The Clark Tradition Continues

It's A Girl!!!!!!

I went to the doctor for my ultrasound on Wednesday. Jeremiah couldn't go with me, and I was feeling a little empty at the thought of finding out the sex of our new baby, with a nurse in a stark doctor's office. I kept asking Jeremiah, "Are you sure there is NO way they will let you off for like an hour??" He kept assuring me that there wasn't, and then one night he had a brilliant idea...Why not ask the nurse to write the sex on a card and put it in an envelope? Then I could run up to the hospital, he could (hopefully) come outside and we could open it together. I thought it was a very new and romantic idea (although one person told me that LOTS of people do that) and so that is exactly what we did.

Everything about the baby (and her living quarters) looked healthy to my doctor. She weighs about 6 ounces, and on-line it says that at 17 weeks, babies are only supposed to be between 3.5 and 4 ounces. She's above the weight curve already! Don't you wish that more weight meant more healthy still? :)

A lot of people ask you, when you are pregnant, if you WANT a boy or a girl. While this is a question I always ask pregnant women, it doesn't change the fact that it's stupid. I mean what mother wants to admit to people that she wants a certain sex? What are you supposed to do after you find out, say "Well, you know, I AM disappointed but this is what I am going to have." Anyway, I got asked this question so often that Jeremiah can pretty much quote me verbatim. It got to the point where I couldn't look over at him when somebody asked me because I knew that I would crack up. If you haven't had the opportunity to get this answer personally here it was:

You know, I am really going to be disappointed either way (I know I should say excited either way, but that wasn't how I felt, and I decided to be honest about it). We want to have a little boy eventually, so it would be nice to just go ahead and have one. Then, the pressure would be off, and we would have one of each. But, I was cleaning out Pace's closet the other day and as I put away each of her little outfits, I got really sad thinking about never having the chance to put them on another little girl. Plus, it would be sweet for Pace to have a sister that close to her age. They WILL be only 23 months apart.

There it was and there it went.

Now, however, all I have done is think about all the marvelous benefits of having two little girls. I don't have to completely re-do the nursery, since it is already prepared for a little girl. They will both have been born at the same time of year so, hopefully, Pace's clothes will fit this new addition. With Jeremiah gone so much at this time in our lives, it will be such a comfort to have my two little girlfriends. I know that brothers and sisters can be close, but there is something about a sister's bond that is so special. I am thankful to know that Pace will have the chance to experience that. We have (at least) 2 more chances to try and have a boy, so why not have the girls together if we can? Finally, we will probably have one more baby while we live in this house, and with our limited number of bedrooms, the little girls will have to share a room. I have this picture in my mind of two precious little faces, tucked tightly away together in their big girl bed, telling me "Night-night" and anxiously waiting for me to close the door so their giggling can begin.

Thank you Lord for knowing what I wanted, even more than I did myself. And, as the title says...The Clark Tradition Continues...bring on more little girls!