The Big Reveal

When we found out that we are having another little boy we wanted to do something fun to share the news with the kids! We offered to let Lily come with us to the ultrasound, but both kids chose instead to spend the morning with their friends. Given that the ultrasound didn't go quite as smoothly as we were hoping this was probably for the best (it got a little overwhelming there at the end). So after the ultrasound we picked up this tote bin and some blue balloons and hid them inside!  

Honestly Joe and I really didn't even have guesses about whether we were having a boy or girl. I had feelings of both at different times but neither of us really felt one way or the other and we really didn't have much of a preference either (the joy, I guess, of already having one of each)! The kids, on the other hand, each had very strong preferences. When we first found out I was pregnant Lily REALLY wanted a little sister. In fact, I remember one evening I heard Lily signing in the bathtub...it was her own little hymn of praise and pleading to the Lord. It went something along the lines of, "Oh God, you are so wonderful and powerful. Would you please, please, please give me a little sister!" And it continued on and on with similar lyrics and it was about the greatest thing I have ever heard. But a month or two later Lily firmly changed her mind and decided that she wanted a little brother and she never again strayed from that. Eli, on the other hand wanted a little sister and was very firm about it. We took this as a good sign that the two of them love each other and find having a sibling of the opposite gender to be fun! So after we got home from the ultrasound we had them open the tote bin together. The original idea was that the blue balloons would "pop" out and float up. But the bin we got was too small and the balloons were really big and instead they just sort of stuck in there together!

So they pulled them out and it took them a minute to figure out what the blue balloons meant!:)    

And then Lily was thrilled!

 

And Eli? Well, he wasn't so thrilled. In fact he about burst into tears...he was so upset. He just kept saying, "But, I want my big sister." And suddenly Joe and I realized that somewhere along the line he had gotten the idea that he could have ONLY a brother or a sister and he thought if we were having a baby boy that he would have to give up his sister. So sad. But once we reassured him that we were NOT getting rid of Lily and that he could have his big sister AND a little brother well then he was thrilled (see below) and he's been quite excited about his baby brother ever since!

Wow...another BOY...this is going to be an adventure!