On Our Newest Olive Shoot :)

 Well all, we had our ultrasound last Wednesday and have just gotten over the (pleasant, of course) surprise. The culture of the Shaffer house is going to be quite changed over the course of the next year :). Andrew Kevin Lee is on his way and we are expectantly waiting his arrival! So begins a whole new chapter in the life of our family. Now, alongside the dolls and play food, there will be trucks and ...other boy toys. Ya, I've definitely got some research to do. Having had only sisters to grow up with and daughters up to this point I'm a little out of the loop :). I've already been on the Vision Forum website, sooo many times in the past I've been on their website and wished I knew of a little boy to buy for because they have some of THE neatest toys. Most of the girls Christmas came from there last year, I had almost as much fun getting it as they did :). But, baby really doesn't need toys quite yet. I was looking for "how to raise boys" resources this time.

   When we got home from our appointment Wednesday we brought a pink rose home for each of the girls and handed them out saying, "It was a girl, it was a girl, it was a girl...", and then handed mom (who was babysitting) a white one and said, "and this time...it's a boy!!!". The girls wanted a boy this time but even they were rendered speechless when the moment of truth arrived :). We told the rest of the family that night by giving my dad a child-sized ball and mitt, I told him someone will have to teach him to play baseball :)! Lee is not really into sports, he is more interested in taking the girls outside and keeping our yard in bloom. The yard is beautiful right now, by the way, and I can say that because I'm not bragging on my own work. Anyway, I've gone through several sizes of clothes and found about half of a small bin of "boy" clothes. Not quite sure where any of them came from because the girls have never worn any of them except a couple pairs of jeans and PJ's. Most of them were grey sweatpants and red sweatshirts, not really even something I would use for play clothes... a little one in a sweatshirt...in South Carolina? Maybe for a week in February :). So, it looks like I have just acquired a great excuse to do a little shopping :). Lee and I stopped in at Wal-Mart to get the flowers after the appointment and picked out a few little boy outfits. They are hanging in our room for now and my heart flutters a little every time they catch my eye :). This will be an adventure :)! Tori was dancing through the house the other day singing, "Baby brother, baby brother, baby brother...". Bethani was dancing along with her but I don't think she's really grasping her upcoming role as big sister quite yet ;).

   Bethani will turn a year old on May 1st. She has been such a blessing and I can't believe that The Day is coming up so fast :(. I know ...a season for everything... I need to wrap this up so that I can put the finishing touches on the plans for my little girls very special day!

"Your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord."

Psalm 128:3b-4