You're safe to buy...

A week and a half ago, Natalie and I made the 30 minute trek to Genesys Medical Center for our 20 week appointment. The scheduling had been flip-flopped all around, so we ended up getting squeezed into an open spot left in the wake of a cancelled appointment. The problem was that the front desk worker told Natalie the wrong time for the appointment, so we sat in the lobby watching patient after patient, expectant couple after expectant couple hear their names called and walk past us through the lobby door into the exam rooms.

Of course, we were on pins and needles for a couple of reasons. First, this was to be the day when we would find out whether we are going to be the proud parents of a little son or little daughter. Natalie was on pins and needles because she drank about 8 times the amount of water they recommended before the sonogram! (She didn't want to take any chances!)

So, we finally got the call and headed back into the dark room where a nurse was ready and waiting with a ketchup bottle of comfortably warmed clear gel and a sensor connected to two screens. As we sat there in the room, we watched as our precious little child began to appear on the screen. The nurse checked the vitals (11 oz., fhr 144) and counted the fingers and toes. (We made sure to request that since one of our friends just had a 12 toe-er!) She scanned all of the organs and took lots of measurements, crown to rump length, head circumference, and the like.

After a while, the nurse asked us if we wanted to find out the gender of the baby. (I was thinking, "Um, that's the real reason we are here!") We anxiously said yes and waited with bated breath for her to bring a word of enlightenment. "I think you're safe to buy pink."

PINK! That's right. I am going to be the father of a precious little girl! I am already dreaming of father-daughter dates, after school tea parties, brilliant little dresses, pink soccer uniforms, and the baseball bat I will take to any boy that tries to ask her out (good thing I am a pacifist!) We are bouncing-off-the-walls excited, as are all of the grandparents, aunts and uncles, great grandparents, and second cousins!

Please pray for us throughout the next several months, as our Heavenly Parent continues to prepare us to be parents after God's own heart.