Our Daughter.

It trips Colin and I out to say that-- it's one thing to say "we're having a girl!" or "she" or numerous other ways of saying that our little baby is a girl. But when we hear each other, or other people, say "your/our daughter"... it stops my heart. I don't know if it's because it reminds me that this beautiful gift is entrusted to us for life, or because it reminds me that I'm going to be a parent, rather than a woman growing a baby... whatever the reason, we are in awe.

We got to have an hour long ultrasound, our first and only one, since our birthing center doesn't do them. Beforehand I tried to fill my bladder up reallllll full and chugged some orange juice to get soon-to-be-not-so Mysterious Kiser moving. The very first time we saw our little girl in her entirety, she was snuggled against the placenta, like a pillow, and she had her hand to her mouth. Talk about melting our hearts. We were shown all of her little intricacies, including her "pretty little heart", as the tech kept calling it, with all four chambers pumping away, her sweet little limbs, spine, kidneys, brain. It was absolutely wild to see her kicking and twisting away in there!

I will say, though, I am even more convinced, having seen our baby react to it first hand, that ultrasounds are disruptive and unpleasant for the little ones. I've heard it before (apparently the sound waves are disruptive), but even the tech commented at how far away Little Girl was trying to get from the machine. She went way down low to my pelvic area for the last parts of the ultrasound. Maybe she felt indignant at the lack of privacy and everyone trying to get some good looks at her privates (she had her cord in the way as well as, at times, both of her hands and feet. ha! what modesty!)

The whole pregnancy I had the feeling I was growing a little girl. Most people guessed "girl" for us. I know that people don't like to hear this when they ask what we wanted, but we truly did just want to have a healthy baby, though I have secretly relished the idea of Colin being a father to a little girl. He has the perfect patient and jovial temperament, and I know this little one is going to be the apple of his eye (and be twisted all around her little finger!)

This picture gets me. Look at her delicate little lips and chin! And that little nose! I find myself looking at this picture too many times a day.

And, just because we think it's the most amazing thing ever... her spine! We could see all the little bones flexing as she wiggled and moved.

Little hand and little arms.

We can't say it enough... the joy of having others share in our excitement overwhelms us. Your words are taken to heart and are so meaningful! We love getting to share our experience with you guys. Thanks for following Little Girl's journey!