Hey everyone!

Wahooo!

Just to 'formally announce', for anyone who doesn't know yet, that we found out this week that we are once again expecting! Our due date is July 23rd, 2007. That's the day after my brother Ali's birthday, the 204th day of the year, and 155 days till Christmas for all you Gregorian calendar fanatics. We are too delighted for words right now, while also a feeling a little trepidation, and hopes that the early stages go as they should. We (I say we, but Amy went through most of the uncomfortable stuff...) had our first appointment with Dr. Harrington in Pekin yesterday, and so far everything looks to be nicely in order, so thus far thus goodly.

Phew... July 23rd 2007 seems a long way away, but it's been nine months since we found out Amy was pregnant with Brian, and it certainly doesn't feel like that, unless I picture all the time I've spent working at Wal-Mart, in which case I feel like a very old man. Hehehe (cough, cough, wheeze).

Speaking of Brian, we feel that to find out now, in the week Brian was due, makes a wonderful circle to include him. The fact that our new due date is almost exactly a year after Brian was born, too, only adds to that feeling of timeliness. It was odd that when Amy and I first found out one of the things I wanted to do first was go look at our pictures of Brian and found myself mentally checking with him, in a way, to see if it was okay to feel excited. And in a very tangible sense I experienced the overwhelming feeling that he is part of this, and as excited for us as... well... us!

As I said, both of us -but Amy especially - are quite nervous at this point, so any prayers or good thoughts you send our way are welcome and very much appreciated. I'm thinking that when we lost Brian, we must have received support from every person who will be reading this blog right now, so from both of us to you, a huge thank-you. The love we felt from all of you helped bring us to where we are today, feeling so happy, and looking to the future.

And so the journey begins... :)