Number 4!

Surprise! Baby number 4 is on the way!

You may have been wondering why I’ve been such a blog slacker. This year has been quite a roller coaster, and finding time to create content and keep this space active along with Facebook and Instagram has been daunting. My Etsy shop continues to grow, eating into my time to write blog posts. AND I’ve been pregnant for the past four months.

I wish I could say pregnancy can’t stop this girl. But, man, it sure does. Exhaustion, emotions, and sickness…getting through the past few months has been a struggle. I never imagined a life with four kids and, considering the abundance of above-average energy all my children seem to have, I’m more than a little nervous about keeping the tiny remnants of sanity that I have left.

Struggles aside, we are SO excited to share our news. Let’s do this one more time!! Here’s everything you might want to know about Baby Kopp: The Grand Finale.

Number Four is due in December, a couple weeks before Christmas. So it’ll arrive just in time to wreak havoc on my busiest, most favorite season of the year, but at least I won’t be in the hospital on Christmas morning. We’ve never had a winter newborn before, so I guess I’m going to need to get some warmer baby clothes even with giant wardrobes for 3 kids taking up the bulk of our attic. And I’m already freaking out about flu season germs.

Once again, we’re not finding out the gender. Owen is really hoping for a baby brother; he even wrote a little story about his future bro. Although I don’t really have a preference for a boy or a girl, for one practical reason it would be best for Number Four to be a boy — bedroom sharing. If it’s a boy, Owen will get a roommate. If it’s another girl, I’m not sure where she’ll sleep. 🙂

Like my last pregnancy, I’ve got some major anxiety. Avoiding the worry is impossible once you’ve experienced a loss before. Luckily, I’ve got three big distractions demanding snacks and attention.

Remember when I wrote about second child syndrome years ago? Well, 4th child syndrome is in full effect over here. For example, Richard asked me how we should share the news about Number Four with our parents. My first honest thought and immediate response was “send them a text?”

And I considered not sharing any type of announcement with everyone, because at this point a big reveal is less of a novelty and frankly more of a chore. But when I realized the timing of the 4th of July holiday, the idea to announce our 4th baby on the 4th popped into my head. So despite a heat wave, mosquitoes, and cranky kids, we managed to pull off a 4th of July themed baby announcement photo thanks to sparklers.

Take a look:

Note: If you want to stay in the loop with baby updates and our family shenanigans, follow me on Instagram. I still try to post at least once a week there. But, don't worry, this blog isn't going anywhere. I'm feeling better now, and I actually have big plans for Ice Cream Off Paper Plates. Turning off the creativity in my head is impossible, and I love having this space to show my ideas and chronicle my family's journey.  I will never post as frequently as I once did (hello, four kids!!), but I will write more regularly than the past few months and I'm working on expanding my Etsy shop and sharing more on Instagram.