Pietrini's Little Pea

It’s a Girl!

The time has finally come that I can proclaim it from the rooftops: We’re having a girl! And we’re ecstatic.

After receiving the news during the second ultrasound of the day, I managed to ward off my tears as far as the hallway outside the doctor’s office. There, Seth and I stopped. Seth beamed with a smile as he held me together (literally) and I began to come to terms with reality that my fantasy for having an eldest son would not actually become a reality. But only shortly after on my solo ride home (Seth and I having driven directly from work) the Lord began a great work in me. I was reminded of the post I wrote on March 2. God doesn't give us what WE want; He gives us HE wants according to HIS purposes. And over the course of the next couple of days before the big gender reveal party, I am proud to say that I am going to be a mama to a daughter.

Gender Reveal #1

A long three days after finding out the gender, the big party hosted by the Pietrini parents finally came. I was so excited to have my sister come in for the event (and to help me register the following day). It's  been a long time since we've had time together just us "seesters."

While gender reveal parties are somewhat new to expectant mothers and their party throwers, and inspired by the single source of inspiration, namely Pinterest, Maria (a.k.a. grandma-to-be) nailed this one.

Team Pink and Team Blue were exactly even! 

Team Blue

Team Pink

To reveal the gender, I filled a decorated box with pink helium balloons.

Gender Reveal #2

My coworkers also wanted to have a (cupcake) gender reveal party of their own (particularly because it meant there would be cupcakes) so I told the cupcake master of the second floor the gender on that Monday afternoon, and on Tuesday morning arrived these:

My division and other friends throughout the building gathered around, standing to my left if they thought I was having a boy and to the right if they thought I was having a girl. Unlike the balance at Gender Reveal Party #1, the guess was about 15-3 in favor of a girl. And as you already know, the majority was right.

Gender Reveal #3

At this point, my parents were about the last to know the baby gender - the exceptions being the students in our youth group, and the full Facebook community. Seth and I arrived in Florida on a Friday, however my parents still wanted to wait until Saturday to share the experience with my sister Sarah, her husband Peter and baby Elora arriving that afternoon. Up to this point, I had successfully been able to conceal the news before the appropriate reveal (doing my best to call the baby, "the baby"), however I had one "she" slip of the tongue in the car from the airport with my parents. Apparently it went unnoticed.

Shortly after my sister's family arrived, we gathered in the living room equipped with a boy and girl balloon and German chocolate cake (both provided by my parents) and a small wrapped gift to reveal the gender to my parents. 

Watch and see the reveal.

Following the reveal, my dad shared a blessing from my parents, as well as one that Seth's parents sent along. This blessing follows the one given by the two dad's (and soon-to-be granddad's) at our wedding. The theme verse:

Seth and I are so blessed to be surrounded by friends and family that support us as we bring a new little joy into the world.