The Girls' Reaction to the News

The last few days I've been feeling sick. You know, sort of laying around like a leech. So we figured that meant it was time to tell our news. Before other people started to guess it themselves.

So this past Thursday (7th), we all gathered around the chair that Mommy had been loafing on to tell the girls our secret:

"God answered your prayers, Charis."
"What prayers?!"
"There's a baby in Mommy's belly!"
"A boy?!"
"Well... maybe." Jet and I exchange glances over her head. "It's up to God to decide."
"It IS. It is a boy. Because I prayed for one for a long time. So God DID decide." The indignant confidence was almost funny. :)

Selah came over and layed her hand on my belly. "Thank you, Jesus, for this baby boy... like Charis prayed. And thank you that you won't take him to heaven."

I could only stare at her. It's at times like these that I, again, realize how keenly aware of everything the girls were during the last miscarriage. And the personal loss they also felt.

Selah looks up at me and says, matter of factly: "Now you have two babies."
"Two? Who's the other one?" (thinking that she was talking about Raegan).
"Well, one is XXXX (boy name) that you named last year." She shrugs, "I don't know the other name." She was speaking of twins. Which Charis has been religiously praying for since the birth of Raegan. ?????

Selah continued on: "...and Raegan can share her crib with XXXX!! Right, Mommy?!"

It took our girls No Time Flat to familiarize themselves with the news of a new baby. For seconds after hearing it, Selah was already referring to the baby as a boy...and by his name. (Obviously, with three girls, we've had a boy name for a while now!)

Which brings me to the obvious fact: in their minds, this baby cannot be a girl. Any less than a man-child would be sacrilege. I did have to intervene on that train of thought though. When the next day, they kept thanking God for making the baby a boy. I had to remind them that they had wanted a boy when I was carrying Raegan. But how they loved having her be a GIRL. They relented by changing their prayers to "a boy or a girl" though I could tell it was a half-hearted thing. :)

I thought it was all taken care of until after the Sunday "unveiling" of the news to my parents, Charis told my mom, "I wish I had been a boy." WHY, Charis?! "Because we need brothers!" My mouth hit the floor, as well as my heart. I never want my Charis Girl to feel like she has to be anything less than what she is. Especially because she's a girl!!

But I have a feeling that regardless of what the baby is, all of the girls will be thrilled. It just always seems to work out that way.

Because when all is said and done, Charis is just thrilled that I'm having a BABY so soon: "It's funny that you're growing a baby in your belly when Raegan is still a baby. You surprised me!!!" ;) Raegan and Baby #4 will be 18 months apart.