Oh Joy! Oh Joy! We're having a...

LITTLE GIRL!! Yeah...I know the fake-out rhyme is lame but it's been swirling around in my head for a week. I was worried if I didn't get it out my brain might explode.

Here is a picture of our sweet little girl.



To say we were shocked is an understatement. I think my reaction was "SHUT UP!" when the tech pointed out her "girl-ness". Luke and I both thought from the beginning that baby was a girl but I think we convinced ourselves that it would be a boy since we already have the gruesome twosome. Now...we're both overwhelmed. We went shopping (DUH!) after the appointment and wandered around the stores wide-eyed, unsure of what to even touch much less purchase.

Naturally our good news didn't come without drama. The tech was running behind when we arrived so I saw my OB first and was then sent back to the waiting room. After almost 30 minutes of waiting and after watching the waiting fill up with other women and after hearing that most of them were waiting for ultrasounds I approached the receptionist to inquire exactly how far behind schedule things were running. She responded with confusion -- I was not on the ultrasound schedule. After some researching it appears that when I confirmed my appointment the day before the person I spoke with cancelled my appointment rather than confirm it. In turn the receptionist vowed to "get me in when it was possible" and she put my name at the end of the rather LONG list. Not my proudest moment but I have to admit that's when the pregnancy tears began to fall. Fortunately my OB's nurse happened upon the situation and took things into her very capable hands. We were called back for the ultrasound about 5 minutes later. I told Luke it was a good thing they had taken my blood pressure BEFORE that rather than after.

No matter...we got the news we wanted -- a healthy baby is growing within. We did have the tech check three different times to be sure that CT is in fact a girl. This is one I'm going to have to trust her training on -- I couldn't tell anything. Luke and I chalked it up to a lack of boy parts (those we have some experience spotting) had to mean girl. Now we're working on a name and nursery things. Her wardrobe is already being stocked and I'm in the market for large bows for her cute little head. Here's to an uneventful 17 weeks.

Baby Name Polls

In an effort to focus my anticipation for 7/15 in a constructive manner, all the while knowing this will only serve to make things worse, I put up a baby name poll for each gender set to expire on D-Day at 1pm. Will that be when I announce baby's name? HA -- yeah right! It'll take us a while to try names on CT until we find the best fit.

The poll is set up so that you can vote for more than one option for each gender. The names listed are possibilities -- and only that. It won't surprise me at all if we choose one that's not on the list; that's just how we roll. But I want to see what y'all think. Got another suggestion? Post it in the comments here. Leave the "I hate's" out mainly because ... well just because. I mean what if you posted you hated a name and I ended up using it; wouldn't you feel guilty every time you saw my kid??

Okay -- go vote.

Speed Limits and Birth Control

Got a little story for you Ags, no no, wrong intro...let's try this again shall we?

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it: find me a Biblical citation that specifically mentions the speed limit and consequences for breaking it.

I don't claim to be a Bible scholar but I'm fairly certain that no such passage exists. Then why in the world did I bring it up? Good question -- glad you asked. My mom has a good friend who played an important role in my life; this particular woman decided years ago that the Holy Spirit was convicting her regarding breaking the speed limit. Consequently, she doesn't speed...ever...never. I don't know what aspect of her driving led to the conviction but I don't doubt it's validity. Now I know that just because we receive conviction from the Lord there is no guarantee that we will find direct confirmation in the Word; but then again I also know that one of the ways to stay in touch with God is through prayer and the study of His word. So while the speed limit may not be mentioned I would feel comfortable in making the inference that somewhere this particular lady found a scripture that confirmed the root of her problem and led to the decision not to speed. And the point of this is...?? Her story keeps finding it's way into my conscious thought of late because it seems I find myself in the same conundrum -- except not about speeding...God hasn't said anything about that yet (either that or I'm too thick to listen...)

Now pregnant with our third child (groan...another pregnancy post...) I find myself in a position I never imagined -- beyond the norm. I have more than the 2.14 children that is the average (resisting the urge to make partial child joke...oh and I completely made that average up). Truthfully I assumed it would be two and done and yet here I sit...growing a third. And all this sitting and growing (haha as if I have a chance to actually sit...) has caused me to begin to think about the concept of birth control. And no, not in a funny way -- although there are days that I get to that point too. And so back to the original challenge; I have yet to be able to find a specific Biblical reference regarding birth control. I can find passages referencing the sanctity of life and the command to be fruitful and multiply but as I sit studying and praying, which for me often looks more like debate (thick-headed, remember?), I find this particular problem still a bit muddled. On the one hand should we choose a permanent birth control option we could continue to grow our family if we desire through adoption. On the other, is it my place to decide to shut down the baby factory, to close that door so to speak? At the same time I have no desire to be the next TLC series, living my life with eleventy billion children (yeah that's a made up number). I also know that I don't have to choose a permanent option -- but at this point in my life I don't think I have the brain space to keep up with something like that (3 kids, remember??).

So here's where you come in -- oh wise counsel that you are. Gimme your thoughts. I've read books, I've studied some of your lives, I've prayed and studied and I still feel far from an answer. Now be very clear -- I am not looking for any specific church's doctrinal teachings nor am I looking to begin a debate; I'm not looking for hypotheticals or ideal situational beliefs. I'm after gut-reactions, true thoughts, conclusions you've drawn or reasoning you've developed based on conversations with God and time spent studying.

What am I hoping for? Certainly not an immediate solution to this question or a specific Bible verse I've somehow overlooked but like the speed limit story I'm hoping to dig through attitudes and mindsets (mine, not yours) until I find the one that's causing me to hesistate in making a move in either direction. Hearing your thoughts and opinions will act as bins allowing me to sort through attitudes much like laundry until I find the one I need -- the one that God zings me and says THAT'S THE ONE WE NEED TO DEAL WITH. And then, hopefully, after several long conversations with Him, I'll be able to arrive at a decision.

What a muddled mess that post was! Hopefully you can see my heart through the jungle of words...

*** Yes I purposely left Luke and his position/thoughts out of this -- those conversations and their fruit aren't fodder for this...just dealing with myself on this one.