When Andy & I talked about having kids we always knew we wanted them to be about 2 years apart.

It just seemed perfect for so many different reasons.

They’d be each others best friends. It wouldn’t be a tough transition for us because we’d be in a constant state of baby. Blah blah blah.

In all that time, I may or may not have forgotten all of our other reasons.

Well, about the time we were due to start trying for baby #2 our life was flipped upside down with a single phone call and after a very brief discussion, we decided it was best to put our baby plans on hold for a year.

It was the responsible thing to do. Having a 3 year gap between kids wouldn’t be so bad.

Well, what ended up being the hardest year of our lives came and went and when it was “time” again, we took a look at our situation and decided, again, that it’d be best to wait.

And again with the responsibility thing.

I’d be lying to your face parts if I told you I wasn’t upset/mad/hurt/resentful about the entire situation, but we made it through another year and then it was time for a little brown chicken, brown cow, if you know what I mean.

And now here we sit, just starting 2012, with baby #2 FINALLY on the way.

Looking back now, I can tell you it was such a hard, but good decision for our family, and not just financially.

I have adored my time with Rylee being just Rylee. We’ve had so many fun adventures as a family of 3 that I know wouldn’t have turned out the same if we’d been toting a little 2-year-younger sibling.

On the flip side, over the last 2 years there have been more occasions than I care to admit where I’ve struggled with Rylee and thought, “there’s no way I’d be able to handle 2 kids right now. Will I be able to handle 2 kids ever!?”

Remember how I’ve said before everything happens for a reason? I totally believe it.

And really, let’s be real, if we’d stuck with our “2-year-spacing” plan, I’d be missing out on conversations like this:

Rylee: Mom, you’ve got a fat belly.
Me: Oh just wait, it’s gonna get a whole lot bigger!
Rylee: {eyes as big as pie plates} WHOA!

Gotta love kids and their brutal, innocent honesty, am I right!?

For the record? I’m only 12 weeks.

Little Monster…