We're Having A . . .

GIRL!!!

We were told back at 14 weeks that it very much looked like a girl - but to not start going crazy on decorating/purchasing.  I started wrapping my mind around this baby being a girl and so when we received the confirmation this past Monday (19 weeks), we were overjoyed!

I'll admit - originally, I had kinda wanted a Mama's boy/an older brother for the girls who came after.  I love my younger brothers, but secretly always wanted an older brother to look out for me.  God had a plan.  I'm a first-born through and through.  My overly analytical mind has weighed the pros and cons and I think I've come up with a good list of reasons why it's a good thing we are having a girl . . .

-I've been hoarding baby girl items since 2006.  No joke.  I've had a stash.

-She'll have an older girl cousin on each side of her family = instant playmate

-Bows, accessories, shoes.  Need I say more?

-Girls' names are so much easier to choose - she has a definite first name - possible middle - we're just not revealing quite yet!

-I can pass on my Samantha - American Girl Doll (I chose her because we are totally alike! Ha, right.) and Playmobil dollhouse (holy-freak! check out the price tag on that now - vintage gem!) - Two of my most treasured childhood items.

-She'll have an inherent love for the Nutcracker as much as her mother.

-Most importantly, Steven has a soft spot in his heart for a sweet baby girl.  He needs his own. Period.

PS-  I'm pretty proud of my Petunia Picklebottom set (photo - right) that I snagged for $15 on clearance at TJ Maxx.  Those suckers run for $60 at Nordstrom see here.  It's been on my mind since I first saw it over a month ago - it was $20 then!

You Think So, Huh?

You think that because you . . .

-Are measuring 19 weeks along (big) and receive A+ ultrasounds every other week and . . .

-Just turned 30 two weeks ago (Hello! New decade!) and . . .

-Had the best birthday surprise that any 30-year old girl could dream of by having her husband and best friend plan the sneakiest stay-cation (apparently was in the works since July - literally had no clue!) and  . . .

-Were 3 weeks behind on your missionary brother's blog . . .

                entitles you to not making updates on your own blog?!

'Tis true.  I've been really bad at blogging.  Not that I don't have anything to blog about . . . I just haven't been feeling it.  My creative juices just haven't been flowing.  I chalk it up to pregnancy brain, pregnancy lack of motivation, and too much Dawson's Creek (oops! I really just admitted that). . .

On pregnancy:

-Thank you, second trimester!  You are a beautiful thing!

-I started feeling baby move over my birthday weekend (16 weeks) after finding smoke-free relief in our car.  Mind you, I don't frequent Fremont Street all that often, but with guests in town. . . I suppose it's a right of passage . . . one we all agreed could easily be forgotten.

-The ultrasound tech seems to think we are having a girl.  We should get the confirmation today at our 19 week anatomy scan.  This may sound bad, but I get horrible anxiety right before our ultrasounds.  I fear the worst  e v e r y time and things are usually just fine.

-I've been having the worst dreams about baby.  Usually the dreams end up with me having no baby in the end.  Odd, super odd dreams.  I guess a bout of infertility will burn those types of fears into your subconscious.  No fun.

-My boobs are huge.  I don't know why they decided to show up, but they are here.  Yikes!

On being 30:

-Steven reminded me over and over that I can never go back to my twenties.  They are done and over with.  That chapter has ended.  He made me feel like a part of me was dying.  I then reminded him that he is with a woman in her thirties, and I wanted to know what that felt like to someone in their twenties.     Personally, I wouldn't know.

-So far, I believe that my thirties might just be the greatest decade.  I hope to look back at this time in my life as a concrete time frame as to when we were able to start our own little family.  Nothing to prove - just to ourselves, moving at our own pace, and watching our little people grow . . . causing us to grow as well.  It will be a lot of hard work, sure . . . but probably the most fulfilling thing to boot.