child, you're forgiven: 24 AND A FAMILY OF 4!

Daniel's suggested title. I kinda like it.

You guessed it! We’re expecting! Baby #2 will be here in December! December 27, to be exact. It’s 2 days away from our friends' due date (Mark and Amy Brown). That is a funny story in itself. I joke that Mark (CPA) and Daniel planned it because of taxes.

(photo credit: Liz Taylor)

Anyway, we’re thrilled! Harper and the new baby will be 23 months apart. We have delayed telling the social world, because it’s more fun to tell people ourselves. As you know, with the first pregnancy, you thought we had a serious disease. “We’re…. sniff sniff….. going… cry… to have a bbbaaabbbby.” We weren’t that excited when we told other people. Now, we get to see their reaction and also have a big smile on our faces. Finally! It’s been a smooth pregnancy so far. The first 13 weeks were tough (extreme fatigue) with a one year old. She is busy, busy, busy and I was not. Thankfully I am able to nap with her during the day.

I actually found out we were expecting while Daniel was away on a work trip. He had been in South Carolina for a week, and we were in Clinton. I came home a few days early and surprised him with the news when he walked in the door. Harper had on a Big Sister shirt, to which he paid no attention to until I made him read it. (Obviously, men don’t pay any attention to what we wear) What a greeting, eh? Welcome home and … we’re pregnant! I videoed the entire thing, but he might sleep in the guest bedroom for awhile if I post it. He laid on the ground for awhile then got up and cleaned the house. We had just started talking about baby #2, and he was so fine with another one… until… it was real! Ha!

Betsy and Graham's beautiful wedding

It took him a week to fully process it. I was thinking of clothes, decorations, rearrange furniture, snuggles, 2 children, etc! Duh. He was thinking money, more rent houses and so on. That was months ago, and to be honest, we forget I’m pregnant most of the time. I’m 17 weeks and feeling great. Ok, I am tired still, but who isn’t?

Harper Lee Sims and cousin, Robert Arrington Miller III

We could find out in 2 weeks what we’re having, but we’re going to wait! I think it will get me through the labor process, and no one has ever regretted not knowing, right? If it’s a girl, GREAT! We have plenty of clothes. If it’s a boy, GREAT! Best of both worlds. We will see………..

Here's the video from when we found out Harper was a girl!

Daniel and Mary Kathleen's Gender Reveal

one of my favorite pictures of us. thanks, rachel hill!

Three's a crowd. FOUR'S A PARTY!

Right now, we really need to concentrate on getting up early and reading. Harper has thrown us for an ultimate loop! Getting up early is our only option, because we’re too tired at night. I think we might read, “Gospel Powered Parenting” at night. We need it!! I didn’t realize how far I had fallen off until recently. I have no accountability or structure. I really want to get into a healthy rythhm of reading and praying before baby #2 gets here and it’s double the craziness. By the way, I don't tell you I'm reading these or potty training to show you how good I am (BECAUSE I'M NOT!), it's to get out information to other moms. I hate it's the whole competition thing in parenting. If you don't have kids, you'll understand one day. It's annoying. My baby reads, my baby eats everything, my baby sleeps through the night, AHH! I just like to read about different things, learn from other moms (Emily Ulrich, you have taught me so much!!!) and teach Harper what I know is right. People parent differently. Children develop at different speeds. I just hate this competition thing. Be happy for one another, help one another and stop judging. (Can you tell I don't have coworkers?)

highly recommended by John Kwasny, to anyone who knows the genius

I also started (started, not finished) Dr. William Richardson's book, Loving Obedience. He's a professor at RTS (thanks for the recommendation, MK!). It's an insigtful book, but geared toward older children (3-...). There is one part in the introduction that stuck out to me. It's so TRUE!

(After the birth of their son) "We had recieved some instruction- birthing classes. We were trained for the first 10 hours of labor, but we were not equipped with the knowledge or skills for the thousands of hours of parenting that would follow. Who trains parents to train children?

Parents need skills. Imagine reclining in your dentist's chair and hearing him say: 'Well I haven't exactly been trained to drill and fill your cavity, but my father was a dentist. I saw him do it many times. He even worked on my teeth. I think I can do it. Open up.'

Think of your airplane pilot making his preflight announcement: 'My dad was a pilot. In fact, I sat in his cockpit and watched him fly many times. He never crashed. I'm sure I can fly this plane. Just relax, sit down and buckle up.'

Attempting such jobs without training is unthinkable. What about the job of parenting? Molding the highest of all creations into men and women who can build rockets, make friendships, and converse with the God of the universe is more complex than drilling teeth and flying planes. Attempting parenting without training is outlandish and unfair to parents and children. Yet, it is our practice.

What we learn about parenting we snatch here and there haphazzardly 'by the seat of our pants'. Our society supplies specialized systematic training for nearly every profession from hairdressing to aerospace engineering. But our culture, even our Christian culture, does not train us to train our children. We are not given skills of parenting in an organized, step-by-step fashion.

But knowledge and skills are available- contained in God's Word and world. Special revelation (Scripture) and general revelation (creation) hold the truths we need for training."

That's just the introdution. It presents specific skills, one piece at a time, so that parents may be built into more effective builders of their children. Keep in mind, I am not boasting. Daniel and I are FAR FROM PERFECT. We fall into selfish sin every single day.

Grace. Grace. God's grace.

Happy 18 months, Harper!

Whoop! Whoop! Who wouldn't be excited about a potty? This is not because I am mother of the year, but we can't afford 2 in diapers :) After reading about it, I'm really looking forward to it!

Thanks for reading! We’re excited to share our joy with you! Christmas baby is on it’s way… now if I could communicate that to Harper Lee :)