The Big Catch Up Pt. 3-The Big Reveal

Usually, the end of a vacation is a sad thing. No one wants to go home and end a wonderful relaxing trip. Back to the realities of work and household chores. I, however, was thrilled to head home because there was a very exciting appointment on the calendar, an Ultrasound! A very dear friend of mine is a vascular sonographer who enjoys taking the occasional peek at babies :) When we got home from vacation, I had arranged to go see her and have her tell me the sex of our little P. I knew long before I got pregnant that I wanted to know the sex of my baby. Being a true planner at heart, I knew I would enjoy the pregnancy so much more being able to shop and prepare for this little baby. After all, shopping for a new baby is something I had waited my whole life to do, I was going to do it right! Also, I'm not a huge fan of yellow and green :).
I was dying to know, but I didn't want to just find out sitting in the dark room, I wanted it to be more exciting than that. By finding out ahead of time, you miss out on that thrilling moment in the delivery room. It was a sacrifice I was happy to make and thought I could create a moment just as exciting, only 20 weeks earlier. Additionally, this moment could be shared with some dear friends and family. I am a true extrovert at heart and love to involve my friends and family in the exciting times of my life, pregnancy being top on the list! So, I came up with a plan. I would have my friend secretly figure out the sex of the baby and then write in on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope so that I could not see. I would then take the envelope to a bakery (the same bakery where we got our wedding cake) and have her bake a cake: pink for girl, blue for boy. She would then cover the cake with thick white frosting so the inside was hidden. We would invite some friends and family over for a BBQ and cut open the cake, revealing to everyone the sex of our little P! Brilliant :)
Everything went exactly as planned. My friend was able to tell (98%) the sex of the baby. She even had a more experienced coworker confirm her discovery. The bakery was able to make the most adorable cake, and all our friends and family were excited to be a part of our fun day. We even had dear friends watching on Facebook and Skype to hear the big announcement!
I truly have the most patient husband on the planet who willing went along with my crazy scheme, and even humored me when I asked him to vacuum the carpet for the third time that day. This was not his idea, but he embraced it for me and shared in my joy.
The house was spotless, the food was all ready, and the people were starting to arrive. As I stared at the cake, I really couldn't believe this day was here; this day I had been daydreaming about for years (yes, I did think up this plan years ago. Remember, I am a planner!)

Everyone scarfed down their food and gathered around the cake. Those who thought the baby was a boy stood to one side, and those who were banking on a girl stood to the other. Jeremy made a quick "speech" expressing our gratitude and appreciation for all the incredible people standing around that table. I was overcome with joy by the love and support of our family. With much anticipation, we picked up the knife and cut through the cake. The first slice didn't reveal much (though Jeremy says he saw a few crumbs). It took a second slice to get a clear picture of the inside. As I picked up the piece of cake, I saw, clear as day, PINK! Everyone in the room cheered and hugged and laughed. It was absolutely perfect, I was overwhelmed. I hugged my husband, father of my DAUGHTER!



We sliced up the cake and passed out every last piece. Not only was the cake adorable and informative, it was delicious!
In the 20 weeks I had been pregnant, no day compared with that one. In all the time I had spent imaging it, planning it, nothing could have prepared me for how magical it actually would be. It is a day that will be engraved on my heart for the rest of my life. I was struggling to hold back the tears of joy as I looked around the room and saw the community in which we would be raising our daughter. A community full of loving, supportive, compassionate friends and family that love us and will love our daughter through whatever life brings our way. People to share in the high times like this one and who will be there in the low times that may yet come. People that support us and encourage us to grow. What an incredible God we serve who showers us with Grace and blessings. I can't wait to welcome this baby girl into our lives.