It's Never Too Early to Celebrate Christmas: Our Pregnancy Announcement

I've got a few confessions to make:

1. I've started listening to Christ-centered Christmas music every other day now. I suspect it will soon become a daily occurrence, and I'm not sorry for it.

2. For those who haven't heard the good news yet, I am about half way through my second pregnancy! Through the grace of God and a round of IVF we were able to conceive again. We'll find out the gender Christmas morning.

Christmas is Worth the Wait

Two years ago the following note was left in my otherwise empty stocking. I found it when packing stockings for our family's trip to Uncle Kent and Aunt Heather's for Christmas morning in Indy.

Dear Danielle,

Your stocking is empty because I am working on a very special present for you at the request of your daughter, Victoria. She would really like a baby sister. That's not the kind of gift we make at the North Pole but I have passed this special request along to the proper authorities. I look forward to the possibility of delivering the good news myself next year.

Wait and See,
Love, Santa

P.S. Please be patient and a little less bossy with Victoria.

Victoria's stocking had several treats and toys but also this note:

Dear Victoria,

I received your last minute Christmas wish list this afternoon. As I told your mother, that's not the kind of gift we make at the North Pole; but I have passed this special request along to the proper authorities. The elves also reminded me that you'd like a bunny or a doll. We didn't get those requests to the workshop in time this year, but perhaps my friends the Easter bunny and the Tooth Fairy will be able to help.

Remember, it's easiest for me to do my job when you can't see me. But just like God, you don't have to see to believe!

Love, Santa

P.S. Remember to stay off the naughty list by talking in a kind tone of voice no matter what!

On the back she wrote in gel pen, "Mom and Dad don't be mane [mean]".

April 2019 brought a round of IVF that yielded 10 fertilized eggs and ultimately 6 embryos for freezing! That's better than any Easter Bunny gift so we give credit to God.

2 days before moving to the west coast (end of May), we did a frozen embryo transfer that successfully implanted. So we're due with Baby #2 in February 2020!

We'll find out whether Peanut is a boy or a girl when we open our present Christmas morning. 

Feel free to post your guesses here.