It's a BOY!

Wednesday, July 6. A day we will always remember! Our offices were closed Mon and Tues for the 4th... and I took off Wed and Thurs since we had our big ultrasound and I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on anything else :) Tripp had to work everyday but Monday.

I taught a Strength60 class on Wed at 9:30am, got ready at home after and Tripp came to pick me up and head to the appointment. I ate a PB sandwich with chia seeds sprinkled on top and a honeycrisp apple on the way :) We stopped at Casey's to get a small orange juice since I was planning to have blood work (trying to avoid the near-fainting episode last time this happened ha). 

It was such a surreal feeling - walking into the Dr. office and knowing in a few hours we would know if Baby H was a boy or girl... after almost 19 weeks of wondering and dreaming!

We went back to the ultrasound room. I was surprised at how warm the ultrasound thingy that goes on your stomach was - for some reason, I thought it would be cold and gross because of that jelly stuff. The ultrasound tech (not my doctor) immediately got to work. She would tell us what she was measuring and we could see her measuring and taking pictures... but that was it. Nothing else. No reassurance. No smiles. Just measurements and pictures. 

I got overwhelmed and teared up multiple times. Here we are both staring up at our sweet babe, but we have no idea what any of the measurements or pictures mean. We told her not to tell us the gender and so we kept our eyes closed while she clicked around that area :) I honestly didn't like the experience at all compared to our first ultrasound with Dr. Markell. The ultrasound tech was nice, but the whole situation was tough - I didn't expect that at all as I had been so excited to see the babe again.

We finished up the ultrasound, then waited to see Dr. Markell to get the results. Once she came into the room, she said everything looked good and we were measuring right on track. She did have two concerns... 1) the placenta is partially covering the cervix. So, if that doesn't correct itself I wouldn't be able to deliver vaginally and would need a C-section. She thought it would likely correct itself as my uterus gets bigger and causes the placenta to move up. 2) the baby's kidneys were measuring a bit large. Again, she said she wasn't concerned as babies grow at different paces and it was a tiny, tiny amount that they are enlarged compared to the parameters they set. However, she wanted to schedule another ultrasound in 8 weeks (when I am almost 27 weeks) and see how they are doing then. If they are still enlarged, they would engage a high-risk OB. I wasn't too concerned based on her comments until I asked what enlarged kidneys means in babies... and she said it can be a sign of Down Syndrome. I was getting the Quad Screen today (bloodwork) to test for the risk of DS and a few other genetic disorders, so we will get the results on Monday and go from there. My heart sunk. I was sad and trying to digest the information. 

They led us back out to the lobby where Tripp and I waited for about 30 minutes for me to go back and get my bloodwork done for the Quad Screen. It was a long 30 minutes. We couldn't really talk about anything because there were people everywhere and I felt like I was on the verge of tears. I didn't want to overreact... I didn't want to freak out... I know that God's plan is the best plan for our family... but I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. 

After the bloodwork (which i NAILED and required no orange juice), Tripp and I drove to campus to open the ultrasound pics and reveal the gender. We didn't want to find out in the ultrasound room (and I'm SOOOOO glad we didn't based on how that went) and we also wanted the 2 of us to find out together before the rest of our friends and family that night... so we went to our spot on campus that we used to park at during college. Before we were dating, we talked in Tripp's car for hours one night in that parking lot. We had lots of memories there :) 

So across from the Chi-O house in the circle drive by the library is where we learned Baby Hollowell was a BOY!!!!!!!! I saw it first and I could NOT believe it! I could have paid money it was a girl - the entire pregnancy, I have felt girl. i was shocked!! Tripp was so excited and loving that I had guessed wrong and he guessed right ;) It was such a crazy moment! We're having a boy... a son. OMG.

This is us right after we found out!

We ran a few errands, then spent the rest of the afternoon getting the house ready for the party that night! We stuck with a fourth of July theme and decorated the house a bit :)

Jess Lais brought cupcakes :)

6:30 - everyone started showing up and at 7pm, we went outside to do the smoke bomb reveal! It was SOOOO fun!!!!!

I absolutely LOVE Tripp's reaction in these pics. Even when we already knew, he was SOOOO excited and proud to tell everyone! A lot of people were shocked! So many people thought it was a girl... too funny.

Sweet Sawyer found out he is going to have a best friend soon! :)

Trey & Courtney Becton just moved back to AR after Trey's medical school! He will be working at Washington Regional which is where the baby will be born.

Dad, Mr. Spendio & Aunt KK

Caroline (our flower girl), Julia and Jane Spendio + Mom.

Mr. Spendio & Uncle Scott

Jess and I - can't believe we are going to be #boymoms together!

Still cannot believe it! We love him already.

So many people brought sweet gifts, so I opened those. Everyone left a bit later and it honestly felt like the party was a dream. I have thought about what it would be like to be pregnant, tell our family and friends what we are having... but it still feels so crazy that we are actually living it! 

We got in bed and talked about the concerns from the ultrasound earlier that day. I was laying on Tripp's shoulder and was IN AWE of everything he was saying to calm my nerves. He was reassuring me that no matter what, it was exactly God's plan and we will love this baby regardless. This is what parenthood is - worries and concerns and this is just the first we've experienced it. He is our son and that's all that matters... etc etc etc. It was just what I needed to hear. We are in this together. He is our son, created by God and we are so lucky to have gotten pregnant quickly and had a wonderful pregnancy so far. I am beyond thankful Tripp and I are in this together. More than ever, I'm realizing he is my rock.