The Friesen Six

Well, the news is out.

We are expecting baby #4!  We are thrilled, surprised (no, it wasn't planned), and just feeling incredibly blessed to be doing this again.

We kept the news to ourselves until around week 11.  Then we shared the news with our boys.  We asked our good friend, Melody Davis, an amazing photographer (but an even better friend) to come and capture the reveal:

That odd thing I'm doing there is telling the boys that a "small size surprise" is coming in March 2015.

I love the progression of the faces as the news settles in!

The boys were pretty excited, as you can tell.

The household is split in its vote for a boy or a girl.  Here are the results:

If, by chance, you're color blind, that's 2 votes pink and 1 vote blue.  We find out the gender of #4 in November, but the jury is still out on whether or not we will share the news with everyone.  

Muah-hahaha (that's my evil laugh).  For the record, though, Ryan and I are absolutely going to be thrilled if #4 is a boy.  Just for the record.  

For those of you who don't know our story, we have three healthy boys ages 9, 6, and 4. We also have three babies whom we've never met but we know have been raised in the beauty of Heaven.  Three little ones who have never experienced pain, sickness, or the mistakes of their parents (haha).  They've grown up under the watchful eye of the King of Kings.  And that makes me happy.

But I miss them still.  The ache comes at odd times, like when I hear of a friend losing a baby, or when I hear of a friend battling infertility.

While we are over the moon excited for this wee babe, I find myself grieving at times for the many friends I have who do not have children of their own.  Who have prayed, cried, and ached for a child of their own.

From my heart to those beautiful friends (your faces are going through my head even now):
Be bold.  Be courageous.  For the Lord your God is with you.  He will not leave you or forsake you.  He has not forgotten you.   He hears you.  He knows your heart's deepest desires.  He knows.

With Much Love,
The Friesen Five Six