18 Weeks

So, this is a little late, since I am almost to 20 weeks now, but here is my latest baby bump photo (taken at 18 weeks). I am definitely starting to show enough now that strangers are starting to comment and friends are starting to want to touch my belly. I know that a lot of people hate having their baby bump touched, and I totally get it, but I really don't mind. In fact, I kind of like it because they are beginning to acknowledge my baby as a separate person from me. They don't feel like they are touching my belly, they feel like they are touching my baby. Its so fun to have people beginning to "greet" our baby.

Oh, and I almost forgot! We found out the gender! Josh and I were just CERTAIN that our baby was a boy. I had a "gut feeling" that he was a he from the very beginning. I didn't have much morning sickness, which I read could be a sign that it was a boy. Then when we went to our first trimester screening, the sonogram technician told us that even though it was really too early to tell, she thought it looked like a boy. So, by the time we went to our official gender check appointment, I was thinking we would just waltz in there, get the confirmation, and head home to settle on a boy name. I was even beginning to grieve a little that we weren't having a girl (even though I also really wanted a boy), and I told Josh that if it was a boy, I really wanted a girl next. So after all this setup, I am sure you can guess the news we got....Its a GIRL!!! We were TOTALLY shocked! And so excited! But also shocked! The first thing Josh said was, "I have to learn to play the ukelele!" (which makes more sense if you've seen this precious father/daughter video). And I started crying, happy shocked tears. I was really excited to tell my family, but especially my older sister because she has four little girls who are close in age and won't be much older than our little girl. Plus, we have lots of girls on both sides of our family.  I am so thankful that our girl will be born into such a fun group of cousin pals. Plus, we probably won't have to buy much in the way of clothes and things since we will inherit a lot of hand-me-downs.

I am excited about this brave, little woman inside of me. I can't wait to have adventures with her!