OH BOY!

This is the second time I'm writing this post. I was almost finished with it, but due to a busy schedule and lack of sleep yesterday, it didn't get posted. When I just went to look in my drafts, it was gone. What the heck? What happened to the auto-save? So here it is, the shortened version (lucky you):

Thursday morning we packed up the car and headed to Savannah for my 20 week doctor's appointment and sonogram. We were excited to find out the sex, but more anxious to find out if everything was ok. You see, last time we went to this appointment (anatomical ultrasound) we learned that Hannah had a couple "hot spots" on her heart and kidneys and were referred to a perinatologist to have a level 2 ultrasound. It was a very bittersweet day. These markers basically meant that something wasn't quite right and, as development progressed didn't improve, the baby could be born with defects. Two weeks later at that appointment the kidney situation had resolved and only the heart was not exactly right. We were given a 95% chance that we would have a healthy baby. Joe and I decided we would be optimistic and be hopeful in that large percentage and not worry.

This time we went into it very differently. Driving to Savannah we admitted to each other that while we didn't really have a preference, girl or boy, we were anxious to hear that the baby was healthy. During the ultrasound, the tech slowly (emphasis here on slowly) went down the body measuring, re-measuring, and making her calculations. As I gazed at the screen in front of me trying to decipher what in the world I was looking at, I kept glancing at her face to see if she would react to anything abnormal. Joe was holding Hannah (who was fascinated with the baby on the screen) and had his hand on my leg trying to offer comfort. There was 15-20 minutes of this before we even found out the sex. And that was quite a sight! Our tech had gone from the stomach to the legs and just as she finished and headed between the legs, I thought I saw - ok I knew I saw - that male appendage. When she asked what we thought, I said "A boy!?!" Without a doubt. He's very active, too. When she finished all the measurements and went to the screen with all the percentages she told us he was in the upper 90s in everything - 97% overall. Make that a BIG, active, boy.

We then waited to see the doctor, still nervous and ready to hear those precious words: "Everything looks good." And, almost an hour after we arrived at the doctor's office we did. So make that a big, active, healthy, boy. Thank the Lord. We were so relieved.

On a different note, I could not believe this. We haven't really talked a lot about the new baby to Hannah. But a couple times we have touched my tummy and said "baby...baby." Last week, I was holding Hannah when I asked her where the baby was. She patted her own tummy.

Then this week, she has really come to seemingly understand this whole thing. She'll come up and put her hands on either side of my belly and say "hey baby!" Sometimes she'll lean over and make a "mmmmwaah" sound (without the kiss - she's not there yet). While she'll also pet our dog Mollie and say baby, it blows my mind how much she's learning and growing.

We are so blessed.

We are back in Jesup now. Hannah hardly slept on Thursday night. And after a busy few days getting the Operation Hungry Child mailing done, we really needed some sleep. So Friday was a sleep-deprived blur. My mom babysat Hannah while Joe and I went to a funeral, and then Friday night we went to Joe's parents' annual Christmas party.

Looking forward to getting some sleep tonight.

waving with grandma

getting a look-don't-touch lesson from uncle ben

showing daddy the little santa hat she stole off the dolphin

playing with the bell tree. she grabs it on either side and
shakes it as hard as she can,
looking back to see who's watching.

cuddling with aunt betsy