Friday, July 22, 2011

big brother

Or should we say...
big brotherS!!!!
Surprise!!! Heath will be joining Nolan in the big brother's club this December!

Nolan is the perfect big brother- he loves Heath and wants to play with him! He shows him how to do things, kisses him goodnight, and only occasionally do we find him pinning Heath to the ground, throwing elbows, swiping toys, or licking his face like a puppy!

And now this little munchkin gets to take a crack at this important role too! He's not gonna know what hit him! Heath is our ultimate "I need attention and I need it now!" boy! So we are going to really have to find ways to make him feel special and praise him for his new big brother ways once he becomes the middle child! (Just like his Mommy & Daddy!) He LOVES to help and do little jobs for us, which I'm sure will come in handy once we are out numbered! It will be so neat to watch our THREE children grow up together so close in age!

We were definitely surprised by this happening, but God certainly has shown us time and time again that He has a plan.

I read this recently on a blog and what it had to say really resonated with me: Jesus calls us to abandon our own agendas, what we have deemed will please and fulfill us, so that we can embrace the kind and quality of life that only he gives. This is not about adding Jesus to the life we are living. This is about making Jesus our life. This is about putting our plans for our lives to death so that the abundant life he offers has room to take root and grow. The problem is, we don't really believe that God's plan for our lives could be better than the one we've crafted. We don't believe we could be as fulfilled by the life he offers as we would be by the one we've planned. It takes a step of faith to believe God will supply satisfying life now and when we die.

We are thrilled that God has chosen us to be the parents of this teeny tiny one! That He has entrusted us to guide this precious life to know, love, and serve Jesus! And we are stepping out in faith, knowing that he has a future for our family that is blessed and completely unfathomable! He's not saying that it won't be hard. Because let's get real, it will be! 3 kids, 4 and under will be insane and challenging. But it will also be so completely rewarding!

I think this picture of the boys about sums up how we are all feeling and thinking about our lives come December...
We are all a little bit frightened and we will all have times when we feel like screaming and crying! But...then Nolan will come and zerbert my tummy or Heath will repeat "baby" as I take his hand to rub my (too big already) belly and all seems perfectly right in the world!

It is wonderful to go through this all again with a 3 1/2 year old! Nolan understands things so much more than last time. His opinion of the baby changes daily but he is so interested in it all. One day he wants it to be a boy, the next a girl. One day the baby should be named "No name Jansen" and the next it should be "Dexda". He asks a million questions about when, and where, and how the baby will be born. Some of which I'm not too sure I want to answer! He is actually o.k. with the thought of sharing his way cool big boy room with Heath. And he definitely knows that the baby is coming "before Christmas"! He doesn't forget this month- Christmas and his birthday in the same week...what could be better! And now, the gift of a new brother or sister!

We find out the gender on August 9th, although we kind of already feel like it's another BOY! We'll keep you posted! But as for now we covet your prayers for health and happiness as we prepare for the arrival of this little life to COMPLETE our family!

God is so good!

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Abby, I am so excited for you!!! The world needs another Jansen baby. Praying and praying for you during this season. God knows EXACTLY what He is doing!

Love you,
Sarah Dell

pamnrandy said...

Yea!!! I get to be there when you find out again...did you save the pink sprinkles, just in case? Love you so much! Grammy Pammy

Tyler said...

I also vote for Dexda.

Jill Sloothaak said...

I L-O-V-E this post! Can't wait to find out whether you will be adding more blue or some pink to your lives! We all love this little bundle so much already and are so excited to be a part of his or her life! You will be an AMAZING momma of 3!

Barb J. said...

We are also excited for you and the new little Jansen! Nolan tells me often about the baby in Mommy's tummy! Excited you are going to be here again Pam when they find out.

Jayne said...

Yeah! We can't wait to meet this new little one and Cohen can't wait to have another cousin!

Cara S. said...

Life with three children is definitely an adventure (you will have guns for biceps from lugging them all around :))...We weren't sure about having number 3 for a while, and now we can't imagine our lives without Lando. We know that you will feel the same way about this new little peanut. And, whether "Dexda" or "Dexdette" joins the crew, we already love them so much!

Jayne Shatto said...

Congratulations!! Such exciting news for your family! You'll do great, three is so much fun! What a great gift for your boys to have another sibling :)!! December is going to be a fun month at your house!!

Love our life said...

So happy for you Abbs! Can't wait to meet your new addition.

Gwen said...

We're so happy for you guys and know you'll be outstanding parents to this little one too. Can't wait to meet him or HER! Get through those first few months with fake smiles and the rest will be smooth sailing:)

Love,
Gwen and fam

boschkp said...

Congrats again! I am so excited for you guys. You have such a special fammily. Of course I am hoping for a little girl to complete your little family. Besides the family needs more girls!!! Can't wait to meet her or him!

Kim said...

:) so excited as always! We love that little one already! Praying for a good couple of months for you, family, and babers! LOVE!!