Baby Number 4 is On the Way

You surprised? We were too! All of our previous babies have been strategically planned out, but seeing as this has been a year of testing from the Lord for our family, it was only fitting that He would throw us this little curve ball straight out of left field. A 4th child has actually been on our mind for the last year and half, and honestly we felt like God might be nudging us to foster or adopt, so we were in the midst of exploring that route. Then, the week we decided to list our house we also found out we were expecting. It rocked our world. We were very shocked and if we’re being honest, it took a little while for us to process it all, which is probably why it’s taken me 14 weeks to announce it (I announced all my other pregnancies at 9 weeks). With everything going on in our life (starting homeschool, listing our house, selling our house, buying a new one) it was a lot to process and we needed time. We were also really enjoying having this little family secret that was “just ours.” Here’s the video of when I found out, Zach found out, and when we told the kids. This was the first pregnancy where I found out without Zach there with me and I was able to surprise him with the news. It was so fun to do that and he was definitely surprised and happy. We shared the news with the kids soon after we found out, and they were all so excited. They have kept the secret somewhat well, and we are so proud of them. It has been so fun to share this little secret with them. It has been challenging keeping Emmie Grace from lifting my shirt up in public to point out “baby” in mommy’s tummy. We are thinking we may not find out the gender this time, so that will be a fun surprise we’ve never experienced before. Looking back now, we see how God was working everything out, even the arrival of this new baby. Our new house is bigger than the one we had before which we weren’t planning, but God knew there would be more babies and we would need the extra space. I think in our hearts we knew we were missing something, and we’re so excited to welcome this new blessing in June. God has taught us so much about trust, obedience, and patience this year and even though this has been the toughest year of our lives, I really feel like our entire family has grown closer to each other and closer to the Lord through it all. Thank you all for sharing in our joy. Thank you for your love, prayers, support, and encouragement. We love you! Love, The Bruce Family