it's a...

That's right, baby Groettum (a.k.a. Gizmo) now has a gender!  We no longer have to call him an it!  Here is how it all went down...

We have been counting down to this important event it seems for a long time, so when it finally arrived, we were a little anxious to FINALLY have Gizmo have an identity.  

We headed to our Radiology appointment plenty early and I made sure to drink the required 16 oz. glass of water an hour before without going to the bathroom (this proved a little challenging).  Finally, our name was called and we headed in to the BIG ultrasound room.  

From there, the technician got to work measuring the little guy.  She announced every part and it was amazing to see Gizmo on screen for such a long period of time.  The four chambers of his heart were pumping, we got to see his brain, his legs, his hands, his stomach, and it all looked great to our novice eyes.  The technician waited until the very end to announce the news she knew we wanted to hear.  It's a good thing she did because once she revealed that Gizmo was in fact a boy and we saw the proof, we tuned everything else in the room out.  Tears were flowing and we were smiling from ear to ear at each other.


A boy...a boy...it has taken awhile to sink in what this actually means.  If I am going to be honest, I thought (and hoped a little bit) that it would be a girl.  I can't really explain why.  Everyone else in my life guessed that it would be a boy and they were so confident.  So, I find myself sitting for long periods of time staring into space thinking about having a boy.  


When I think back to when I was a little girl and would dream about being a mother someday, I always wanted a boy first.  There was something to me, an only child, about a boy being first to be the big brother, protector, of any other children that would follow.  Some part of me feels like maybe I won't be able to connect to a boy since I am not one.  I know that is a silly thought, but it passes through my mind (and I think the same thought passed through Andy's mind about a girl).    


The reality is that I am beyond elated to be having a baby and it is like an extra bonus to know the gender.  It was almost like finding out we were pregnant all over again...a halfway marker that will make the next 20 weeks so great to plan and prepare.  I feel like we both can finally start to visualize what Gizmo will be like and what our life will be like once he is here.  It is crazy how that little thing (right now anyway) between our unborn child's legs can mean so much.

The rest of the day was filled with celebration.  First, there was a little photo shoot...

We were lucky to have my dad and Kelley in town to share in our joy.  The rest of the day there was lunch, shopping, and finally a celebratory dinner before we had to get back home and finish packing to head to Minnesota.  

I finally feel like I have gotten used to Gizmo's revealed gender and I am on board for whatever having a boy will mean for me and us as a family.  Now, to move on to decorating the nursery, feeling Gizmo move around, and enjoying the events we have planned for the rest of the summer!