The Reveal

OH where to start. My blogging has been less than stellar. I can assure you it is not due to lack of material, but to too much material I simply cannot processes what to attack first and get so behind it seems hopeless!!

Lets start with some "brief" wrapping up.

The big reveal.

Yes, the day we found out what our little bundle #3 was going to be. With two boys under our belt the hopes were high for a little girl. Going in to the reveal I knew this was going to be my last pregnancy. It has been tough on me both mentally and physically...but honestly it is the mental part that has me closed down to the idea of 4 children. This topic however is for another post that I will (someday) write.

However, that said, I had spent many many many many hours thinking about what I would feel or want if it was a boy versus a girl. My conclusion was simple for girl. If it was a girl, it would be the perfect conclusion to the Riley family of 5. But, if it was a boy, I had spent some time thinking about and discussing with J the idea of adopting a little girl in a few years. Adopting is something we have been open to since before having children, so it was more a discussion of can we manage four children. 

Don't get me wrong, boys are AWESOME.....down right awesome, and we have been blessed with two very special and sweet boys at that. It's funny though because going into getting pregnant I was somewhat ambivalent to having a girl. I actually felt a little worried that it would throw off what is a great routine and balance we have with our boys now. But, as typically happens with me...once pregnant and hormones flying my feelings strongly change. Not to mention the endless number of people - often complete strangers - telling me I simply had to have a girl. And spending so much time with my mom these days realizing that I wouldn't have that relationship with a boy...

With all this, my mind was set that I needed a girl. Further, I truly felt for many reasons that I was in fact having a girl.

And thus we did our reveal, having the boys open large garbage bags full of colored balloons in front of tons of loving friends and family, both near and far. As you probably already know (since this post is two months old!) out came PINK balloons.

The reaction of my Grandmere is something I will never forget. Dressed in head-to-toe pink she was in tears when pink balloons emerged. Her long tearful embrace told me exactly why this little girl was the perfect addition to our family; she will continue a lineage of strong smart women whom I am so proud to be a part of and hope she too will feel as positively impacted by her mother and grandmother when she begins her family as I did.

So with the reveal of pink and the overwhelming feeling of peace and contentedness I felt, my family is now complete.