The Mattixes: Coming out with a bang!! ...or 2!

So this post was going to happen on the one year anniversary since we posted last, but I just couldn't wait any longer! Here is what it would have said!!

It's been exactly a year since our last blog and what better way than to start out with a bang!! What about 2 bangs!!

Our new house will be finished in December (or January or February)!

And...Baby Mattix is due in March!!

Now how about that! Lots of life changes God has us going through this year and the only way to make it through (especially the second) is with Him. ...no doubt about that.

I'll leave the house story telling to Tommy and I'll stick with what I know best. Morning sickness. I promise no gross details.

Anyways, I sat most of July on the couch feeling miserable. (And miserable isn't even a word that can describe it really...it was 10 times worse) I hardly ever complain when I'm sick but boy did this new thing growing in my belly knock me out. If you know my personality at all to sit on the couch and be completely unproductive (especially during the summer) was like poking needles in my brain. The to-do list kept growing!! ...and on top of that, keeping it a secret that we were having a baby! The only person I could seek sympathy from was the pooch and the hubs. ...one is a great listener and the other is a great provider.

Right after I started planning and getting organized for my best friend Kelley's baby shower is when we found out we were having a baby so you can see how consumed I already was with baby stuff and then to really feeeeeeeel the baby stuff made it so real. I'm sure people already knew I was pregnant with the amount of baby stuff I was pinning on Pinterest, but I promise, at first I had no idea!

Tommy and I joked (and really still joke) that I'm not pregnant. I think it's hard for guys to see it until they can "see" it, ya know? ...although me being so sick, needy and emotional probably made it pretty real too.

One thing I started about a month before we found out we were pregnant was letters to our new baby. I had heard of other ideas of writing notes to your kids, but I wanted to start early and write to the baby I didn't know existed yet. It was funny to see God answer the prayers I had in my very first letter just a short month later...mainly about just trusting in His timing. It's funny because we all have our own timeframe and if you were to ask me, this realllllllly wouldn't be it ONLY because I am supposed to take 12 kiddos (with my teacher friend Stephanie) to Spain next summer. It was actually the very first thing that came to my mind once I found out, because now it would be pretty slim I would be willing to leave my 2 1/2 month old baby for 12 days. It really broke my heart since this had always been a dream of mine and honestly I felt like I was letting Stephanie down. This made it to the prayer list for sure because I knew I had about 3 months to pray for the right words to tell her and for her to be ok with it. Thankfully she is a true sister in Christ and was so understanding.

So now on to how we told the family! Man was it hard NOT to tell them. When you find out you are pregnant you are so excited, and for me, I was just so excited on the creative ways I was going to tell everyone. I would watch youtube videos for hours and then sob of the pure joy I saw. Little did I know I would have my very own "youtube" moment with my cousin Kathryn ...I'll let pictures and videos do the story telling!! :)

We first told my parents. I had not gotten my dad a birthday present yet, so what better present than to give him a bunch of baby UT Gear!

We then told the rest of my family. My cousin Kathryn was starting her very first year of teaching, so I made her a little survival kit basket (thanks Pinterest!) I'll let the video do the talking!

I literally cry every time I watch this video. Her reaction is PRICELESS.

On to telling Tommy's parents and siblings. We had a wonderful vacation in Bermuda with Tommy's family this summer and what better way to thank them than....a onesie that read "Made in Bermuda." TMI? haha It was still cute.

We called Tommy's brother and sister claiming we had "house" questions to ask them only to then send them an email with the so called "questions" that looked something like this.

We are super excited for you to join us in this exciting time! Get ready for our first "bump" picture at 12 weeks!

I leave you with some of my favorite "Pinspirations" on how to tell the family.

1. This would have been cute had Tommy and I been born in different years...