Nine-and-a-half

Nine-and-a-half seems to be a significant number right now.

I have a 9 1/2 month old baby boy who is the light of my life.

And, I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant.

Yes, you read that correctly. Baby Watson II is on his/her way! He or she will be here in late May. My actual due date is May 27th, but since I'll have another c-section, he/she will actually be here about a week ahead of schedule.

This was certainly not the timing I would have preferred, but I trust that God has a much more perfect plan for our family than I could ever imagine. Danny and I had already talked about trying for the second little Watson after Ty's first birthday, early next year. We're just a little ahead of schedule now! Plus, those of you who know my very best friend, Joy, know that she is also pregnant and due at the same time! How often do you get to share a pregnancy, day for day, with your best friend?? We would have NEVER been able to scheme that one up on our own! Sharing this with her makes it all the more special to me.

We count this as such a huge blessing and, while it has taken a while for me to adjust to this whole situation, I am thrilled that my children will grow up so close in age. Built-in playmates!! I wasn't raised with any siblings, so I don't know what that relationship is like, but I do know that it's an important one. I am envious of others who have brothers and sisters to share their lives with. There's just got to be something beautiful about that connection. So, I am so happy that Tyler and this new baby will have one another.

I know you're probably wondering why it has taken me so long to share this news. Long story short, I had more military medical drama. I actually went to my first appointment on October 14th (same day, within the same hour as Joy's first appointment!). Instead of driving all the way out to Wilford Hall, where I had Tyler, we made the appointment at Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC), the Army hospital that's much closer to our home. They can do prenatal care, but they can't deliver there. That was going to be okay since I already knew the ropes at WHMC.

Those of you who have followed our blog for a while know that we were still stationed in Louisiana when I began my pregnancy with Ty. Because they didn't have a military treatment facility (MTF) in town, I had to go to a civilian doctor. This was fabulous because I got the exceptional treatment that I expect from a doctor and the military paid for every penny of it. Fast forward to week 20ish and we moved to San Antonio where there are several MTFs. No more civilian doctor. No more exceptional treatment. Read: Not pleasant.

To be fair, the labor and delivery experience at WHMC was great. I don't have any complaints about that experience (except for one really mean nurse), so the end result was fine. Unfortunately, the prenatal care was poor, at best.

When I went to BAMC on the 14th, I expected to have the kind of first appointment I had when I was pregnant with Tyler. Fat chance. I met with a nurse who had me fill out about 30 pages of information and then sent me to the lab for seven vials of blood and a urine sample. No ultrasound. No doctor. Have a nice day.

I left the building in tears. In the mean time, Joy had called to tell me all about her appointment and, while I was ecstatic for her and Jason, it made me all the more angry to be treated like such a house fly. I pitched a small fit, told Danny that his wife and child deserved better, and had him drive me straight to the Randolph AFB Tricare office.

Tricare is the military insurance company. Normally, if you're a dependent of any kind, you automatically have Tricare Prime which covers everything. The drawback is you MUST go to their doctors unless there is some sort of unique situation. This is what socialized medicine is all about (for those of you who are thinking about voting Democrat), and it is beyond terrible. You have never felt like such pond scum in your life, I promise you that.

The good news is there is an option to change to Tricare Standard where you can choose your doctors, but you have to pay a portion of the bill. Normally, this can get quite pricey if you have an ongoing medical ailment or if you have kids who need to be seen often. However, for OB care, it's virtually nothing to change over to Standard, and you're only committed to a 12-month switch. Then, you can go back to Prime if you so choose. Believe me, whatever we have to pay is SO worth it.

I guess I didn't really make that long story very short, did I?

Today was my first "real" appointment, and I really liked my new doctor. Come to find out, she has an 11 month old, and she's about half-way through her second pregnancy! Her babies will be 15 months apart, so it made me feel better to be seeing someone in a similar situation who could identify with my anxieties. That was a God thing because I had specifically prayed for Him to prepare the doctor and the visit so that it would be a blessing to me after being so disappointed before. He's proven Himself once again...AMEN!

We covet your prayers during this special time. Obviously, we pray for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, but we also pray that God would ease our fears and anxieties about raising two kiddos who will only be about 16 1/2 months apart. In addition, we are praying that God will prepare a place for us in D.C. (remember, we are moving in late July!) and ease that transition with two little ones in tow. We trust that He will take care of all these needs, but we are struggling to totally let go of the worries. It's just all a bit overwhelming right now, but we're not the first people under the sun to walk this road. We will survive!!

Hopefully, as this first trimester starts to wind down, I'll be back to more regular blogging. It's been all I can do, most nights, to even get my p.j.s on, my contacts out, and my teeth brushed before hitting the sack. Exhausted is an understatement!

Have a wonderful weekend! Danny is at the airport picking up Mama Janet right now. Praise the Lord for a little spoiling coming our way!

Baby Watson II at 9 weeks, 2 days.

The top X is the top of its head, and the bottom X is it's rump. Even though this picture is grainy, I was able to see him/her move his/her arms around on the screen! So amazing! If you look closely, you can see the little eyes and mouth.

This picture was taken on Sept. 17th, after church, when we found out I was pregnant. This was the one good picture where Tyler wasn't trying to eat the pregnancy test that I'd just peed on!!

To say that these boys are pumped about the next little Watson would be an extreme understatement!