It's a....

Yep, I'm that mother posting embarrassing pictures. Sorry, son.

BOY!!!!!!!!!!

On Friday, October 30, we went to Portland for a full anatomy scan of our newest baby. As I mentioned before, we wanted to know the gender since we've done surprises before and we had gotten rid of all our baby girl gear. And we wanted to make sure everything was good and healthy.

We were able to see many things, but not his face. He's lying transverse (across my body) and facing my spine, so he didn't lend himself to many good pictures. I've got lots of pictures of his spine and abdomen and head, though. We did see very clearly that he is a little he. We also saw he is a healthy and wiggly little boy. All his measurements look good. I had been concerned because up until week 19, I wasn't really able to feel much movement. He's definitely moving, but because my placenta is anterior (in front) and he's facing my back, they're more difficult to feel. Now that we're in week 20, I'm feeling lots of kicking, stretching, and wiggling, particularly under my ribs since he's laying across me.

So how do I feel about having a little boy instead of having a little girl?

I've seen lots of articles recently by mothers of boys who reject the idea that they need a daughter for their family to be complete. I think that's just the way it should be- everyone should appreciate the children they have. I've had a little girl, though. I know babies are some of the most precious and special things in the world, and little girls somehow seem especially sweet. That's not to say that little boys are not charming, endearing, lovable, and sweet in their own way. It's just different. As a woman, raising a little girl is like getting to look at my childhood again from a different perspective. I want to guide her to become a woman who's stronger, smarter, and better than myself. Being able to raise and send a young woman into the world is a gift and a blessing. Since girls are so wonderful, am I disappointed that we're expecting a son and not a daughter?

No!

I will always look at baby girl outfits wistfully, with their roses and strawberries and pinkness. Fair warning: I am going to swoop up the very next niece that's born and just enjoy holding her. But I am so excited to be having a little boy! I can't wait to see his face and learn about his little personality. I can't wait to hold his warm and snuggly self and watch him become part of our family. I only have two sons, but it seems like they drive me to the brink of losing my mind and then disarm me with utter love and sweetness. Boys really are grand. I was cleaning Liam's hands today and suddenly realized they were bigger than the last time I really studied them. They were big boy hands. And I thought of some very tall teenage brothers I'd noticed in church the other week and realized that I'm going to have a crew of fine men one day with big hands and deep voices who all call me Mom. It was bittersweet. I love having these silly little boys for now, and I'll love having big sons too.

I know that a father is equally important for boys and girls. Diana has obviously benefited from having a great dad, but I think if we have more sons that are able to learn from Joseph and look up to him as a father, the world will just be a better place. As soon as we started dating, and especially after seeing the example that his own father set for him, I had no doubt that Joseph would be the best dad I could hope for if we ever got married and had kids. I have no problem with having another son to add to our circus. :)

It's likely that almost everyone who came to break the suspense left after that first picture, so I'll wrap up here. I'll also mention that our boy was measuring a few days ahead of my due date, so it is entirely possible that we'll have a St. Patrick's Day baby. And if that happens, Joseph has seriously proposed naming him Patrick, just to have a St. Patrick's Day Patrick. So the stakes are high. We currently have a short list of possible names, but we like to not settle on one until we meet our baby and decide if it fits him or not. If a name is what you're interested in, check back in March! :)