It's a....

In case you missed my announcement on Facebook, we are having a BOY! Yes, this means that my intuition was completely wrong, but I am so excited. I couldn't go back to sleep after Sam left for work this morning, because I was daydreaming about what my son will be like (and how to decorate the nursery). I love knowing his gender. I don't know how anyone can stand to wait to find out. I feel so much more connected to him already. I love being able to pray for him by name and to talk about him as a boy and not as an "it" or a "she". I loved seeing his little personality during our ultrasound yesterday. The tech said he was very active, so he is just like his daddy already. He turned his face away for most of the ultrasound and after thinking about it, I decided that I would turn away too if something was pressing into me over and over again.

I feel no sense of regret over ruining the "surprise" at the birth. It will be enough of a surprise to see what our son looks like and to get to actually hold him when he is born. I am happy to have several months to plan and prepare to be the mother of a little boy. I feel a little more unsure of how to raise a boy than a girl. I know what it's like to be a girl, not so much to be a boy. I'm thankful for the wonderful daddy that Joel has, who will help him to become a godly man. I am looking forward to raising a son, though it intimidates me more than raising a daughter. I'm excited to see how our marriage will change and grow as we work together to raise Joel. I'm thankful that God gives us a baby first, so that we don't have to figure everything about parenting out at one time.

I also described to my doctor yesterday what I think is movement and she said I described exactly what it should feel like, so I'm getting very confident that those little pokes and tickles are my baby Joel's movements. I love this little guy so much already and so do many others. He is one loved little fellow. He has grandparents, great grandparents, uncles and aunts, great uncles and aunts, second cousins, and many friends who are very interested in his life. Being pregnant makes me even more thankful for the strong Christian grandparents and great-grandparents this little guy will have. I know he is covered in prayer and I love that all the people who are praying for him can use his name now. My greatest prayer for my son is that he will come to love Jesus at a very young age. I pray that God will use him for His kingdom in mighty ways. I praise God for his continuing goodness and faithfulness to us. We do not deserve his grace and kindness, yet he bestows it on us anyway. I am humbled and blessed by the precious gift of my baby boy.