20 Weeks! Meet Leah!!!!!

"Dear Jesus, thank you for giving us a little girl. Thank you for her perfect spine, her strong heart, her firm bones, and her hands and feet. Thank you for her perfectly formed face, and her small, but perfect head. Thank you for all the joys she has brought us this far, and for her kicks and flips that remind us that she is alive and well. Thank you for Your wonderful craftsmanship, and for Your wonderful blessing. Thank you for choosing us, and for giving us our Leah."

Shew. It has been a day. It has been a couple of days really. I really started getting excited, and nervous for this appointment over the weekend. Counting down the hours, dying to know just who is in my belly! Only yesterday, and thank God, did it hit me that they don't just check gender at this ultra sound, and my doctor doesn't care at all what the gender is. They check a million other things to make sure the baby is a-okay. So then I went into panic mode. Still thinking "he" everything turned into, "is he ok," "what if he has an abnormality," "what if his heart has a problem," "what if he only has one arm," and the list went on. Thank God this all hit me just yesterday, I would not have been able to deal with that panic for much longer. So then today rolls around. Longest day ever. And it wasn't even a full day! The appointment was at 2, and I left work a little before 1... I did not have much to get through. Yet this appointment consumed my thoughts! Who is in there?! Are they ok in there?! What if it's more than ONE?! I mean really, I was out of control. Thankfully, I had my trusty friend Elizabeth to talk to me and calm me down. As it got closer and closer to one, my thoughts became more positive. I was just excited. I knew that God would take care of our baby, and if something was wrong we would be able to handle it. So finally, 1 o'clock came! I left work and began chugging my 48 oz of water they want you to drink to get "good pictures." It's so hard to not go to the bathroom, especially when there is a baby on your bladder. The only thing that kept me going was the "good pictures." After all, I wanted them to be able to see everything they needed to. Kyle got home at 1:30, and we were off!! Just 30 minutes and we would know who it is!! Ha, yeh right. We got there at 1:45, appointment at 2. I fully expected to wait until 2, but usually we don't have to wait much longer. 2:05 rolls around. 2:10. At this point I'm miserable from the full bladder, and the anxiety of wanting to make sure everything is okay. I start to question whether or not I can "hold it," but the pictures are my top priority. 2:20, 2:30. Okay, I can't take it. Don't make a pregnant girl drink 48 oz of water an hour before her appointment, then make her wait 30 minutes longer. Not. Okay. So I go and tap on the window. Completely uncomfortable, and feeling like my bladder will burst if I stand any longer. I ask how much longer, because I really cannot hold this stuff in. She tells me just a few minutes. I can do that. But no, 2:35. I get up, tap on the window. I need to go to the bathroom. And I went. I was so sad and mad at that point! Mad that they were so behind, and sad that I had potentially lost out on my good pictures. I only let myself empty half my bladder, ha. Thinking, surely only a few more minutes. Nope. 2:40, 2:45. I have to pee again. Now I'm fuming. Completely miserable and over the whole process, I go to the bathroom. If I don't get good pictures, I don't get good pictures - but I might just pass out if I don't go. So I went, and came back... and sat. Another 5 minutes. FINALLY, Maria? We get back and the lady apologizes repeatedly. And then tells us that the couple in before us got some really bad news, so they had to give them all the time they needed. I immediately felt like a jerk. They lived my biggest fear, as I was impatiently waiting for my turn. Anyways, saga over. We're in! And things got going.

The second she turned things on, I was at peace. I immediately saw my baby, and just new everything was fine. And boy or girl, I was in love with whomever was on that screen. She was laying pretty still for the beginning, and the tech got lots of good pictures and measurements. She told us everything they look for looked great! Yes! Now onto the fun stuff! But she was sitting on her legs!! Mom was getting a little nervous at this point. She had me lay on my side to get her to move her legs, and it definitely moved her, but then she settled right back onto her legs! C'mon baby, let us see!! I laid back on my stomach, and she went nuts!! She was moving so quickly this time the tech couldn't catch her to see! Finally, finally, she settled down in the perfect position! And she said, "oh I can see it very clearly now, there's no doubt, it's a little girl!" Excuse me what, I'm having a boy?! But nope, there was no denying it. And I was quickly at peace with, and in love with the idea. A girl. How sweet. I gave Kyle a couple sympathy pats on the back knowing he wanted a boy - but I was glowing. And crying. And just so happy she was healthy! From there she continued to move around like a gymnast. After watching her, it's crazy to me that I can't feel more. I think I feel a lot, but obviously I have no idea how much she actually moves! That girl gets around in there! Flipping forwards and backwards, kicking, punching, stretching her head - and we got to see it all. She put on quite the show for us! But sadly, then it was over. Ugh. We got our picture keepsakes, and headed out. Then the phone calls and texts began.

We went to babies r us, to finish registering. We registered for most of it at Target, and only had a few things left to get - so we finished it off. We are now completely registered. While there though, we picked her out some clothes! Neither one of us are huge fans of pink, so she got some purples, some reds, a blue, and even some more yellows! I cannot wait to see her in all of it!

So, how's Kyle. He's okay. He will forever hold it over my head that I told him for 4 months that he was having a son. And I suppose that's fair. I could have swore I was. Oh well, nothing we can do about it now. He picked her out a cute outfit, and reassures me that he is not mad or sad... just in shock. It's fine with me if he is sad though, it's a big adjustment... and mostly my fault, whoops. But I know that he loves her, and I know that he will be a GREAT dad for a little girl - God wouldn't have given us a Leah if we couldn't handle her. Plus, I see how much Zoey is in love with him and just lights up around him, and how good he is with her, and there is no doubt it my mind he will be an amazing dad to this little girl. I have all the faith in the world in him. I just can't wait to watch it all unfold!

So what happens now? We've spent the last 5 months wondering just what we're having... and now we know. Now what? I guess now we wait to meet her. We finish her room, and we buy her lots of good stuff, and we continue to pray for her bones, and heart, and organs, and brain. We continue to watch and feel her kick, and begin to watch and feel her kick harder. I guess now we wait in excited anticipation to meet our little Leah.

The doctor also bumped me up a week again. Now I'm 20 weeks. Halfway!! Yikes! I still have the same due date, but somehow Leah is a week older. Who knows. I'm so confused by the weeks and months and dates and measurements... I guess none of it matters, and when she comes she comes. And we'll be ready for her!!