Gender Reveal Party

We had our gender scan ultrasound on Friday at 10:30 in the morning. I don't know why but we were both so nervous! I was excited about the gender reveal but we were also doing the last intensive ultrasound screening for any problems. The first thing that popped onto the screen was Baby's heart...beating like crazy! The doctor did about a 5 minute exam just on the heart...it felt like forever! The Baby was moving like crazy and we finally got to see a profile. Baby was sticking it's tongue out at us and kept puckering out its lips. She measured everything and anything...she showed us the brain, legs and toes, arms and fingers and even baby's buldging belly!

Finally, she said "Do you want to know? Cause the baby is spread eagle!" Neal and I holding hands squeezed and squealed "YES!" The doctor said

"IT'S A GIRL!"

For the first time in our pregnancy I teared up. I looked over at Neal and he was tearing up too! We've seen Baby a crazy amount of time but I think it was just the thought that we are actually connecting and identifying with the baby...we can now call the baby "her", "she", "our daughter", "little girl", etc...At first I was in shock cause I truly believed that it was a boy. All my symptoms (or lack of!), myths, people's guesses pointed to a boy. We got to spend a total of 30 mins with HER! I can't believe how much she moves around!!!

We then went back into the waiting room for our next appointment with our OB and in the waiting room I teared up a little more! I didn't think this appointment would make me so emotional! Maybe cause I thought it was a boy this whole time and I was 'tough'...but now that it's a girl I'm getting all the hormones get to me!!! Neal's first comment was "She's going to be a golfer and get a scholarship for college!" :) Our appointment with the doctor went great as well. She said the Baby is hitting all her milestones and is right on track with her due date. She said all the screening looks great and we have a very healthy baby! That was another emotional roller coaster I'm glad we got over with!

We headed to Cheesecake Factory and had a Lunch Celebration. Neal rambled on about how great it would be that we don't have to buy motorcycles and expensive cars but then had a mini-heart attack when he realized we would have to pay for a wedding! On the way to do errands all the songs we kept hearing were about little girls! It was hilarious! We spent the afternoon getting all our last minute things for the party...we were on a hunt for a toy rifle but couldn't find one! I hate it when you need something and can't find it anywhere!

On Saturday I woke up at 5 to the pouring rain and couldn't go back to sleep cause I was so paranoid about guests parking and walking in the rain. The weather channel kept saying that it was going to be a record breaking cold day...possibly snow!!! I kept thinking..."GREAT! the one day we throw a party it decides to snow in Southern California!" But by 9:00 the sun came out and it was so beautiful! It turned out great!

Here was our setup...the theme was Blue for Boy and Purple for Girl! We also had guests come in blue or purple...it was a success! We decorated the wall with tissue puff balls, pictures from everyone's reaction when we announced we were expecting and a table with necklaces, name suggestion game, poppers and candy table.

We had amazing food that was catered through the Manalos and Emerys! We had Stuffed Mushrooms, Chicken Albondigas, Seafood Paella, Chicken Tetrazinni, Spinach Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Boiling Crab Shrimp and Corn, Prime Rib, Filet Mignon, Chicken Tenders, Flan, Chocolate Fondue with fruits and bread, and a treat table with popcorn, M&Ms, Meringues. And of course Coronas and Margaritas!

This is how we announced that we are having a Baby Girl!

With the short amount of time of finding out...we couldn't preorder a Baby Costume (I really wanted to get a onesie!) so when we found out we went straight to party city and found anything Baby Purple related. We came up with a purple baby bottle and lollipop. I quickly made a baby bonnet, bib and diaper. Luckily, Neal is such a good sport and commited to coming out dressed like this! (he even contemplated not wearing pants!-always a comedian)

Everyone was so surprised that it was a girl cause I would say 80% were wearing blue...but I think they were even more surprised of how Neal came out in a diaper!

We have such amazing family and friends that always support and celebrate with us and we couldn't be happier that they could be there to help us start a life with Baby! It was an amazing party and great memories. Baby already has so many people loving her!!! We really are lucky and couldn't do this without any of them.

We want to thank our parents who cooked like crazy and helped set up and clean up. They are caring, thoughtful and amazing parents to the both of us and we know that they will be even more to their grandchild. We want to thank Lola, Grandma Julia and Grandma Emery for making it out and sporting their colors even in the freezing weather! Baby is so lucky to have loving great-grandmas ready to snuggle and love her. We also thank the future aunties Maggie and Paula...she is going to be so spoiled with their fashion sense, energy and protection from her aunties. And we thank the rest of our family and friends who took the time out of their day to help us celebrate Baby Girl Emery!!! We are so thankful for everyone and it's comforting to know that we have so many people already loving her!!!

And last but not least...I want to thank my WONDERFUL, SUPPORTIVE, LOVING husband who has held my hand through everything. He loved the Baby before we were even pregnant and I know he will be such a great Dad. Throughout the 19 weeks of our pregnancy I've never seen him grow up so much in such a short amount of time. He has gone to every appointment, stayed on top of everything going on, read a baby book, has taken over drastically over the house chores, rubbed my back when it's sore, help me walk when I get a sciatica attack, plan for our future, be an amazing Daddy to Socks, is excelling and achieving in his career, has been a great son, grandson and friend to everyone and all this while still being the sweet, HILARIOUS, loving husband he is to me.

Him holding my hand during appointments goes such a long way, him rubbing my back every night without me having to ask, him dealing with all the paperwork and financial things with pregnancy, him scrubbing our bathrooms and kitchen so I wouldn't have to, him making me be able to laugh when I've had such a tiring day and him agreeing to all my shinanigans of having a Gender Reveal Party to dressing up like a Baby means so much to me and the Baby. My pregnancy has been very relaxing and easy so far and I owe most of the credit to Neal. I appreciate everything he does and our friendship and love has grown so much in these last few months...we're learning so much everday and am glad that we are doing it together. He makes me feel beautiful everyday and knows the exact time when I need a hug and a kiss. Socks, Baby and I are the luckiest girls in the world!