22 Weeks! It's a...........

This baby definitely belongs to our little crew and is no milk man's baby! Looking a LOT like it's siblings even at the ripe old age of 22 weeks gestation. Technology and what we are able to see is just an amazing thing to me. Even more amazing on every level is seeing a perfect 4 chambered heart pumping blood perfectly through an intricate system and maze of tiny details that have grown from nothingness. One egg and one sperm so absolutely undetectable by human eye....yet here this sweet perfect person grows and flourishes within..moving, sucking, clenching, sleeping, waking...this tiny little person so perfect in every way that grew from two separate parts of two separate people coming together as one. Bones and nerves and blood cells...a brain so detailed and intricate that it is unfathomable to behold. Perfect little upturned button nose, just like other 11 siblings that await, beautiful little down turned mouth like oldest sister and a certain little 5 yr old brother that await this sweet baby's arrival. Kidneys, bladder full of fluid that has already been perfectly swallowed, lungs preparing for very first breath of air, the amazing system that allows baby to live within watery world now yet will adjust as first breath is taken. Sweet baby, you are so perfect in every way. How much you are loved and how eagerly awaited you already are. My heart is overwhelmed.


So despite our resolve not to find out gender of this baby, once you've seen as many ultrasounds as we have it's definitely not difficult to figure out what you're looking at with first glance. Sweet baby stayed entirely modest with legs neatly crossed up until the very end. As we scanned, baby surprised us by uncrossing and gave us a perfect gender reveal. And there went the idea of a baby day birthday surprise! But gender reveal is fun no matter when it comes...and still just as shocking....whether at 22 weeks or 40 weeks!

So.......

There is definitely no boy going on here! Soooo excited about this sweet girl. She messed up the little vision of symmetry I had going of Ivye having 4 brothers on top and 4 on bottom but pretty happy Ivye-girl now has a sister close in age. To say that we have some excited children is a bit of an understatement at this point. And daddy's just a little bit happy too! He's waited a long time for another girl to come along. It doesn't seem to occur very often around here. Perfect little girl shot! We made an entire celebration and I'm thinking news of this sweet girl rivaled Christmas excitement. Let's just say sleep was a long time in coming for a bunch of excited kids!

I love you, Lillye Caroline Emmanuelle. My arms ache to hold you already. You have many, many people so excited about you and anticipating your arrival. How loved you are, sweet girl.