We are having a...

Today was a very important day for our family and we are so excited to finally know what this little baby in my belly is. I'm going to go over the events of the day that led up to the big reveal and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did.

As I've made very clear to the entire world by now, Aaron is in his own little world out in the middle of nowhere studying for the bar. We have known for a long time he wouldn't make it to this appointment but I desperately wanted to be with him when we found out if this baby was pink or blue. When I arrived to the doctors office at 1:00 this afternoon, I gave the nurse very clear instructions to not tell me what "it" is but to write it down and seal it in an indestructible envelope. She did exactly what I asked her to and I still got to spend a good amount of time just staring at her/him on a computer screen and letting tears flow down my face because there is nothing quite like seeing the little person that God is forming in you. She didn't tell me anything other than how this baby looks perfectly healthy, and that, my friends, is beautiful news, isn't it?

She handed me the envelope and I stuffed it in my purse and tried to forget about it. Well, that wasn't easy. The envelope started talking to me and I talked back to it and told it to quit tempting me. It even plastered itself next to the window so that if I looked hard enough, I probably could have read right through the paper and could determine if it said boy or girl. But I was strong and the temptation did not get the best of me, which came as a huge surprise.

Clark, Jake, and I loaded up at 5:15 after Clark woke up from a nice three hour nap. The fact that he took a superior nap made me think he would be a pleasant little boy for the rest of the evening but good gosh, that was not the case at all. When we arrived to the cabin, Clark immediately started pointing to the wawa (water) and would not chill until we took him down to the pier. But that little envelope was burning a hole in my purse and I had had about enough. After three minutes upon arriving and giving Arnie a hug, I ripped open the envelope despite Clark screaming 'wawa' in our ears and at that moment, we learned that we would be having a little boy. Another little boy to love and snuggle. This was wonderful news to both of us and I am so excited to watch Clark teach his little brother the tricks of the trade.

We had about 12 seconds to enjoy the moment until Clark practically started hyperventilating from wanting to go look at the water. We had a really fun time sitting out there as a little family of three and listening to Clark repeat the word 'wawa' approximately five thousand times. He's a simple little guy.

Aaron grilled some pork chops and fresh corn on the cob and we had a less than pleasant meal due to Clark screaming at the top of his lungs the entire time. But honestly, it really was nice. It was the first meal we have shared together in a very long time and I wouldn't have traded Clark's nonsense for the world. After the meal, we went back down to the pier and talked about the little boy that would enter our world in five short months. How strange will it be to have another boy around? I just can't imagine it.

Eventually Clark perked up and we were able to sit back and relax. It took a while to get to that point, but it was worth the wait. I have a wonderful family, and its getting bigger and better everyday. Literally.

So that about sums up one of the most important days of our lives. It was wonderful and slightly chaotic all at the same time, but so goes life, right?

Now I don't want anybody to feel sorry for Arnie as he is locked up in the sticks studying 10 or more hours per day. He actually told me tonight that the only thing he gets up from studying for is to eat, poop, and pee. He has a nice little set up and trust me, his living arrangements are quite enviable.

Poor guy, this is what he has to wake up to every morning.

And on a completely unrelated and equally unimportant note, Aaron was more productive than usual yesterday. Being 40 miles from the nearest barber, he resorted to giving himself a haircut because apparently it was just too long for him deal with. This was not a smart decision. The proof lies in the photo below. It would make me so happy to see lots of witty comments about how terrible his hair looks on his Facebook wall.

So there you have it. A sweet little boy will join the Rice family on or around December 21. Until then, I am going to soak up every minute I can with Clark because even though it will certainly be more wonderful than I can possibly comprehend, I really am going to miss our family dynamic as it is right now. And also in the meantime, Aaron and I are going to be choosing the perfect name and hopefully the new little guy will approve. If not, there is nothing he can do about it.

The bar exam is a mere 12 days away. Aaron has informed me that I am never to remind him of how many days he has left. Blissful ignorance, I suppose? But every hour that goes by increasingly more painful and stressful, so I would ask that you continue to think of him and pray for his sanity. We all know he's going to do great, but he definitely does not. I guess if he doesn't pass the bar, he can always fall back on his mad haircutting skills. I'd be proud either way.