A Baby Girl in the Family!

We're having another BABY!

...and it's a girl!!

I realize I am VERY SLOW on announcing so important a thing as a baby on our blog, but after emails and phone calls and posting on facebook, I felt like I had announced our big news everywhere.  We posted on facebook on June 1:

Ethan, Aaron and I are excited to announce that we are now making room for our baby due December 9th! I'm making room in my belly while E is making room to share his Chariot. :)

We found out this morning that Ethan is having a sister and we are thrilled.  Look at the sweet baby girl's face in the first picture, all snuggled up to my uterus wall.  I am so excited to get to see such a clear picture of her.  Aaron and I really enjoyed watching her move and kick around during the ultrasound today.  At one point she started kicking me as we watched her from the outside.  Pretty neat to see her little leg pumping away and feel it at the same time.  She seems to like to be all balled up, with her feet up by her head.   The best news of all is that she looks to be very healthy and all is going very smoothly.

I am currently 19 1/2 weeks pregnant, feeling great and getting very excited to meet our new little one.  My baby bump is pretty obvious now and Aaron and I both can feel the baby kicking around.  I was sure this baby was going to be a girl, from the night Aaron and I found out we were pregnant.  Then when the first trimester was a little different than with E - more food cravings, later prego symptoms, but luckily no morning sickness - it seemed like she really would be a girl. 

Ethan obviously doesn't understand that he is going to be a big brother soon, but he has noticed my expanding belly and pats and rubs it.  At my 12 week check up, there was a sweet moment in the midwife's office when Ethan started dancing as soon as he heard the heartbeat of the baby.  It was the first moment of seeing Ethan interact with his sibling...and the best part was he had a huge smile on his face.  However, this morning when he found out he was getting a sister he had a very concerned look on his face (probably due more to the need for a nap than the news of a sister...).  :)

Aaron and I are so happy to be expanding our family with this beautiful baby girl.  And of course, we are looking forward to seeing what new adventures it will create for us!