A Bit of News

So, we have a bit of news.... we are expecting baby #5!  

Here is a picture of barely-pregnant me in San Diego just before we moved to Italy, watering our garden (that I MISS! 

- I'm missing my barely-pregnant clothes too!)

And here is one of me now.

Apparently in Italy it's really good luck to touch and rub a pregnant lady's belly.  So I get a lot of belly hand-hugs and pats.  : )  I also get "mama mia!!!"s when people out in town hear we are having our 5th baby.  At one point, in Ikea, a crowd started gathering and marveling!  Yeah..... I haven't made it back to Ikea in a long time......

Pregnancy portraiture of myself isn't really my fave but I'm cherishing this time - minus all the Braxton Hicks and extra fluffy weight (and yet also hoping the time will speed by!)

It's quite rare but I developed an antibody against a protein on Brad's red blood cells.  The protein is called "E" (big E).  I've read and been told that a third to half the population has Big E on their red blood cells...no big deal... it's just there or not there.  HOWEVER.  It's 'not there' on my red blood cells.  I didn't know it but our last baby, Ella, had Brad's blood type and my body started making the antibody then.  So I'm like "immune" to Big E.  If our current little baby has Brad's blood then my antibodies can attack it's little red blood cells and cause all kinds of trouble.  It's called Anti E Antigen and it's so rare that my Dr. wanted to send me back to the States to be monitored. .....Is that all crazy?  I have been so worried and stressed out about it all... but have also been really happy and excited to be welcoming our 5th little baby.  

Oh, P.S.  It's a boy!  : )