My birthday is next week, and one of the things I’ve liked ever since I found out I was pregnant with Star is that the five birthdays in our family are perfectly spaced out.
Star’s birthday is in mid-February, then Bart’s is in early May, Ella’s birthday is in July, mine is smack in the middle of September, and Ani’s is in early December.
Nobody has to share a birthday week or month with anyone else, and none of our birthdays fall too near major holidays. Star’s is the closest, coming just four days after Valentine’s Day, but that’s a fairly minor holiday in my book. I was delighted when Ani was seven days late, because originally her due date would have put her very close to Thanksgiving (of course, the being seven days overdue was LESS delightful, but it was a small price to pay for her having her own day for the rest of her life).
I have friends and family where there are many birthdays close together, and I’ve always been glad that we aren’t dealing with a string of birthday celebrations right in a row. By the time the next birthday rolls around, I’m ready to make a cake again, order some gifts, serve up breakfast in bed, and pull out the balloons and streamers.
Also, it means every few months, we get another free pizza at Grimaldi’s, which makes for a nice family outing five times a year (and . . . and more often than that, since they have excellent pizza). I don’t hunt down birthday freebies like I used to, but I LOVE that free pizza.
I can’t take any credit for this perfect planning, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
This year is our last year to revel in that spacing, though, because come February, another little baby will be sharing Star’s birthday month.
And I couldn’t be more delighted.
Caitlin Russell says
Congratulations and happy early birthday! This was such a clever announcement- I couldn't guess where you were going with it until I got to the end!
Christina says
Congratulations!
Landen says
Hooray! I am so excited for you all!NB
Landen says
Hooray! I am so excited for you all!NB
Megan says
CONGRATULATIONS!! That is wonderful news!
Agreed, such a clever announcement!
Hope you are feeling well! All the best to you guys!
AmyJ says
The best kind of news! Congrats!!
Mallory Hazel says
Congratulations! So exciting!
Rachel says
Hooray hooray!!! Congrats to you all!
SS says
Congratulations!
myr_heille says
Congratulations! 😀
Dawn Williams says
Congratulations!! You always have the best announcements!
Susanne says
Always love your baby announcements! I had a feeling about this one, so I scrolled down before I read it all and I was right. Congratulations–can't wait to see what you have!
Paige says
You always have the best announcements! Also, you pinned a maternity outfit on Pinterest the other day and I was all hmmmmmm….
ct says
Congratulations!
Sara T. says
Congratulations!
Diana says
Congratulations!!!!
(Mine, my husband's, our son's, and Christmas all are roughly at the end of each calendar quarter and it's nice being so spread out! Although I wouldn't mind a baby messing that up either!)
Elaine says
Congratulations! A couple of comments you have made recently have had me wondering.
Abby says
Yay!!! Congratulations!!!! 😀 😀
Jessica Pieper says
Congratulations Bradshaw family!! I had a baby in February, so I know you must be finding out the gender soon. How exciting!
Amy says
Oh my goodness, I'm so happy for you!!! When I saw the title of this post, I actually thought, Could this be a pregnancy announcement? But then as I was reading it, I thought, No I guess not. And then, there it was, right at the end! A million congratulations!
Michelle says
I remember you announced your pregnancy with Star in a similar way and when I saw this post I was kind of hoping it would be because you were having another baby. I hope that's not weird, haha! Congratulations!! 🙂
Chelsea says
yay! Seems like all my friends and people I follow are all announcing baby #4 and even though I'm almost 2 years past that stage in life since we started kids much earlier than most of our peers, it does make me a little jealous and nostalgic for the fun announcements and well wishes. But then I go to a park without needing a stroller or I go on vacation without high chairs or baby food and I remember that we are in a pretty great stage of life too. ? Very exciting and hope this pregnancy goes as well as your others!
Steph says
Yay! So excited for another perfectly cute little Bradshaw!
Sherry says
Woohoo! Congrats! I noticed you pinning some maternity outfits the other day and wondered if there was significance to that.
