Baby #4 ..... Is A ....?

Keila has always insisted she has a baby sister. Even after Eli was born, her pictures at preschool would show an added person with large head, long hair with a tiny torso. When asked about it she would consistently state it was her baby sister. Needless to say, this pregnancy had revived all dreams of this phantom sister and most times shed adamantly state it was a girl, there were moments of doubt and in those moments she was quick to vocalize her feelings if she should be fated with another brother. "Heavenly Father better give me a baby sister or I'm going to be super, duper mad at him! I WON'T love the baby unless its a girl!" And the list goes on and on. At her more humble moments she'd say she would prayer for a baby sister.

Kent and I didn't really care at this point except for how her response might be should she be surprised by the baby's gender at birth. My last major blood test screened for trisomys via Fetal DNA shed into the mothers bloodstream. It is controversial and quite new (only a year or so) but it was required due to my geriatric gravida (old age pregnancy) and our history with Eli's birth. More of piece of mind for my obgyn and our insurance, I think. Anyhow, the gender is also able to be determined and I asked for it without too much ceremony. If keila needed to grieve, it ought to be sooner rather than later, for all our sakes!

I came home in in a serious voice informed her the doctor said she would have a baby sister. She tilted her head to the side as she registered the news and then a grin spread across her face. She jumped up and hugged me yelling," I've always wanted one of those!!" And cheered.

This was our very first picture of our little gal back at the beginning of April. I'm currently 16 weeks along and scheduled for another ultrasound so we'll have an updated picture soon.

So perhaps she's known all along and in which case we've had fair warning that there would be a fourth child. Now begins the fun of the name game and I can begin shopping for all the items we gave away. It some ways it's nice to know its a girl .... they're ever so much more fun to shop for than boys!