It's a BOY!!!

First off, I am extremely excited about bringing another baby boy into this world! Liam David Ward! We chose the name Liam based on Dean's Irish heritage, and the middle name David for my brother! Yes Deej - I love you THAT much to want to name our baby after you! I only hope and pray he will be as wonderful of a brother to Jax as you were to me!

Gender disappointment? No! Well not really anyways... Of course I had always envisioned myself with one of each. After all, I was raised with a brother, so naturally I wanted and expected God to bless me with the "all American family"... Well, I guess the big guy has other plans!

It is pretty funny to think about actually, because when it comes to girly-girls, I was it! I was a Barbie playing, doll loving, makeup-wearing, cheerleading, hates the dirt, LOVES glitter kind of girl! Seriously, if there were a picture next to the word “prissy” in the dictionary, it would have been mine! I was that much of a girl! I didn’t like getting dirty, I yelled and ran away from any type of insect, I ducked at any ball thrown my way. I was “that girl” that so many other girls hate!

I was content to stay inside and braid my doll’s hair, play with my Barbie Dream House, or read a good Baby Sitter's book, rather than join the neighbor kids outside. Outside meant dirty, and dirty wasn’t something I enjoyed. Rarely did I join the other kids in a game outside, and when I did, I didn’t stay long. Bugs, and bug bites. Yuck. Do you get what I am saying here? I was a total girl... well most of the time anyway!

Once I discovered "boys"... I quickly learned to like things like sports, dirt, video games, trucks, writing in microscopic hand writing, building things, tearing things apart to create cooler things, etc... Things I learned to love since DJ had no desire to play Barbie's with me, or dress-up, or any of the girly-girl stuff I liked to do!

Liam - "The determined protector"

Well, there was a time where he let me give him "clear polish only" manicures haha! He even had a "frequent visitors" card I made! Remember that Deej?

Had it not been for my brother brain, I would be the dumb blonde on the side of the road calling AAA, instead of changing a flat tire myself! I would know nothing about baseball, Jeep Rubicons, tires, shocks, struts and lift kits! About cheat codes in 'Golden Gun', pinecone baseball, trash can rolling, car dodging, and building forts! I also wouldn't be co-creator of our "rubber band cutting machine"!!! All of these things, and then some, I can only give thanks to my brother for! Things that I pray Jaxon and Liam will be able to do! Memories they will be able to make and carry for a lifetime!

I know several people who have two boys, and would never change a thing about them! I look forward to all the hand me downs of Jaxon's that we can share! To not having different room themes (at least for now), to Red, Blue, Green and Yellow! To trucks and trains... and no Barbie lying out on the "tracks of death" as I had :(. To sporting events where they can hopefully play as a team, to MULTIPLE BUG KILLERS! (Yes!!!), to yard work being done by "the boys", and on... and on... and on!

Will I miss things because I didn't have a daughter? Maybe. But then again, there are nieces for that :) My Aunt and I are extremely close, and so I can always look forward to that! I can spoil a niece in ways a mother might not be able to! I have several nieces already and hopefully many more to come!!!

All in all... I am VERY happy! As with any new baby, I have fears of favoritism with Jax... I've been reassured that this is a normal feeling, and that a mothers love does not divide, it multiplies... I am ready for Jaxon to have a buddy, to have a friend, and most importantly to have a bond that only Brothers have...

As far as the baby update: Liam was full of kicks and plenty of attitude this morning. He literally showed his parts the second the sonographer touched the wand to my belly... then immediately went to standing on his head, holding his legs above his head... (Hmm... sounds like another little boy I carried!). Our LMD puts us at 17 weeks, 3 days... but of course we're going off the 1st ultrasound that dated us 2 weeks ahead... Well NOW... we're dating even farther. I have been saying 19 weeks... but we had one date go all the way to 21 weeks, 6 days which is a full month and a half farther... LOL. I told the Dr. that the baby will get here when he get's here... But it is nice to know that the baby is growing ahead of the growth schedule for once ;)

My next prenatal appointment is Nov. 4th, and our next u/s is Dec. 1.

Hope you all are as excited as we are about meeting Liam!

Love you all, Shylah