The BIG News!!

Sorry to keeping anyone in suspense who doesn't already know the big news, but we had our ultrasound on Thursday as scheduled!

Poor Matt got turned around (GPS leads to you an address, but not necessarily the right parking garage ;)), so he was running late.  Thankfully, I was the last ultrasound scheduled for the morning, so the tech went s-l-o-w-l-y waiting for Matt to arrive.  We saw all 4 chambers of the baby's heart, valves with blood pumping through them, kidneys, the baby's stomach, fingers, toes, spine, you name a body part--the baby has it.  Praise the Lord!  Every baby is a gift, but we ARE thankful to hear this new little one is growing right on track.  The baby measured at 19 weeks 2 days and technically I am 19 weeks 3 days, so everything really is as "on track" as it could be!

When Matt made it to the office, the tech told him, "We haven't done the big look yet.  You haven't missed the big news.  I don't even know..... well, I peeked of course and I have a guess, but I didn't look hard."  Her comment made me think she saw baby boy parts... I mean to just glance and have a guess I figured it must be pretty obvious like Asa was.  She found the right area of the baby, and I saw 3 little lines... the 3 little lines that usually mean G-I-R-L!  I thought surely I was mistaken, but then the tech said, "I'm thinking little girl!"  OH MY!!  She didn't tell the doctor, so he could make his own assessment and we'd see if they agreed.  He too said GIRL.  WHOA!!!

After 5 straight boys in my side of the family, the oldest cousin finally gets another girl added to the cousin mix.  She has waited oh so patiently for this. :)  We would have been thrilled either way, but we are amazed to get to experience a son AND a daughter!  Our daughter's name is Anna Reaghan.  Anna is after Anna in the Bible.  The story of her waiting so intently for the Messiah to come, even after being widowed so early in her marriage, really stuck out.  It would be so easy to question God or focus on finding another spouse, but she faithfully turned her eyes to the Ultimate Lover of the Soul.  How we pray that for our children.  Reaghan is a name I've always loved.  We might not live in the South right now, but it's stuck with both of us and we like the Southern sound of a double name so we will be calling her by both names, "Anna Reaghan."  If she should choose to go by one or the other when she's older, we love them both and think either makes a beautiful name for a little girl or grown woman.

I was perfectly content and excited by the idea of two little boys, so I did not allow myself to dwell too much on the "girl" gut feelings I was having.  I didn't want to become disappointed if I started entertaining thoughts of dresses and bows and such and we had another bouncing baby boy after all.  But now that I CAN look at baby girl things, oh my goodness!  They're all so sweet!  I can hardly believe we are really having a girl!!  We can't wait for you to really "meet" her! :)  And we VERY much appreciate your prayers for Anna Reaghan and me as she continues to grow, for Matt as he gets wrapped around her little finger for sure ;) and cares of all of us, and for Asa as I can't pick him up/carry him around as much and he eventually adjusts to have a little sister. 

Lastly, we're hoping to move in about 3 weeks to a house we are renting!  So if you want to pray for stamina and smooth details that would be WONDERFUL!!