#Sibling4jag

Events recorded previously:

For the past year we have been trying to get a little sibling for Joaquin.  I've always imagined my kids 2 years apart just like my brother and I were but my plans rarely happen as I imagine.  I know better than to complain about a year of trying because that really isn't that long and I am grateful to already have one growing boy! I also know that there are others who have been trying for plenty longer and I don't want to dis-credit that. But for me personally, it has been a long year of waiting.  I got pregnant much faster when I started trying for Joaquin and trying for a second baby became that consuming game of being late, getting my hopes up and then seeing a negative pregnancy test.  After another year full of dramatic life changes, maybe we needed to feel more settled financially, emotionally and overall just more stable before we could get Joaquin a sibling.   Not to mention during the year, I spent some time both in the Dominican Republic and back home, getting more medical answers about that whole septum thing... I finally have some peace and faith to move forward although there's still unanswered questions but they are ones I can deal with for now.

Today I reluctantly bought a pregnancy test and took the test right away in the Target bathroom so I could do it without my husband knowing. I didn't want to jinx anything and I wanted to surprise him creatively if maybe this time it were positive.  I took the test, threw it in my bag and right before leaving the bathroom I checked and saw the result with a grin on my face and then left the bathroom as if everything in my life was still the same...guess what it said...

Later that day, we left Joaquin with my mom and checked out the Mall of America on Black Friday.  Somehow I convinced my husband to get in a photo booth with me and that's where I gave him our surprise.  Here it is captured on film!  The first photo shows his frustration of my dumb idea to get in a photo booth that we had to take money out of an ATM for and pay the ATM fees.   Then he wonders why I'm digging in my pocket instead of looking at the camera after all that!  Photos 2-4 answer that question and remedy the situation quite perfectly.

Needless to say we are beyond grateful!  We both have wanted a little brother or sister for Joaquin (and our puppy) and now is as good a time as any. Joaquin was so sweet to his baby cousin Richard when he was smaller, from helping with his bottle to trying to hold him that I just know he will love a new baby. Of course he'll get jealous but I believe his love for the baby will prevail!  I have been a bit nervous this pregnancy now that I know about my uterine septum and there are extra risks of late miscarriage and pre-term labor but I pray every day things will go just as smooth as they did with our little JAG. I feel very hopeful.

We decided to surprise our families with the news at Christmas.  While in Miami with Jesus' family, we gave Joaquin a shirt for his Christmas gift that said, "hermano grande 7-2015" (big brother) which he unwrapped in front of everyone. Here are the videos but they don't play on mobile devices, only computers.

Back in Minnesota, we left a gift for Joaquin's baby cousin Richard, which was a shirt that read, "Primo Grande 7-2015" (big cousin) and he opened that in front of the family back home.