Ava's Going to be a Big Sister!

So, we let the cat out of the bag.  We are expecting Baby #3 in July.  We have prayed for this baby more than he/she will ever realize.  I'm pretty sure Carli and Ava have matched our prayer efforts word for word.  They've been asking for a baby for the past two years.  There have been many occasions where we have found ourselves in an uncomfortable situation having to explain to family, friends and strangers that no we are not pregnant especially not with twins.  :)  At least now we can smile and nod and confirm a baby is on the way...just one though, not two!

We struggled about when to tell the girls a baby was on the way.  Not only when but how.  When the opportunity came up for us to have a free mini session with the photographer who took our wedding pictures we decided it would be as good of a time as any to let the girls know.  We meet Casey Jay Benson at a really cool Victorian house out in Flint.  He immediately hit it off with the girls and wow is all I can say about his ability to capture amazing pictures!

We tossed around the idea of balloons, or shirts, or signs.  Really, Keith and I aren't the most decisive of people.  We finally made a couple of "chalk board" signs using an idea we saw on Etsy, and bought the girls new shirts.  Casey took pictures of the girls with the signs first...

 

And then snapped away while we read them the signs off camera...

 

 

I was hoping for Ava's reaction.  Carli's reaction was summed up with, "Well, that's not fair, how come she gets to be the Big Sister and I don't?!"

 

 

So we had to explain that Carli would be a Big Sister too and all was well once more.  :)

 

We gave the girls their new shirts and they were more than cooperative the rest of the photo session.  They are beyond excited about a baby on the way.  Smiles all around.  Casey did such an amazing job getting real smiles from them.  I can't say enough about how amazed I was by the amount of good pictures he got in just 30 minutes.

This is one of my absolute favorites.  You just can't stage that! 

 Keith and I were not suppose to be in the pictures.  I did not dress to be in pictures, but I lost that battle.  I am glad they made me take a few, we got some cute shots.

These are shots from the end of the shoot.  Literally we were walking to the cars.  God has truly blessed me with two amazing little girls, I am so humbled with this pregnancy.  I cannot put into words how blessed and joyful I am to have another child join our family.