner :)

Our family is in for lots of excitement this year. I'll finish residency in late August. Jellybean arrives in September. I'll take my pediatric boards in October, and then start my new job in November. By this Christmas, life will be entirely different for us, and we can't wait to see all that's ahead.

While we wait on his sibling's arrival, Jonathan keeps us plenty busy and entertained. On a short walk around the neighborhood today he pulled out a few of his newest antics. He's into running now. Not just running around like a crazy toddler, but taking off running -- full speed ahead. Every few minutes on our way to the park he'd take off running down the sidewalk screaming, "RUN!... RUN!" I nervously hovered and scurried after him, wanting to let him live out his enthusiasm but more than a little wary of the poor state of the sidewalk in our 60-year old neighborhood. I'm relieved to say he navigated all the cracks and step-offs impressively, with my coaching, "BIG STEP, Jonathan... BIG STEP!" every 8 feet. His progress was broken by the fact that the neighborhood is also has a good number of trees. Since they're not in the middle of the sidewalk, you wouldn't think they'd stop him. But Jonathan is into tree-hugging, quite literally, and each tree we passed he'd forget his "run" and take off to the tree exclaiming "tree... hug!" Watching him open his arms to each tree and press his cheek against it was a combination of hysterical and adorable. We have no idea where the idea came from, but he's pretty consistent ...each tree needs a hug. I have some great photos from my parents' recent visit, include some serious tree hugging, that I'll try to post soon.

As we delight in discovering Jonathan's personality each day we can't wait to meet Jellybean later this year and discover the joys and challenges of the next little person joining the family. Thanks for your prayers as we prepare our home and family for our baby's arrival.