February 3, 2005

When I was pregnant with Dante, life was simple. Matthew and I were newlyweds. There was a new life ahead of us, a life about which we knew nothing. A life together, a life with children, a life full of surprises, of struggles and of unimaginable happiness.

We left for our first tour (Tour USA 2000) in a donated mini-van, when I was in my fifth month of pregnancy and came home two and a half months later. I spent many, many hours watching the road peacefully with my hands on my belly, communicating with my baby the way only the-first-time-moms do. It was in Houston, TX, when he kicked for me the first time.

Evan 's first In-the-Belly Tour was Lent of 2002. We had bought the "bus" a few weeks before we set out for the East Coast, knowing that with two kids, we will need the extra space. It was different this time. Now I had Dante in my lap as we sang songs for Evan during the long drives. We found out he was a boy in Woonsocket, RI.

It's my third time now. (Yes, I am finally announcing it on the web!) I know by now that touring during my second trimester is not as hard (I found out I was pregnant during our Advent Tour and it wasn't easy - I felt pretty sick and very, very tired). My baby is 16 1/2 weeks and the doctor said it "sounded like a girl". I would love to have a girl, but I would also love to have another boy.

And it's very different now. Dante & Evan are great kids. But even the greatest, the easiest kids are a lot of work! Now it is during the night hours, when the boys are finally asleep that I get to calm down with my Little One, pray for his/her health and enjoy those moments when it's just the two of us.