It's A Boy?!

Finding out we are expecting a boy has been one of my favorite moments so far this pregnancy, partly because it made it all the more real and partly because we couldn't have been more shocked! I know that you only have two choices and a 50/50 shot either way, but we were both so convinced it was a girl! Flashback 2 years ago: I was convinced Taylor was a boy before we found out she was a girl. My mother's intuition is apparently zero. For the next baby, I'll just know it's the opposite of whatever I think. ;)

Since insurance covered the NIPT test (genetic screening), we decided to do it. I went in for the blood draw at 10w5d, and they told me they would call me within 7-10 days with the results. Not only would this test tell us of any chromosomal abnormalities, but it would also tell us the gender. Honestly, we didn't really think too much about getting to find out the gender. We just desperately wanted to hear that a chromosomal abnormality was not going to be part of this baby's story. 

Exactly a week after I had the blood draw, I got a call from our genetic counselor. She told me she had great news, and that the tests came back negative for Trisomy 13, 18, 21, and triploidy! Praise God!! In that moment, all was right in the world, and I couldn't have asked for anything more!

I wanted to find out the gender at the same time as Parker, and we had plans to Facetime later that afternoon. I gave the phone to my twin (Danielle) so the genetic counselor could tell her the gender, and Danielle wrote it down for me. I heard Danielle say, "okay, can you repeat that one more time?". She was so worried she would forget or write down the wrong gender by mistake haha! I was sure she had written girl, but I was about to find out just how wrong I was!

I finally got the chance to talk to Parker, and on the count of three, I held up the paper for us both to see. Only I am a total klutz, so I dropped the paper on two, and Parker said "I saw it! Boy!". I quickly flipped it over and saw the word BOY written clear as day! "Oh my gosh, it's a boy?!?!" Tears started flowing and I kept saying over and over "I can't believe it!". Parker was ecstatic and laughing at me because I was crying. They were definitely happy tears! I told him I was going to cry whether it said BOY or GIRL. Just knowing the identity of the little human that would be joining our family was enough to bring on the waterworks!

It was a short, sweet conversation that I hope to remember forever. Parker was thrilled, I was thrilled, and it was pure happiness. We knew his name in that moment and talked about how great life with a son would be. I am so glad he got these screenshots of our first reaction to the news!