Thinking Pink

I am 20 weeks pregnant today - halfway through! And as you probably concluded from the Wordless Wednesday, ultrasound indicates that Baby #3 is most likely a girl. I say "most likely" because my cousin was supposed to be a boy, and my aunt and uncle were quite surprised on delivery day to see a baby girl, so I am always a bit skeptical of sonogram-based assumptions. However, I've had that "mom's intuition" from the beginning that this was a girl, to the point that on the morning before my ultrasound, I realized that I would be surprised - not disappointed, but surprised - if the technician declared it a girl. My premonitions were confirmed, though, by the absence of anything appearing boyish. Here is a sneak peek at our sweet little girlie:


Don and I are thrilled to have a daughter, of course, but we cannot possibly be as excited as our mothers are. My mother-in-law, especially, has four grandsons including our boys, and had threatened to buy pink things for this baby regardless of gender. She was the one who sent me the pink flowers to celebrate the ultrasound results, and has even purchased a dress for our daughter to wear on her second Christmas. We are thinking of using the middle name "Joy," not only because I have always liked it as a middle name, but also because it accurately describes the emotions associated with this baby!

I am also happy because although I adore having boys, I want to have someone to pass my womanly knowledge on to. I love homemaking, being a wife, and being a mother, and I hope to instill those same passions in my daughter. I pray that I will teach her to avoid the mistakes I made, and to love God with all her heart, seeking His will in all areas and yielding to His guidance. And of course, I have a miniature china teaset and a pink jewelry box tucked away in the attic, waiting for an appropriately girlish recipient to enjoy them.

In high school, I was convinced that the ideal number of children was no more or less than three. And I very much wanted to have a boy first. In fact, my ideal family consisted of two boys and then a girl. Maybe that is why I have felt so strongly ever since our second son was born that our next baby would be a girl. Or maybe it was just God, in His wisdom, preparing my heart for the family I would eventually have! I have no intentions of this baby being our last - the ideal number for me is now somewhere closer to ten! - but I am still awed to see how God is granting the desires He gave me even as a teenager.

There is more, too - if I had to plan the ideal spacing, I would have chosen for my boys to be two years apart, and the girl to be two or three years younger than her brother. Don and I have never intentionally spaced our children, but instead have chosen to trust that God is much wiser than we are, and that His timing is the best. He forms every child in the womb, and we don't believe He makes mistakes. I got pregnant with Hayden when Donny was 14 months old, which resulted in 23 months between them. From there, I expected a pattern of babies approximately every two years. For His own purposes, though, God chose to delay the return of my fertility this time. Without any prevention on our part, Hayden and his sister will be 2 years and 7 months apart. Isn't it amazing that when we trust the Lord for His will, He is so good to us? Because of his allergies, I couldn't breastfeed Hayden through my pregnancy and eat a diet of extra calcium and protein that is recommended for pregnant women - I was scarely getting enough calcium and protein for myself. But because I was not yet pregnant, I was able to nurse Hayden for two years, reaching my goal of doing as much as I could to support his health. And I was also able to wean him without guilt, and to eat a nutrient-rich diet during this pregnancy, for my own health and that of the next baby. God is so good!

And whether they are boys or girls, I do hope that Don and I will be blessed with many more children. Babies are such precious gifts, and I am honored to be chosen to raise these three already. The thought of welcoming our little girl into our family in another twenty weeks or so fills me with joy in the Lord!

Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psalm 37:3-5 NASB