Family Feature #2

You have now been introduced to my oldest son Nicholas and now I would like you to meet my youngest son, formerly known as Alyssa Nicole Gillespie (keep reading):

Carter Anthony Gillespie

I know you're probably thinking what a strange name Carter had at first. Well, for a month Carter's name was Allysa Nicole. Yes, for a month Carter looked "pretty girly" and when my doctor told me my ultrasound looked pretty girly at around 14-16 gestational weeks I took it and ran with it. I had always envisioned myself with one boy and one girl. As an only child there were many times I dreamed of having an older brother. I sometimes even prayed at night for one (prayers do work, I now have three of them)! My mom and I were so excited that things looked "pretty girly" that we even went out and bought the cutest little girl outfit and blanket. In the back of my mind I knew it not was a guaranteed thing, but he did say "pretty girly". On my next appointment my doctor asked us if we wanted to know the sex. I told him that he told us things looked "pretty girly". Well, he told us that things were definitely not girly now. It took everything in me to not cry at that moment. I called my mom and told her that Alyssa was not Alyssa anymore and I will never forget her reaction...dead silence. "Mom are you there?" She was still there, just digesting the fact that she was not going to be having a granddaughter in a few months. It was really hard for me to handle that night and the next day. I had already told all of my students that I was having a girl and now I had to tell them that the doctor was wrong. I didn't even know how I was going to face my students the next day. I think the hardest thing for me was knowing how many people can't even have kids and here I am crying over not being pregnant with a girl. It took a day for me to get over it (prayer truly works) and I was totally fine. It took us many months to come to a decision of the name Carter Anthony and I couldn't imagine him as anything else. Carter Anthony Gillespie was born on March 12, 2007. He is now a little over 3 years old and he is the sweetest little BOY in the world. He is definitely a boy inside and out, although I do have to admit that I might have given him a complex by calling him Alyssa for a month because he does love to wear high heeled shoes around the house, but I'm sure he won't be doing that forever (or at least Nick hopes he won't)! Carter is a natural born athlete. I'm pretty sure he was born knowing how to throw a ball. He already weighs 40 pounds and is not much shorter than Nicholas. Any time we go to the mall at least one person asks if our boys are twins. Although our boys are not twins, Carter LOVES his brother and I call Carter my little monkey (monkey see, monkey do). Whatever Nicholas does, Carter HAS to do. If Nicholas says something witty and people laugh, Carter repeats it and expects the same reaction. If Nicholas goes down the stairs on his stomach, Carter has to follow right behind him. Carter has a heart of gold and continually tells me that he loves me. His favorite place to do this is in the car. I'll be driving down the road and out of the blue I'll hear Carter saying "I love you Mommy". It just melts my heart. Carter's new thing is whenever I pick him up he wants to know where we are going. Lately he's been asking if we are going to heaven today. I'm not quite sure where he has gotten this from, but be ready because he tells me Jesus is coming any day! I told him I'm not ready for him to see heaven yet unless he can take all of us with him! I try to even out my attention equally to both boys, but this is sometimes hard with Nicholas and his sensory/behavioral problems. I worry that sometimes Carter is left out and this is something that I must be cognizant of and not let happen. He is such an amazing little boy. I'm a little scared because he didn't go through the terrible two's, nor has he gone through the terrible three's yet. KNOCK ON WOOD! What are the four's going to be like? I love you Carter Anthony. I know that God has great things in mind for you (maybe even the NFL)! I thank God every day for my precious little BOYS!!