Irresponsible or Just a Little Brave?

We are leaving for China in 3 days. It's hard to believe and quite surreal. When we tell people we will be living in China for a year the same thing happens almost every time:

-They look at me with wide eyes
-They look at our 13-month-old
-Then, they give us "the look." This look is one every mother tries to avoid: the "Oh my, there are no words to express my disapproval of your parenting choices" look.
-Sometimes, to emphasize their disapproval they ask a question or tell us something crazy about China like "people there just hold their babies over the side of the road and let them pee" or "watch your baby closely, they will try to steal her!"

Our son at 19 weeks

Then they find out we are also expecting to give birth to our second child while there and the disapproval beams turn on full-force.

We have many supportive friends and parents, but sometimes the strangers' opinions start to get to me. Am I being an irresponsible parent by choosing to have a new baby and by trying to raise two children in a foreign land? Am I being unfair to Miss A by bringing a new member into our family so soon after she was born? Can I do this???

When I get overwhelmed with all of the opinions I have to stop and remind myself of why we made the decisions we did. Mister and I gave this decision much thought, research, and prayer. It was not made quickly or unknowingly. Here are some of the reasons for our decision (mostly for my reference for when I need reassurance that I am not crazy!)

-We do not want our children to be born too far apart. If we waited until we got back from China, Miss A and our second child could be 3 years apart.

-If we waited just a few months, we would not know where in China we would be. It could be in a place where there are no Western-style hospitals.

-We have great insurance right now.

-There are accredited, great hospitals in and near Nanjing that use Western medicine and English-speaking doctors.

-We have been counseled to bring children to the world: "Perhaps the most familiar and most important examples of unselfish service and sacrifice are performed in our families. Mothers devote themselves to the bearing and nurturing of their children. Husbands give themselves to supporting their wives and children. The sacrifices involved in the eternally important service to our families are too numerous to mention and too familiar to need mention"  -Elder Dallin H Oaks, April 2012

-Women have and still do give birth in much worse conditions.

-I felt impressions to do so. This is the most important one to me. While studying the scriptures I read about when Lehi's family is traveling through the wilderness and the Lord strengthens the women so that they can bear and provide nourishment for their children. This made me think of pioneer women who did the same thing. As I thought about these strong women, I was comforted in knowing that if it is God's will, he will support me.

Very soon after we had made our decision, our pregnancy test came back positive. This was yet another confirmation to me that our decision was the right one. So many things could have prevented us from getting pregnant, but they didn't.

I know that our little son, due Decemeber 25, 2012, is meant to join our family now. It may be a challenge to be pregnant in a foreign country, and maybe even harder to give birth and have two children in China, but with the Lord's help we can do all things.