We have been overwhelmed by the amount of support and words of encouragement from our friends, family and the blogging community.  It has been wonderful to learn about all of the people who we have never even met that read this blog on a regular basis- people who are expecting their first child, couples who have already raised their families and are now expecting grandchildren, and even people that say they enjoy reading it because they hope to have a family someday in the future and they now know what to expect. Again, it was always our intention to write this journal for our child, so someday when he is grown, he can read about his early life, and for our family and friends so they can be a part of this pregnancy, even though they are so far away.  I never would have thought that our writing would reach people that we don’t know, but we love so much to hear from each and every one of our readers.  The encouragement, questions, advice, support– we look forward to opening our emails every day.

Lately, I have been getting many great questions from readers regarding our pregnancy and the baby.  I thought I would take the time to answer a couple, and will try to do so more often, so please ask away!

Heatherfaith asked:  Have you thought about circumcision yet for your baby boy? Are you for it or against it? We are 22 weeks pregnant and found out I am carrying a boy, and my husband and I disagree about this topic. 

Ian and I have been doing a lot of reading on the subject of circumcision, even before learning we were carrying a boy, and there is so much new research to suggest that the old stereotypes that it is “less hygenic” or can cause infection are untrue. The thought of putting our brand new baby through a cosmetic medical procedure makes me uneasy to say the least.

But there is a huge WHAT IF to this.  What if choosing not to circumcise causes him to feel like he is different from the other men in his family? from his friends?  What if it affects his confidence and makes him feel embarrassed when he is in the locker room at school or in future relationships as an adult?

Societal norms aren’t always right, and in most cases I would say “So what!” but this is such an intimate subject that it is going to take a whole lot of discussion, prayer and thought for Ian and I.

Circumcision is becoming as controversial a subject as vaccinations these days and it’s a choice we are not taking lightly.  With that being said, when we do make our final decision, we will not be sharing it on our blog.  We feel that this is a very personal, private matter- one that each family should make on their own- after conducting extensive research on the subject. As with everything else, we will weigh all of the factors and make the decision that we believe is best for our son.

chaseaway asked:  Do you plan on having more children after your son?

I have been asked this many times. My answer is always “YES!”  I would love to have three, four, maybe even five children- but I’m not yet sure if I will give birth to all of them. There has always been a calling in my heart to adopt. There are so many factors to explore- the money, planning, legalities that come along with adopting – but it’s an echo in my soul that can’t be ignored. Ian and I actually had a conversation about adopting children one of the first times I ever spoke to him.  He was so accepting of the idea- I truly believe it was just one of the reasons I fell in love with him.  After fostering 8 children, I can easily say that being a parent is so much more than purely giving birth to a child.  There are many different kinds of parents, and each of them has the capability to love their children just as much as if they were biological.

I know it sounds crazy to even be thinking about future children when the one in my belly has yet to be born – but all dreams deserve to be acknowledged, no matter how far off in the future they might be.

Will answer more soon.

Love, A