January joy.

On a sweltering May 13, when Liam and I headed to Pullen Park, we hopped on the carousel right away. As soon as it started spinning, my stomach did flips. I went pale, trying to breathe deeply to stave off an overwhelming nausea. About halfway through the ride, the thought popped in my head: "Could I be pregnant?"

That pesky thought wouldn't leave. I quickly started remembering other symptoms and trying to count the days to see if I'd be able to take a test and find out. I figured I would be five weeks along, so on our way home, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things and I grabbed a pregnancy test. But just like when I tested with Liam, I knew what it would read before I even opened the package. Or at least I hoped, mightily.

That beautiful, bold blue line appeared immediately. Shawn was on his way home soon, and instead of impatiently calling him in the car like the last time (tempting!), I wrapped up the positive test in a gift bag and set it on the table. I'm pretty sure his first reaction was, "Really? You?" Yes, me! US! followed by happy hugs and, later, a celebratory bouquet of white roses.

This pregnancy feels entirely different from the pregnancy that ended in December. The nausea and sheer exhaustion have been brutal - especially with a move and a trip to Europe thrown in - and "pregnancy brain" took over almost immediately (poor Shawn). But it's all a specific and merciful answer to prayer. This baby has surely made himself/herself known.

I'm 14 weeks along now and it felt natural to keep this a secret for a bit longer this time around. We were able to see our tiny baby a couple times via ultrasound, most recently to make sure all was well after my minor car accident last week. "That's one strong heart, you guys. Really strong," our doctor said at 7 weeks, and we felt the fear melting away. We waited to tell Shawn's parents in person - and now that we're in Germany with them and they're well aware of their newest grandbaby, we're able to joyfully share the news with all of you.

A January baby. Just enough time to enjoy one more Christmas as a family before unwrapping our greatest gift. What could be more wonderful?

PS - We're definitely planning to find out the gender in just a few more weeks. Any guesses?