Our birthdays are August, September, October, November, and December. Thanks to Ike being a week late (like Ani, and pushing his birthday into December) and Trixie being induced a week early (barely putting her into August) we have a perfect five-month string of Cold Stone visits.
Rebecca says
Congratulations!!!!!!! I've been loving your blog for years now and can't wait to "meet" your next little one. You have a precious family. Thanks for sharing with us.
ccr in MA says
Oh, how lovely, congratulations!
Heather @ Heathers Hurrah says
Congratulations!!! You guys make beautiful children!! 🙂 Hope you are feeling well!
Grace Haynes says
Yay, congrats!!!
Becky says
Congratulations! How exciting!
Amy Jo says
Congratulations! Very fun announcement!
Kait Waters says
Yay! Congratulations! 🙂
Kayla FrecklesinApril says
Ha, I knew and still didn't catch where this post was going. Very nicely done.
I hate our birthday spacing. Me and Jones are 6 days apart, Wes is right after Christmas. It makes it hard to properly celebrate. I did not plan that well.
sez says
Congratulations!
Lisa says
Congratulations! You are SO good at these announcements. My boys have birthdays 3 days (and 3 years) apart, and I actually like that they share a party because I am so not good at parties.
Heather says
Hooray! That is indeed delightful news! Congratulations to you all and may you not have any morning sickness or anytime at all sickness.
Melissa says
Congratulations! We have all of our birthdays in a row and I kind of like it. My kids go March, April, June. I think I need one more to have one in May.
Priscilla says
Congratulations!! I'm so excited for you guys!!
Rachel says
Congratulations! I'm kind of hoping you have another girl, since the 3 you have are so adorable. Our birthday are spaced horribly. We've got a May and 2 in June, so with Mother's Day and Father's Day thrown in at the beginning and end we are so over treats. Plus we have a baby due the last week of October and another birthday at the beginning of November which is extra special with all the Halloween candy. And my birthday is New Years Eve which is entirely too close to Christmas in addition to all the extra hassle of that day. So basically I'm jealous of your birthday spacing. Even with 2 in February it's not too bad. Congrats again!
Rosanna says
Congratulations! Wondering if you could write a post sometime, or send a personal email as to your daily routine (that includes your homeschool routine and what curriclum/plan you use). Curious what an "average" week in your schedule looks like and hoping to gather some tips.
Thanks!
Christine says
I agree! I'm curious too. And introducing and training for quiet times.
Congrats on baby #4!!! What a cool way to announce! I love how you write all your blog posts though!
Kristin @ Going Country says
Yay for your whole family! February is a great month for a birthday in Arizona. I hope you're feeling okay so far.
(P.S. We have THE WORST with birthdays in December. My husband's is on the 15th, my third son is three days later, and mine is two days after Christmas. Still, I wouldn't send that third one back just because of his terrible birthday timing. It wasn't his fault, anyway. 🙂
Ms Jlearning says
Congratulations! How exciting!! My family had wonderfully spaced birthdays, too, and it was great! Only my mom and brother shared a month. Now my son's birthday is smack-dab in the middle of mine and my husband's birthdays [end of may, beginning of July, end of August]. Can't wait to see the newest little one come February!
Krista Hansen says
Congratulations!!! So exciting and a super cute announcement! Hope you're feeling well.
With 2 parents and 3 kids in my family all our birthdays, and our anniversary, are between June 26-July 23. We basically party for a month and then recover for a few months until Christmas. It works well for us!
Lisa says
So exciting and what a fun announcement! Congratulations!!
JoLee says
Sneaky. I almost didn't read to the end of this post. Obviously that would have been a mistake. Many congratulations! Nicely spaced birthdays would be lovely, but alas, both my husband and I have a birthday baby (born within a week of our birthdays). And, even worse, my second son was born on our anniversary.
Lena says
Congratulations! So exciting! I hope you are feeling well! Can't wait to see a new baby on the blog! Every time I see a picture of Star, I think "How can she be so big?" I feel like she was born only a few weeks ago. The age of your kids makes me realize for how long I've been reading (and enjoying) your blog 😉
Jessica says
!!!! Happy Birthday and Congratulations! How exciting!
rebeccalately says
Congratulations!
