It's A Girl!

Yesterday was QUITE THE DAY! Let me tell you a little story, k?

December 20th was a day of GREAT IMPATIENCE. Nik and I heard about this little urine kit that would be able to determine the gender of the baby after 10 weeks. Well, I was past that at 13 weeks and figured it would be a little more accurate being farther along and caved into the idea.
I mean, wouldn't it be fun to find out a little earlier what the baby is going to be?
So I took the test and it was suppose to read the level of testosterone or estrogen in my urine as I am supposedly passing the baby's urine as well. The test came back CLEARLY a BOY.

Yep, a boy! 

I had a feeling it would be a boy and when looking back through Nik's line, there is a majority in boys. So, I was going to have a boy. FUN! Totally new to me but a piece of cake for Nik. I only know girls....that's all I have, 3 little sisters and 0 little brothers. And majority of my cousins (that I know) on both sides are girls. But a boy would be fun.
Nik and I both talked about how this test could be wrong and that we weren't going to plan plan plan for a boy until the doctor confirmed it. It was fun talking about boy names and passing on the Berry name. Fun seeing all my friends that have boys and to wonder how mine was going to be. 

Well, my mom, so anxiously excited to be a grandma, started in on a quilt a little early. Just 3 weeks too soon. See, we had told a few people about the urine test we took but we also made it clear that the test wasn't 100% positive...that this is just a good starting point but that was it.
Back to grandma...she started on the cutest little green and brown owl quilt for Baby Berry. It was and still is adorable! I feel in love with the collection from Scrapbooks Etc and she ran with it. Oh, it was so fun planning the placements of the patterns and the little elephant she sewed on the front. So adorable.

Yesterday comes along and she has me come with her to pick out the backing for the quilt. She had just completed the whole top the night before. So down to Scrapbooks Etc we went and picked out the last of the fabric. I left her there for her quilting class and I went to my doctor's appointment.
My dad was the only one of both families that didn't have work and I wanted someone with me when we found out the gender. Nik couldn't get work off, my mom had her class, my father-in-law was in California, and my mother-in-law had work as well. So my dad came with me to the appointment and I was excited and nervous, still thinking it was a boy, but knowing this appointment could change everything.
I even called my cousin, Eden, the hour before the appointment and told her how nervous I was, that she could end up being a girl...which would be exciting, SO EXCITING, but a complete 180 from what I've been thinking.
Anywho, we get in the room with Dr. Beck and he checks around.
THERE IS A BABY IN THERE! It was amazing! I mean, of course there is but the last time I had an ultrasound, the baby was still a peanut.

I mean, of course that's a baby, but that was all I had seen since November...and my belly has ever so slowly grown, making it feel like "am I really pregnant?"

Ok ok, back to this wonderful ultrasound. Dr Beck checked and the baby has all 4 limbs moving like they should, the brain looks properly developed, and there is not cleft palate...the baby looks great!
Then he looks for the gender. He keeps moving the little instrument all over my belly just looking and looking and looking some more....then he says
"Well, looks like we have a girl."
Now I swore to myself that I wouldn't say what I was about to say...but it just fell out. In shock I asked "ARE you SURE?"
Gosh, I felt so dumb! OF COURSE he is sure...he's the doctor, been doing this for over 22 years! Duh, Dawna.
I started to cry...little tears of joy. I looked over at my dad and he had little tears of happiness in his eyes too. It was such a special moment.
NIK AND I ARE HAVING A GIRL!!!! A GIRL!
I kinda felt silly for doing that little urine test and getting my hopes up so high on a boy but a girl is just as great and something I am a little more comfortable with anyways. I don't want her to ever feel that she was not wanted because we thought a boy for so long, because that just is not true. We are so excited to have her in our family an can't wait to meet her.
Yes, it is fun saying HER and SHE. Oh, so surreal. This is REALLY happening!

 I won't add the picture that proves she's a girl...because heck,

I can't even tell that well.

So we'll just take Dr Becks word on it.

