I'm not sure why, but I always assumed the experience of our second pregnancy/child wouldn't be quite as exciting as the first. After all, we've already been through pregnancy, childbirth, and baby-rearing with Maylin. Aren't they all kinda the same? We've pretty much "done it" already, so naturally it's expected to be slightly less exciting the second time around.
Oh how foolish I was.
This second pregnancy is truly just as exciting as the first. Not saying that the two pregnancies are the same, because they're not. They're vastly different, and contain vastly different emotions and experiences. Nevertheless, this second pregnancy with Baby Girl No. 2 is still just as thrilling. I think this may be perhaps because I know what to expect. I know what's coming, and can therefore be giddy, anticipatory excited rather than anxious, nervous excited. Does that make sense? {If not, then just chalk it up to pregnancy brain, okay?}
We went for the anatomy scan of BG2 a couple weeks ago, on Michael's birthday, which was kind of neat. {That didn't happen with Maylin. So you see, point proven.} The true purpose of the anatomy scan is for measurements to be taken and to make sure the baby is developing properly. With Maylin, the only ultrasound we had was the one anatomy scan. Our doctor only orders ultrasounds if they're medically necessary, and thankfully with both our girls thus far, we've never had a reason to have more than this one. So we only get to see the baby this once before she's born.
I was just as excited to lay my eyes on our baby as I was to find out her gender. I wanted to see with my own eyes that she was really in there, that she was growing and developing on schedule, that all her organs and limbs were accounted for. I pray daily, and very specifically, for the mental and physical health of this child {and did with Maylin, too}; so this scan was a huge relief for my mind.
Thankfully, there the baby was. Perfect. Developing naturally and on time. We have several in utero pictures of her, but this one is probably my favorite. It's the most detailed image we have of her face.
Is it just me, or does her profile look remarkably like Maylin's? Michael thinks I'm a little crazy, but I really think I can already see similarities. I'm already having fantasies about matching monogrammed outfits...
When it was time to examine "the goods" to discover the gender, Michael and I were both on the edge of our seats. I'd had mixed feelings about whether I wanted a boy or a girl. I wanted each gender equally as much, but for different reasons. I wanted a boy to be a son for M, for them to do manly things together; so M could pass down his love and skill for baseball; so I could watch him grow into a man who is a strong leader like his father. Simultaneously, I wanted a girl for Maylin, so they could have that special, irreplaceable sister-bond and be built-in best friends, so they could share life together. I'm not sure which one I wanted more. Really I felt that either gender would be a win-win for me.
When it was apparent that our baby is a girl, I felt the most conflicting emotion of deep disappointment that it wasn't a boy and deep elation that it was a girl. It's a very strange emotion, and I'm not sure if I'll ever feel it again in my life. That emotion lasted for about a split-second before Michael and I looked at each other with huge smiles. Of course she's a girl. Of course she is. Hadn't she always been? Hadn't our hearts been prepared for this since the moment we knew we were expecting again? And from that second on, she's fit so naturally into the landscape of our family that it's difficult to imagine ever thinking she was a boy.
We decided pretty quickly on her first name. It's one that we've always liked, a runner up when we were naming Maylin. It never quite fit for Maylin, but we saved it just in case. As soon as we tried it out on this baby, however, we knew it was a winner. It clicked. It was perfect. It was her.
We debated on her second name for a while, though. We tried out many different names with many different cadences and meanings. We tried family names, modern names, three-syllable names. And in the end, one was suggested that we least expected to stick. But stick it did. Nothing overly fancy. It's simple. Classic. Undeniably feminine. Meaningful.
With the greatest thrill, and deepest level of anticipation and expectation, I introduce to you...
Welcome, Baby. Welcome. Though you're not in our arms yet, your place is firmly cemented in our family.
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