Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story! - Psalm 107:1-2

This has been one of the hardest secrets to keep, and I am so excited to finally share the details with you all! Now, let's get into the details I've been so anxiously awaiting to share...

As most of you know, I had a missed-miscarriage, which means the baby stopped growing and didn't have a heartbeat shortly after the 8th week of my pregnancy. I hadn't realized I miscarried, because my body was still holding onto the baby, so I had to have a D&C. I had the procedure 11 weeks into my pregnancy, which was at the end of August. My doctor told me that once I had one cycle, I was able to start trying again. We prayed, and we knew that the Lord had given us peace to try to get pregnant right away.

Some women need time to heal emotionally after a miscarriage before getting pregnant again, but the Lord was so close and so near to me in that valley that I felt His healing hand upon us every moment in the journey. Although I mourned the loss of that child, and will always hold our second baby close in my heart, (until we meet again); In the midst of our grief, God was comforting us and bringing us hope for the future.

How did you find out you were pregnant and what were your first pregnancy symptoms?

I found out I was pregnant on October 17th, on the day that we had a family photoshoot scheduled. The "God" thing about it was, this was the same photographer that shot our announcement photos when we were pregnant with Maddie, and the baby we lost. God brought it full circle in the fact that I found out on the day we were getting ready to take photos, which set up the perfect opportunity to tell Sean in a memorable way! The other neat thing about it was our photo session was actually scheduled the week before, but got rained out, and the date that it fell on was the morning I was able to take a pregnancy test, which was positive!

When I got a positive test that morning, it was really faint. So faint in fact that it had me second guessing if I was, and I was so unsure if I should tell Sean or not. I decided to take one more test about 20 minutes before we left for the shoot), and the line was stronger, and it was then that I knew! (As far as symptoms, I really didn't have any yet since I was only about 3 1/2 weeks along when I got a positive test.)

How did you tell Sean?

I had a onesie I bought shortly after my miscarriage for when I became pregnant again, (a purchase I made in faith), and I threw it in my bag just before we left for the photoshoot. I texted my friend Dayna, (our photographer), telling her I just found out I was pregnant, and was going to tell Sean during the photoshoot.

Once we took a few family photos, Dayna set up a blanket for us to sit on, and I told her that I wanted to change the bow in Maddie's hair since her headband kept falling out, (which was true, and made for the perfect transition to grab the onesie). I grabbed the onesie from my bag, and when he saw it, he I could tell he instantly knew.

We laughed, cried, and were in shock together, and he asked me when I found out, to which I was able to tell him that I knew just about an hour before! We celebrated, and rejoiced, and told Maddie that she would have a baby sister or brother in the summer time, right around her birthday!

How did you tell your family and friends?

We told my family pretty much right away. Unfortunately, I didn't tell them in any super cute way, because within just a few days of finding out, anxiety started to set in, and I knew I needed my mom and sisters to rally around me in prayer. So, I called them just a few days after my photoshoot and told each one of them so we could pray together.

We ended up telling Seans family and our closest friends a few weeks later at Sean's birthday party, which was special.

When is the due date?

The due date is June 30th, which is another "God" moment!

I knew God would restore and redeem all that had been lost, (that is who He is, the great redeemer!) So, I knew in some way He would put His fingerprint of restoration on the next pregnancy, and sure enough He did!

When we went for our dating ultrasound, the doctor confirmed the due date was June 30th, which was the day in 2021 that I found out I was expecting our second baby, (the baby we lost). It was one of the best days of our lives, which then became one that was painful to think about when we experienced that loss.

When I found out I was expecting our third baby on June 30, 2022, it was as though the Lord was saying, "I see you, I know what you have been through, and I know the weight of your loss; And I am restoring all things!"

How have you been feeling? Do you have any food cravings or aversions?

I am currently in my second trimester, and if you noticed I wasn't as "active" on social media the past few months, and have been a little MIA; (And for those of you awaiting my mixes coming out before the holidays, but never did), well now you know why!

It has been a rough couple of months, but after experiencing a miscarriage and infertility, I can't complain! It is a precious gift to carry a baby, and i'm so beyond thankful!