She was moving around so much during the ultrasound. Her hands were up to her head and then down to her feet and then back up again...like she was having her own little dance party in there. Then the cutest thing happened...she gave this GIANT YAWN. It was so precious. I couldn't believe it. All of a sudden we could see her jaw bones open so wide in a nice long yawn. She's real. She is really there, growing and moving around. Oh, how wonderful that appointment was. I wish I could have gotten that on dvd but maybe Dr Beck doesn't do that or maybe he does it later on. I am not too sure but how real that moment was to me.

I am in love. Ya know the feeling? I haven't even met her in person yet and I love her so much. I didn't understand and couldn't comprehend how possible that was. How was I going to find room in my heart that Nik as already filled up? How was I ever going to make room or feel that real love for anyone else? Well, it's happening. It's real. Nik and I have this little family. We are her parents. She is here because of our love, our love that will last through the eternities. She is ours and we are so excited to meet her.

Well, I finished up my appointment and went to tell the families. Hannah came with but I made her stay in the lobby because this was a special moment of my first baby and just wanted it to be me and my dad. But as soon as I got out to the lobby you could tell she was just DYING to find out what the baby is...and so I told her and showed her the pictures. Her eyes got so big and she jumped up and down. Hannah does this really cute thing when she gets really excited, she folds her arms so tight almost as if she is going to burst from excitement. She did just that and I could tell she was happy to have a little niece to play with even though I know she would have been just as happy with a nephew.

I called my mom as she was still in her quilting class and told her that that quilt was going to have to sit in Grandma's Quilt Stash a little longer. lol. She screamed and laughed all at the same time "IT'S A GIRL?!?!" It was such a funny moment and one that will go down in history. So, onto picking another collection for another quilt! Then I texted my sister in Utah and I could tell she was screaming cuz her texts came back in all caps. haha. I let my Aunt Lisa and Uncle Colby (my dad's siblings, Allreds) know and Lisa replied "Girls are all we know to make ;-)" and Colby said he called it, which he did.
See, on the Allred side my grandpa is the only boy with 4 sisters. Then there is my dad who has 1 sister and 1 brother and then for grandchildren there are 10 girls and 2 boys. Let's add in the babies of that generation and so far there have been 2 girls and then my girl to add to that. So, girls are the majority of what us Allred's know how to make.

We waited to tell Nik's family until they all got back in town or off work and then we met up last night. I showed the pictures to my mother- and sister-in-law, Randee and Amy, and they tried to guess what it was. They guessed a boy cuz heck, how are we suppose to read these grainy little pictures? We aren't doctors. haha. So then I told them it was a girl and everyone screamed. It was so fun! Nik keeps telling me she can be a girl but only as long as she knows how to hunt and camp and play sports. I just laugh and tell him that is fine because that is just what the Berry's do! It is going to be so fun!

 Here I am the day we found out.

January 17, 2011

17weeks 3days

So, that is our wonderful story of finding out the gender of our little baby.
IT'S A GIRL! YAY!
In the poll I posted, there were 12 Girl votes to 9 Boy votes.
Next time we'll just go off the votes rather than a urine test.
lol. 

Dear Baby Berry,

We are so excited to have you in our future,

and right now as you play around in mamma's belly.

Being a girl is so much fun!

Your daddy is so excited and has already been plotting

his threats to any boys who do you wrong.

You are going to be so pretty and have lots of pretty girl things

but daddy wants to make sure you know how to hunt and camp

and do all the Berry stuff...cuz after all, you ARE a Berry now.

Don't worry...you can still look cute while you do that, it's okay.

And mamma is excited to pass on her middle name to you.

This has been a tradition for 3, going on 4, generations.

You are so loved and we are excited to meet you

and your sweet personality.

I sit here waiting for you to make some sort of movement

that I can make out is you, but I will wait as long as it takes.

I've heard you can be pretty forceful in there as you run out of room,

so take your time making your stay known.

Just about 5 more sweet months until you are in our arms...

and can we please talk about the 22nd of June?

It would be pretty rad if you could be born on that day.

Just letting you know.

I'll explain when you get here.

Can't wait til you come out!

Love,

Your Mamma