The Surprises of Spring

Spring has officially arrived on French Creek, complete with a cheerful pair of robins. The weather has been unseasonably warm and everyone appears to be enjoying it. In the early morning (thanks to Grady) the turkeys are gobbling, nesting geese are honking up and down the creek, and new birds are chirping every day. Dave and Grady helped Deacon (or Kook as Grady calls him) set up his wood duck nest on the island in the pond. This year he is hoping to entice a nesting pair. Spring will not feel complete until I hear the first Meadowlark though.

Spring has brought many exciting changes to the Mathson family. First, we were blessed with another kick ass Christmas present from Jesus and discovered we were pregnant again on January 20th, 2012. Due to our previous struggles with fertility and failed attempts to conceive over the past year and a half, I was convinced there was no way I could be pregnant even though my period was late. I ignored all symptoms, attributing them to a stellar case of PMS.

The second week of  January, I started feeling uncharacteristically down and depressed. With darkness and old Man Winter perpetually knocking on the door, I credited all feelings to the season and resolved to exercise more. The next week, I felt rotten, complete with headache and nausea. I should have suspected when I did not feel like enjoying a glass of wine and could smell Dave's glass from across the room, but no dice. Additionally, I was thrown off by random spotting (sorry children for the details when you read this later in life).

Since we had a pending appointment with a fertility specialist, and I didn't want to be that crazy lady appearing on an episode of "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant", I decided to take a test to rule it out. Sure enough, I was pregnant and in disbelief. I also owed Spenser $5.00 and a beer at the Outback as he suggested this scenario and a rapidly bet him he was wrong. I immediately contact Dave, who was driving his work truck in the field, shared the news and requested he pick up another test on his way home. Dave, pleasantly surprised, decided to pick up two boxes of test, both which showed we were pregnant. We are so excited!!! Grady will finally be a big brother and they will will almost be exactly three years apart in age.

Secondly, after the loss of Maddy the Wonder Dog last summer, we were determined NOT to have another dog until Grady was not only able to request, but beg for his very own four legged friend. Alas, that determination floundered phenomenally once we found out our friend's dog, Gus, needed a home. The key selling point was that Gus has been raised around very small children and loves them! How could we pass him up? We welcomed him into our home last week and he is AMAZING. Frankly he is probably the best behaved dog we have ever owned. Mom, of course, loves that he sleeps in the kitchen, does not scratch doors, does not get on furniture and loves to be outside. Dave loves that he follows along like a champ on mountain bike rides and hangs with him in the garage. I love that Gus follows Grady everywhere outside and is super sweet and snugly with him. I also love that he walks like a gentleman on a leash and oh wait, he ADORES me!!! Who could blame him!