From weeks 6-12 I have had quite a few rough days. Many days I was nauseas morning, noon, and night; And the best way to describe how I felt was "car sick" most of the day. I was also extremely exhausted; Pretty similar to how I felt with Maddie. When I was pregnant with Maddie though, I had the luxury of taking naps. Now that I have a four year old to care for, I have fallen asleep most evenings at 6 pm.

As far as food goes, food aversions kicked in strong around 6 weeks. I started to despise (and I mean despise) coffee, protein shakes, veggies, and a lot of different foods that I ordinarily love. I went through this same thing with Maddie, so I learned how to adjust and be creative; And creative I had to be! Something that sounded wonderful one day would sound terrible the next, so there wasn't a whole lot of meal planning being done around our home! I just cooked when I felt good enough, and ate what sounded good at the time.

How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant so soon after a miscarriage?

One of the things that took me by surprise was how hard it was for me to be joyful and excited for this pregnancy right away. The day I found out I was excited, but also in shock, so it hadn't really set in yet. Within a few days however, fear, anxiety, and even feelings of guilt (that I wasn't more excited), started to set in. I knew that I had to deal with these emotions right away, and I had to bring them to the Lord if I was going to be in faith and enjoy this pregnancy.

Again, as I sought the Lord, I've never felt Him more near. The promise that He is close to the broken-hearted is now a true revelation for me. Every time I went to the Word, He filled me with promises of peace as I kept my mind stayed on Him. I had to on-purpose make an agreement with God and His word, rather than agree with fear, doubt, and lies of the enemy.

I always look to Jesus as my example when looking how to overcome temptation of any sort, and fear is certainly a temptation to doubt God and His promises! To combat fear, I would write down scriptures and speak them out every time an anxious thought would cross my mind. I had to learn to rest in the goodness and redemption of God, and remind myself of His faithfulness. It didn't happen over night, but within a few weeks of renewing my mind, I was finally able to rest and enjoy the fact that a new life was growing within!

Will you find out the gender before the baby is born?

Yes we will! We are doing a gender specific blood test, and just like with Maddie, we will be doing the gender reveal with family on Christmas Eve! We will also share the reveal on social media, so stay tuned!

Will you be sharing pregnancy news and updates?

Yes! Just like with Maddie, I will be sharing updates throughout the pregnancy with you all! When I was pregnant with Maddie I really had to pray about the decision to share updates, because I remember there were times it was hard for me to see my newsfeed filled with pregnancy pictures while I was in the season of waiting... But after praying about it, God spoke to me and said, "This pregnancy will bring people hope who have been waiting for a baby of their own", so I decided to share some pictures along the way.

I plan to do so this pregnancy as well with the utmost of sensitivity, and I do hope that if you are in the season of waiting, that any picture I do share will bring you joy and hope knowing that if God did it for me, He can and will do it for you as well!

What would you say to the women out there who are praying for a baby?

Whether you are trying to get pregnant, have had one or multiple miscarriages, or are struggling with infertility, first of all, know that you are not alone! I know exactly where you are at, as do many other women. In fact, after sharing about all that I have been through, I have come to learn just how many women have walked these roads; And it lessened the pain of feeling alone.

I strongly suggest sharing your journey with a few good friends who you can share your heart with, pray with, and have stand in agreement with you. This made all the difference for Sean and I. We couldn't of walked these roads alone.

The second thing I would tell anyone going through a hard season is run to Jesus! He knows our pain, our weakness, our fears, and our doubts; And He wants us to come to Him and lay our burdens down. No matter where you are at in your emotions and in your heart, He is there waiting for you to bring it all to Him. He will never leave or forsake you, and He will draw near to you as you draw near to Him.

He is such a good Father, and He truly is the giver of every good and perfect gift. He has precious gifts in store for you, simply because he loves you!!! Trust His promises, and seek Him for who He is. Give Him the desires of your heart, and trust them in His care and timing.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

Thank You to All of You Who Stood By Us in this Journey

Lastly, I couldn't share this announcement without thanking each and every one of you that rallied around us after our miscarriage this past summer. Your prayers, words of hope and encouragement, and your support carried us through one of the hardest times of our lives. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to this incredible community who lifted us up! We are forever thankful! xo Sean and Katie