Monday, July 21, 2008

Tender Mercies

This afternoon at 3:40 I had my 20 week ultrasound. I have never cared much one way or another if my baby was a boy or a girl, until this pregnancy. I have wanted this baby to be a girl SO BAD. But because I threw up when I was pregnant with my boys and not with Esther, and I threw up with this pregnancy, I've been assuming that this baby must be a boy. I've also resigned myself to the fact that it is a boy because I really really want a girl this time. In the past month or so I've lost all interest in every boy name on my list...I don't like any of them anymore. I can only bring myself to think about the girl names. I've been praying more and more frequently that God would give me a girl this time, knowing that is silly, since He will give me whoever is supposed to be in our family, regardless of my personal preference.

I was really excited for my ultrasound today because of the possibility of a girl, but also a little dreading the moment when I found out the baby is indeed a boy. The technician asked me if I would like to know the gender and I said yes. At first she couldn't get a good view, and moved on to looking at the heart, et cetera. I was now sure that I wouldn't get to find out the gender at all, and would just have to keep waiting. Then, unexpectedly, the technician asked again if I was sure I wanted to know the gender. "Yes!" I said. "It's a girl" she said, pointing out the tell-tale three lines. At that moment I felt the tears well up in my eyes and an overwhelming sense of God's love for me. That sense of his love has stayed with me all day. It seems too good to be true that I could be having my heart's desire of another girl, when really all that matters is that I have a healthy baby.

Right after this glorious moment, there was a knock on the door of our room and one of the receptionists poked her head in. "The father is here" she said. Dan surprised me by driving in from Detroit for the ultrasound! So I got to tell him we are having a girl, and he sat next to me holding my hand the rest of the time. Dan doesn't really like talking about names until the baby is born, but I am obsessed with names, so I made him discuss girl names with me for a few minutes. Luckily for him, it took just moments for me to realize that the only name I like any more is Naomi, and we both like the name Caroline for her middle name (after one of my coolest ancestors, Caroline Farozine Skeen). So I think that we're having a little Naomi Caroline.

When I got back to the Garns' house to pick up the kids, Adam was the first to hear the news. Up until today I've only heard him and Eli say that they want another girl so that they can each have their own little sister, and so that there will be a pair of boys and a pair of girls. But Adam surprised me by looking disappointed and saying that now he won't get to find out what it's like to have a baby brother. I asked Esther if she could say "Naomi" and she yelled "Yomi!" Then she yelled it over and over again, very enthusiastically. Adam wanted to know what the nickname for Naomi could be and I said it could be Yomi, Noki, Nomi...He and Eli liked Nomi because that would be like we had named her after a Gnome. Eli has been voting for "Naomi" all along, so he is content.

27 comments:

Byron said...

What a great account of todays events! I am so glad for your gnome girl-to-be and I really hope she has hair like Esther. (thanks again for letting me play with her hair today..twice!)

So maybe you do have to have another so Adam can get a little brother.....

Bennett Family said...

I am so happy for you!!! I want to have another little girl. Every girl needs a sister. I'm glad you are feeling better. I always love hearing what Adam has to say. He always made me laugh when I taught his class.

Brie said...

Congratulations. I love the name you've chosen. It's much better than Billy Bob.
I am excited to see you when you are out this way. Have a safe trip.

Brenda said...

Congrats and it just goes to show that girls will make you barf too!
Aunty B~

LL said...

AAAAAAAHHHHH! Yay!!! :-) I'm saving a big congrats hug for you tomorrow. Unless you come today instead.... :-)

Elizabeth said...

I am so excited for you guys!! I was hoping for a girl since that is what we are having, they can be buddies around the corner. Yeah!

Stacy Henrie said...

Congratulations on another girl! You're family is so cute. I love reading your blog and keeping up to date.

Stacy (aka. Sister Scott)

Hubers said...

Congratulations!!! That's so fun for you!

Nicole said...

I am thrilled for you, Andrea. Naomi is gorgeous... a girl name I have always liked. I understand about the having a healthy baby being enough... but, still yearning for a particular gender.

Carma said...

We were driving home a little while ago talking about some other friends and if they were having a boy or girl, and all of a sudden I remembered that you should know by now and I started saying, "oh! Oh!" very excitedly. Greg, to his credit, knew exactly what I was thinking and said, "Andrea is having a girl!" I was so very excited for you!!

HW said...

Hooray! We're excited for you and Esther. Sisters are the best (as Wyatt well knows...)! It was so great to see you and hug you.

Unknown said...

That is wonderful news! I felt the same way this time but only really hoped it would be a BOY! 3 girls might have killed me and definitley Jackson. I love your name choices too. Congrats!

heather said...

YAY! Don't you love how the Lord answers prayers?

Megan and Jeremy said...

I'm so happy for you Andrea! I'm glad Esther will have a little sister for a playmate :-) And that is such a fun surprise for Dan to show up at the appointment! It's the best to share moments like that together!!!

Brian, Laura, Felix & Ezra said...

Hooray! We're so happy for you Andrea! A little GIRL!!! Yea for not being outnumbered anymore!

Christina said...

Hey cousin! I'm glad you are having a girl also and honoring our ancestor with her middle name being Caroline. Congratulations! P.S. We finally have a blog, come check it out!

Janie said...

Yeah for you Andrea!! I love that your boys liked Nomi because it sounds like a gnome. So boyish of them. I love that name it goes so well with Esther!

Becky said...

Yay! A girl! Just what I wanted! Congrats!

Unknown said...

Hey Andrea, Just wanted to say Hi on your blog and hope you are having a great vacation in Utah. We'll see ya more when you get back to good old Michigan!
Lindsey Wintch

Jenny said...

Hooray!! Two boys...two girls!!

Jill said...

That is a tender mercy! Thanks for sharing your sweet moment with us! Congrats on a little girl!

Amber said...

Congrats!!!!

Southern Spud said...

Hahahha! Love it!

We had a similar tender mercy. We had really wanted to name our first boy Samuel Wallace, wallace being after S's Mom's dad, and Samuel because we'd had a hard time getting pregn--think story of Hannah and Samuel and the priest. (Hannah after my grandma and that same Hannah/Samuel story if it was a girl). However, my cousins lost their baby boy at full term and named him Samuel. It would be bad enough, I figured, with there being four of us cousins who were due fairly soon after each other. I didn't think they'd look too kindly upon us giving our healthy child the same name! I prayed and prayed to know if it was a boy or girl, because we hadn't been able to tell at any of the ultrasounds. Three weeks before I was due, they were concerned about her growth. All turned out to be fine there, and we were able to learn she was a girl!! I was so relieved I cried!

Leslie said...

It was so fun to see you guys and I am so very glad that we were both at the CA Thurman reunion too, since I hadn't gotten a picture of the kids together! Congrats!!!

kesli said...

What great news! We are so happy for all of you. Have a fun trip - I am already enjoying what you have been doing. Keep writing.

The Cherry Family said...

Congrats on the girls. Two girls in Michigan. You guys have beat the odds!

Ben, Telia, Aeden and Eliza said...

Congratulations!! We are so excited!