On having a daughter...

The verdict is in... TLO is a girl and her Mama and Daddy are so unbelievably thrilled and terrified.  I had a hunch from very early on that she was a girl.  I waffled back and forth a little bit but I was fairly certain that a little lady would be joining our ranks.   Tory was pulling hard for team blue for the first few months but ended up switching to pink in the weeks leading up to our anatomy scan as well.

What's most important is that our little lady is healthy and doing great.  She is a bit on the petite side, so it seems that The Little One is quite the appropriate nickname for her.  T thinks its because she is constantly on her fitness game in there.  This little girl parties day and night in my belly and does. not. quit.  Which is a ongoing and amazing reminder of the tiny life we will welcome in a few months.

When we recieved the news, a strange and unidentifiable emotion came over me.  Even though I just knew she was a girl, there is something mind-boggling about having your suspicions confirmed in such a big way.  Tory was visibly excited and immediately began chattering on about how glad he was that she was healthy and how he was ready to protect her from everything in the entire world.  I felt myself getting noticeably quieter as I felt the weight of the responsibility that was now officially mine find its place on my shoulders.  It was a heart-stopping mix of joy and terror.

Raising a child is unquestionably the most terrifying thing most of us will do in our entire lives, whether we're raising boys, girls, or both.  The fact that God somehow sees me fit after 28 years on this Earth to birth and raise one of His little souls blows. my. mind...

So obviously, I immediately raced through her entire future: her first words, first steps, first day of school, going to college, starting a career, getting married, and having children of her own.  And now it is my job to prepare her to accomplish all of these milestones with confidence, grace, and dignity.  Girls are complex little creatures with acutely specific emotions and insecurities.  It's a big job to raise a strong, independent, and confident child and I am both honored and baffled that I have been given this responsibility.

I have been blessed because I know that this responsibility is not solely my own.  I've known since long before we were married that Tory would be an exceptional Dad but I know there is a very specific reason that we have been blessed with a little girl.  One of the things I love most about him is how in-tune he is with all of the women in his life.  He is sensitive to subtle changes in moods and is perceptive to understated expressions of emotion.  I can see that he carefully assesses complex behavior and is exceptionally good at pinpointing a root cause for something that on the surface appears to be something a small annoyance.  He is delicate and intuitive in his communication with others- especially emotional women.  He is also an excellent source of encouragement and I have no doubt that this little girl will be built up to be fearless and sassy.  He is well-suited to raise a daughter with gentle kindness, patience, and understanding.  Did I mention that he is brilliant, strong, and masculine as well?  He's my hero and I know he'll be hers too.

So, here begins the thrilling and complex road to raising a daughter.  Are we overjoyed?  Of course!  Am I terrified?  Absolutely.  It is my hope that we will model each day how to live with dignity and confidence, how to be nurturing and loving, and how to conquer the world with an unstoppable boldness and bravery because she's our baby girl and she is more precious than rubies...