Rob and I are excited to finally let you in on a growing little secret: Dessa is going to be a big sister! The baby is due October 7 and we are completely overjoyed.
It has been incredibly difficult to keep the news a secret from our friends, family, and all of you and we are so relieved to finally open up and share this new chapter of our lives. We told Dessa about the baby a little over a week ago. I don’t think she understands anything that’s happening, but she knows that there’s a baby in Mommy’s tummy and she often pats my belly or tries to give the baby kisses.
Dessa has been such a great little helper around the house, especially during the worst moments of nausea when all I could do was curl up on the sofa and watch her play. She has also been incredibly sweet and nurturing to her baby doll; I am certain that Dessa will be a wonderful big sister when Baby Gavin arrives this fall.
As for me, things are looking up. I already have quite the baby bump, and I’m happy that the nausea and exhaustion are beginning to subside. I’ve been eating a steady diet of carbs and cheese for the past 6 weeks and my palette is finally beginning to include vegetables once again. I’m also happy that sunshine and warm weather have begun to make regular appearances so Dessa and I can resume our daily walks and get a little exercise.
Rob, meanwhile, has really basically transformed into some sort of superhero husband these past few months. My nausea always seemed to peak in the late afternoon, just in time for Rob to arrive home from work. The poor guy usually didn’t even have a few minutes to kick up his feet before springing back into action. Rob has been cooking most of our dinners, handling the nightly cleanup, and taking on most of Dessa’s bedtime routine. Our daughter has always been a Mommy’s girl, but it has been sweet to watch her bond with Rob in new ways while I laid on the couch and tried not to toss my cookies. This season has been a good transition for Dessa because she will need to rely on Rob even more once the baby arrives.
We aren’t planning to learn the baby’s sex ahead of time and are looking forward to a fun surprise when we finally meet the newest member of our family. As an expectant mom over the age of 35, I pray every day for a healthy, full-term baby and we welcome any prayers you have to spare as well. We have so much more to share with you in the coming weeks as we prepare our hearts and home for a new addition.
Thank you so much for Erika Christine for capturing such beautiful images with our sweet, silly, and headstrong little girl. Life is about to get a lot more interesting for the Gavin family and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
