the kids response

We wanted to be able to tell our kids first, before we told our other family and friends.  So we told them quite early. 

I had been researching creative ways to tell your kids they're having another sibling but didn't see anything.  Just as I was doing that, Natalie was taking out her school homework and art from school.  She pulled out a banner she had made before Christmas, but just pulled it out for me to see.  It was a Christmas light chain with six bulbs, and each bulb says a letter.  F-A-M-I-L-Y.  I took it and hung it on our fireplace, and as I was doing that I counted the bulbs.  Huh.  Six bulbs.  Six people in our family. 

So I called Shaun up and he looked at it...the kids just so happened to be in the same room as us so he said, "Hey guys, this is really cool because Nat made it.  But it's also cool because there is a light bulb for each member of our family."  Natalie and Landon quickly counted and said, "No! There are six lights and there are only five people in our family!"  And Shaun said, "No, look."  And then he pointed to each bulb and named it one of each of us.  For the last one he said, "And this one is the baby that is in Mommy's tummy."

Such a great moment!  Natalie literally cried tears of joy!  She ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug, with tears streaming down her face.  :)  And Landon said, "Are you telling the truth?  Really?!  Really?!"  And Koen punched me.  :)

Then the kids proceeded to re-enact the whole thing over...and over...and over again.  I don't think they will ever forget that moment.

Neither will I.