Hello! My name is Taryn and I am currently pregnant with my second child, but my fourth pregnancy. I miscarried at 8-9 weeks in May of 2000. We named it Morgan because we don't know if it was a boy or girl. I lost my second at 23 wks in Dec. of 2000 and named him Thomas Hunter. The dr. isn't entirely sure why that happened. It could've been because of premature labor, or an incompetent cervix, or an infection I didn't even know about! Well, three years later I got pregnant again and had a wildly successful pregnancy and now have my little Ethan- who is now three and a half. Since Ethan's pregnancy was perfect- they expect this one to be also.

Because of these losses, I love to help other women who are having to deal with the same thing. I believe in God strongly and He brought me through the pain to a place where I have two beautiful boys. By sharing my faith, helping others makes my losses a little more worth it. I am blessed to have been pregnant four times, to be excited four times, to have four children. And God must know I can only handle two at a time- so two are waiting for me in heaven where my house will always be clean and I will never run out of patience!!

About this pregnancy...

We weren't planning on gettting pregnant until this next June. But I truly wanted to be surprised! I obsessed over Ethan's conception and took the fun out of it. I'm a little obsessive to start with, so I was completely shocked to discover I am pregnant again. I stopped tracking my cycles (due to obsession) but still knew when was safe and when I should start. I can't believe God pulled this off. I think a surprise pregnancy is the best gift ever (when ready for kids).

How we found out...

My period was late, but it frequently is because I'm not on the pill. My boobs hurt- but that's normal just before my period. But, sometimes I test just to put my mind at ease. So after my sister's birthday dinner, I grabbed some tests and headed home. My husband worked late that night, but was home when I got there. So while he got our son ready for bed, I went and took the test. He didn't know I was late or was testing. I was absolutely floored when I got a +. Still can't believe it. But, I couldn't tell him until our little one was in bed- so I went for a drive to figure all this out- you know, how do you pay for two in daycare, where will we put the baby in a two bedroom house? I got this all figured out in 20 or so minutes- I'm a problem solver. So, when I got home, I made him turn off the TV because I had something to tell him. He's not the kind of guy to jump around the room, or shout for joy. But he was surprised- and a little doubtful. He wanted me to retest in the morning and of course it was +. I know he's excited and loves being a daddy and having Ethan. Pregnancy is scary for him because of our past and babies may frighten him because Ethan was a colicky train wreck. But he loves his boy- I couldn't hand make a better daddy.

This is the last one...

So were having fun with it. Of course, I can't keep a secret so we told everyone right away. Besides, after loosing two, I know that I want everyone to have time to love the little guy in case something happens. We told our family in different ways. With my husband's mom and father in law, we had a dinner of baby keishes, baby carrots, and a salad of baby greens. She still didn't get it, so I fashioned crescent rolls to look like diapers and cooked them during dinner. Then, she got it. If not, I'm sure the Big Brother Brownies we had for dessert would've worked. She nearly cried- but couldn't rejoice too much because Ethan doesn't know and won't know for a long time. For his dad, we asked him how many grandchildren he had and if he would like one more. He's a no frills type a guy. My mom and I shop all the time so I led her to the maternity section absent mindedly- like. She wondered if I knew where I was, but asked me if I had something to tell her- and I did! My sister has been nagging me for years for another child, so I gave her a + pregnancy test as a belated bday gift (I found out I was pregnant on her birthday). My niece is 15 and once asked my if I was preggers. So I texted her "I'm preggers!" For my dad, I wore a maternity outfit stuffed to look like nine months. This was the most fun I've ever had sharing my news.

Jan. 25, 2008- We saw our sweet baby jumping around today on the sonogram. We are clearly having a boy!!

August 2008- Way over due to update. My second son was born on June 30, 2008- the day after his big brother's birthday! It was a fast labor, but like pregnancy, it was slow going through it, but fast in retrospect. It is a lot of work having two kids, I don't know how people handle more. But I love it, nevertheless.

April 2009- Michael is now 9 months old and just started crawling, pulling up and creeping. It is so sweet. He gives kisses, says mama and dada, but I think mama just means "more food"! He S T I L L does not sleep through the night (and woke up as I type this at 10:30pm, can you believe it?!) Ethan is a fabulous big brother and really seems to love having a baby at home. He is now four and is getting ready for Kdg. He is already reading! It is hard having two kids and working full time but it is how I wanted to spend my life. I am where I always wanted to be- my dreams have come true. The rest of my life will be full of joy because I have my little family, my happy home and my career. The little bumps along the way can't compare to the joy we feel everyday being blessed with the love we have for each other.