Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice--(Hopefully) That's Our Little Girl!

At the end of September, we will be having a baby girl.  I think I'm still a little bit in shock.  Don't read that as not excited.  Life just takes a while to soak in for me.

Her profile picture taken by the sonographer is not nearly as clear or well-positioned as Spencer's was, even on their brand new machine loaded with brand new software.  Wanna hear why?  According to the sonographer, she is so active that it's hard to get a good shot.  Wow.  Not comforting!  Ha!

Apparently bones casts shadows on the ultrasound, so if they are very wiggly the whole time it makes it harder to get good pictures.  I asked questions during the ultrasound, but none of them had anything to do with what I just told you.  Kelly offered all that information on her own initiative.  That was her first and main impression of my baby daughter.  Again, wow.

Please note the little crossed ankles in both pictures.  

God probably made her quick and energetic as a protective measure to get her through her childhood in one piece.  I know Spencer will love her deeply, I just don't know how long it will take to teach him how to be gentle.  Although he's always gentle to animals....  Oh, and she had her hands up by her face the whole time.  Again, I'm convinced she leaves them there so she can cover her ears every time her brother throws a screaming fit.  At least she's showing signs of adaptivity.  She's gonna need it!

I'm hesitant to admit how I felt when we found out Spencer was a boy.  But I will, 'cause why hold back at this point?  I was relieved.  It just felt like so much less pressure.  And I know, intellectually, that's not really fair.  I know every child, whether boy or girl, has their own strengths, weaknesses, areas they need more "help" in than others, etc.  I know it's not truly "harder" to have one than the other.  But I can think of many reasons why it might be a little harder for me to have a girl--I won't list them now.

And my own feelings aside, being a girl is hard.  Have you read about my pregnancies?  At times I find myself thinking the whole human race would be much better off if I never had any girls.  The "morning sickness" genes I have to pass on seem less than desirable.  Eugenics, anyone?  (I'm against that, for the record!)  And then there's the whole modesty-even-though-you're-too-young-to-understand-the-point issue.  I had at least one million arguments with my mom over this...

On the other hand, I had been thinking that it'd be nice to have a daughter to bathe me when I'm eighty five (if needed), so if, by God's grace, I manage to raise her to love Him, and eventually me, then at least I have that base covered.  =)  Plus, now when I go to Target, I get to look at the clearance section and find cutie little things like this.

Don't judge me for buying her something already.  I didn't buy one article of clothing for Spencer until he was here and actually needing one (outgrowing gifts, etc.), but I'm not that person anymore.  I'm a sick, sleep-deprived mother of a toddler, and honestly, a little unstable.  And they're not newborn outfits, they're 9 and 12 month--for next summer--when she's running around giggling and making me want another baby--thinking happy thoughts...

Anyway, there you have it.  In case by some gross oversight you've managed to miss all my whining, Spencer and I have continued to be sick.  Truly sick, not medium sick.  Plus, don't forget, I'm pregnant.  (I know, I never mention it!)  So, yeah, we're surviving; but certainly not thriving.  I've been a wreck.  If I were like this in "real life" (it's starting to feel like I am), I'm not sure what I'd do.  Truly.  I guess I'd go to therapy every day.  Not physical therapy.  Emotional therapy--and maybe some respiratory therapy, lol!