It's a GIRL!

That's her little head on the left (Can you see the brain and eye sockets) and her abdomen in the middle. (I had to scan these and then crop them, so they aren't very clear.)

Here she is curled up in the fetal position. Her feet and toes are on the left, then her shins and knees. To the right of the space are her arms and hands...wait, maybe those are her lungs. I need to ask Scott.

Here is her sweet little hand. "Hi baby!"

I was trying so hard not to have a preference, but I am THRILLED that it is a GIRL! I feel so blessed and really did not expect it to turn out so perfectly: boy, girl, boy, girl! (I was also glad I didn't have to break contrary news to the kids who were already convinced that the baby would be a girl since Titus got a baby boy (Justus) and it was Audra's turn to get a baby girl.) I also have to give Scott credit. He has had a confident intuition about the gender of the baby every time and he has been right all four times! (I, on the other hand, never have a clue: this time I dreamed that it was a boy; with Titus I dreamed he was an alien.)

I also felt so relieved to see the baby's heartbeat and to have the midwife say that she looked very healthy and that all of the skeletal system and organs were measuring normally. I've heard so many heartbreaking stories lately of fetuses that couldn't thrive or babies born with abnormalities that caused them to die shortly after birth. I am just so thankful that she is healthy.

When I picked up Audra from Kids' Day Out and told her that the doctor confirmed that the baby is a girl, her entire face lit up! "Oh, Mommy! I'm so happy I'm going to have a sister! Can I have a crib in my room and have her sleep with me just like the boys? Hey, that's two boys and two girls. Mommy, there will be 6 of us: 3 boys and 3 girls!!!"

She asked me questions about the baby "out of the blue" for the rest of the day:

"Mommy, can we name her Abby?"

"I bet Justus will share his toys with our zero baby because babies like to share toys." (I thought it was hilarious that Audra kept referring to her as "zero baby". I'm assuming that it is because a newborn is zero years old.)

"Baby, would you like some milk?" she whispered into my belly tonight. "When you come out I'll get you some milk. Babies like milk"

"Mommy, can you get a little crib for her so I can put her in it next to my bed? Get a little crib the size of my bed. If you get a big one, I might drop her and that would hurt her belly. I'll take very good care of her." (She was very concerned and serious about this one.)

"Mommy, I'm so happy I'm going to have a sister."

On Tuesday night, Audra and I were watching American Idol and she was laying with her head on my hip and rubbing my belly with her hand. All of a sudden, she jumped up and went to get her favorite blanket and laid it across my belly. "Here you go, baby," she said, "I don't want you to be cold." So, so sweet.

My sister-in-law, Jennifer, once told me, "The best gift you can give your child is a sibling." I think she is right. Thank you, God, for the gift of this precious baby girl to our family.