Baby-to-be Announcement!!!! (Yes, you read that right!)

Drum roll, please……. It’s the moment everyone’s been waiting for…. Okay, so maybe not “everyone,” but definitely our families, many of our friends, and of course, Wes and I!! We are very excited to announce to the online world, that we are expecting Baby Keene in approximately 6 ½ months! We are just shy of 12 weeks, and I will tell you that the pass 11 weeks have been the most difficult weeks EVER. No, not because I’ve had morning sickness. (I’ve actually been very blessed and have not had any type of sickness-praise the Lord!!!) But because we have had to keep our wonderful news a secret for so long!!! Words cannot convey how difficult that has been for me and Wes. Telling some family and a few close friends did make it somewhat easier; however, when you’ve got news like this, you want everyone to know!!! (Wes combated the feeling a couple times by just yelling, “I’m going to be a Daddy!!!” as loud as he could in the safety of our home!)

The upside to waiting to share the news was that we had some time to come up with creative ways to share our news when the time came. (I would share some of the ideas Wes and I had that didn’t make the cut, but they’re so corny that I don't think I can bring myself to list them!)

The picture to the right shows how we made the announcement to some of our friends and family. (Doesn't Wes look like a proud Daddy-to-be?!) The shirt was an Easter gift to Wes from me, just in time to serve as a prop in our announcement.

This picture shows how we announced our news to our neighbors, who almost from the time we moved into our house over three years ago, have been telling us it’s time to have a baby. Wes and I wrote this “memo” on our driveway then texted them to come outside because there was something in our driveway we wanted them to see. (We were going to try to wait until they just happened to see it on their own, but couldn’t wait!)

This picture shows their reaction!

Wes and I invited my family over for dinner to tell them. Before dinner, Wes was saying the blessing and he asked God to be with me and the baby I was carrying. I think that’s all he was able to get out before everyone started screaming and jumping up and down. (I don’t think we ever did end that prayer with AMEN!)

We feel so extremely blessed to have the support of so many friends and family. It is so wonderful to know that there are people close to us who are so supportive and as excited for us as we are for ourselves. I thank God for providing us with those people in our lives, and especially for our future baby. He or she will be so loved, not only by "Mommy" and "Daddy" (YAY!!!) but by so many around him/her.

One thing is for sure.... We are going to have to practice a new response to the infamous question, "When are you all going to have a baby?!?" We've gotten so used to hearing the question and almost blowing it off. Now the answer will be, "BY NOVEMBER 1st!" :)