Siblings, Baby Bumps, and Babies

As many of my readers already know, this past year has been especially exciting in my husbands family. All four of the Fullmer siblings are expecting baby boys. Two sister-in-laws have already had their babies. This past weekend we had the honor of attending the baby blessing of the second baby to be born. We were able to take a few minutes after the festivities to take a few photos of the two babies who are out now and the two that are still in. I am feeling especially large with child since I am
37 weeks pregnant tomorrow! At the end of this week, I will be more pregnant with baby two then I was with baby one. I was induced with baby one at 37 weeks 3 days with major health complications. This second time around has been amazing! I feel so blessed as God has heard my prayers and blessed me and my baby with a healthy normal pregnancy. It was wonderful to be able to sit under the shade of the trees and visit with my amazing sister-in-laws about our pregnancies, birth stories, and dream about the future. I am looking forward to baby boy growing up with his cousins and sharing a lifetime of memories with them. I never had any
girl cousins close to me in age and so I am ecstatic that this little baby of mine will have three cousins months and weeks older and younger than he is. I am especially excited to see where these young men will serve their missions. Melissa joking said, "What if they served in all four corners of the Earth!" I am feeling blessed that not only do I get to be a momma for a second time around but that I get to share this experience with women I love and care for so deeply. Friends come and go and yet your family
stays forever. I am so grateful that I have such a close relationship with my in-laws as well! I love them so much and am so grateful for the love and acceptance I feel from them. I was really happy that a moment presented itself in which we were also able to capture a photo of the Fullmer four. These siblings are so close and loving with each other. I love to watch them interact with each other. When I first met my husband in High School, I was so impressed with the mutual respect and love I saw that each sibling genuinely had for each other. I wasn't used to teenager boys hugging their younger or older brothers and saying openly, "I love you, I am proud of you." The affection and words of affirmation that I saw between these four siblings made me want to be apart of a family that loved each other unabashedly and openly. They love each other and they share that love with each other--that is totally awesome and wonderful. I once asked my husband if he ever struggled as a young person feeling like he was unloved. He looked at me like I was crazy. "No," he said, "between my parents and my siblings telling me daily that they loved me, I never have felt unloved a day in my life." For me this was astounding since I have struggled with these feeling off and on my entire life-especially as a young person finding my way along the road to adulthood. To have a daily reminder from each of your siblings and your parents that you are loved and cared for is such a great and wonderful gift. Life is hard and filled with struggles but to know that your siblings and parents have got your back and will love you through all of life's curve balls is truly wonderful.