Linnae says
I'm so happy for you!
Katie says
Congratulations! Your baby #3 and my baby #2 are only a few days apart, and I am seriously not ready to be pregnant again! But babies are the best, and yours are so adorable! Are you going to find out what you're having, or be surprised?
BrittWilk says
Happy happy happy!! I think I'll join you for a February baby. Maybe they'll be boys. We are both overdue for one. 🙂 Congrats friend!
Ash says
Ahh! Yay! I'm so, so happy for you! Maybe it will be a girl and your "little women" will be complete. Or, you know, a boy which would be so fun too! 🙂 I love when my favorite people have more babies! 🙂
Anne says
So happy for you!
Anne says
Have to add- we are in the crazy bunched up fall birthday spree right now and it's exhausting but fun too. Doing brownies for this weekend's because we're all tired of cake!
Julie Vidani says
how exciting! congratulations!
Molly says
Congratulations!! I LOVE having four munchkins 🙂 I hope you're feeling great! xo
Katie says
Congratulations! You are a rock star for going through an Arizona summer while pregnant!
Kayla says
CONGRATULATIONS!!! *insert party emoji here*
Meagan says
Earlier today I read your whole post except for the last paragraph somehow. Good thing I'm a major weirdo and check this blog sometimes multiple times a day or I would've missed the fun announcement! Congratulations!
Allison says
Yayyyyyy!!! This makes me ridiculously happy!!! You guys make the CUTEST kids- so happy for you!!! And you will be such a fantastic mother of 4!! Only sad that you're not my neighbor…
Lisa!! says
You've been so much fun and helpful to follow. I think you are an incredible momma and Bart must be pretty great too! Yay FOUR you guys!!!
Andrea Smith says
Ahhhhh!! I'm so excited for you guys! That was so sneaky, I had to reread just to make sure I read that right! Can't wait to see what your next will look like! We miss you guys!!
Alison says
Congratulations! How exciting!
ShaeLynn Watt says
Oh, how wonderful! I've been reading for years but only comment occasionally. I am pregnant, too, a few weeks behind you and it will be great to have an e-buddy to be pregnant with!
My husband and I are well spread out, but this one is due 2 days before my so's birthday in march. My so was 10 days early and I'm hoping for a little breathing space that way!
Feisty Harriet says
WHAAA?!??!! HOW WAS THIS NOT TALKED ABOUT LAST NIGHT!!! Congrats!!!!!
(Also, February birthdays are the best birthdays: me, my twin, my next-door-neighbor-while-growing-up cousin, my sister-in-law, Lincoln, Washington, Darwin.)
xox
Carly says
WOW!! Congratulations! From the social media perspective you and Bart are masters at this parenting thing… That's one lucky little babe coming your way :). Couldn't be happier for you and your family.
Aleta says
Congratulations! I was so hoping you'd be adding to your little brood of adorable girls. I hope you've been feeling well! So looking forward to keeping up with your pregnancy, maternity style (not that I'll be needing it!), and eventually the birth of your little blessing. Maybe you'll break the streak in another way and deliver before your due date! Best wishes and thanks for sharing!
Lauren says
Congratulations!! So exciting!
Kristen says
Congrats!
Sara says
Congrats!!
Meg says
I'm so glad. You make such cute babies that we should definitely have as many in the world as possible. 😉
Meghan says
Cute way to announce! Congratulations I'm thrilled for you and Bart!
Julia Manfredi-Hobbs says
Congratulations!! And happy birthday 🙂
Bethany says
You sneak! Congratulations friend!!! So happy for you! All of ours are perfectly spaced, too, and I like it. But a new baby is worth any kind of calendar mix-up. About to text you now. 🙂
Kelly Jensen says
Yes, I totally tracked back to find the announcement. CONGRATS, LADY!!!
CoolGreenDays says
^^ Kelly Jensen I did too! I missed the last line in this post when I read it originally! Congratulations! xx
Leanee Marsh says
Oh my gosh! Totally missed this the first time! Congrats!
Life of a Doctor's Wife says
So many congratulations, Janssen! What wonderful news!