Baby Taylor is a GIRL!

17 weeks

In a whirlwind 24 hour poll, 73% of you guessed correctly. Baby Taylor is a GIRL!

With the proud grandparents in tow, we went to our ultrasound appointment this morning around 10:45. They were running behind, but we were not concerned, especially when we realized that our favorite tech was doing the ultrasound. She is a gift from God; she is the one who did our initial ultrasound with Sage, the baby we lost in July, and she was incredibly sensitive and caring. She did not disappoint this time around either! At one point we were concerned that our little pea in the pod would not cooperate to show his/her important parts to reveal his/herself, but she indeed was able to get a shot that confirmed that our little one is a baby girl. I must say that only 3 people voted that we would be having a boy, and two of those were me and Chuck! So much for parental instincts! Hope I didn't give her too much of a complex calling her "him" all this time...

Side view of arm - fist, arm elbow

Side view - head, spine, "rump", and knee

She's looking right at you...side view of head, face, chin

Sneak peak 4D view of our little girl's face.

We are so excited and a little overwhelmed at this precious little one and what she will mean for our lives. Can't wait to see what God has in store for her!

And, already God has shown up for us in so many practical ways as we prepare for her arrival. He says he'll provide all our needs, but it's been over and above lately. First we had my sister-in-law Melinda offer many infant items to us to borrow including a Bumbo, Baby Einstein tummy time mat, bath tub, car seat & stroller frame, bottles, jumper, and more! Her little guy just turned a year old and won't need these things anymore (until he gets a little brother or sister that is!). Then Chuck's co-worker gave us a baby swing, jumper, and bouncer. One of his friends from college gave us a "rocker-pillar" as Chuck calls it - a rocking horse that is actually a caterpillar, not a horse - a fun toy! Then, on top of that, my sister's boss gave us two car seats and three bases - and we thought we were going to have to buy them from him. And just today I found an incredible deal on a new manual breast pump and bottles on Craigslist.

Although I can't always see ahead of time how God provides, I can always see him working when I look back and reflect. These seemingly small blessings add up to such a large blessing. Children are a blessing from the Lord, but there is still the practical side of expenses that come with them. We are committed to me being able to stay home as much as possible, meaning I'll be giving up my full time job with benefits to work part time with no benefits. Although it will be difficult to leave a job and co-workers that I love and a full-time salary, I know that God will continue to provide for us as we seek to follow His will for our lives and our child. It's such a time of learning and growth, but right now I am at peace!