Wednesday, August 10, 2016

5 month update and name announcement!

Our sweet girl is now as long as a banana and weighed 12 ounces at the ultrasound today!  It was such a fantastic ultrasound- her brain, heart, spine, and all her organs look perfect and healthy.  I am stunned how healthy she is.  The placenta is also moving away from the cervix! I am so relieved!  Her eyes should be opening at some point this week, and I finally felt a good kick last night.  I love cooperative children- it brings mama peace to feel her move.  It's nice not to worry about risks for her at least in the sense that her body is perfect and healthy.  I just need to stay on top of my health.  I am at greater risk for having babies with neural tube defects so I'm so happy that the l-methylfolate worked!  No defects!  She was funny during the appointment- both hands and both feet were touching her forehead most of the time (see picture below.)  The tech commented that she may be an Olympic diver haha.  Her legs were close together today, so it was harder to see gender, but both tech and doctor said girl.  The doc said he was 99% sure.  I'm glad the 16 week pictures were clearer!  It still just seems too good to be true.  I have this "fear" she's going to come out a boy haha.  I love this baby so much it doesn't really matter, I'm still just shocked that we will have one of each!

Feet touching head

Still a girl!

Little foot
We had such a great week spending time with family!  My cute little brother got married to the perfect girl who is way out of his league :)  I'm so happy to have another sister!  We were also able to travel and see Kevin's family all together.  I have the best family on all sides- I'm so blessed!




 I have been personally looking forward to the 20 week mark as one of the most important milestones because it means I can no longer have a miscarriage!  A baby lost after 20 weeks is no longer a miscarriage, but a stillbirth.  It would involve a delivery, a name, a funeral.  I know it sounds horribly morbid, but it is SUCH a comfort to me that this baby will not meet the same fleeting fate as my early losses.  She is a permanent part of our family in a way that the outside world understands much more than first trimester miscarriages.  I'm not anticipating losing this little girl- but for someone who has "recurrent loss" brain, it really is a fantastic milestone to reach.  It makes the pregnancy more real, and it makes referring to the baby easier.  Even if we had a scare at this point (like more bleeding, contractions, etc) they wouldn't send me to the ER anymore, I would now go to Labor and Delivery to be evaluated.  Only a month until viability!  Another huge milestone.  Again, I anticipate her being full term and healthy, but just knowing that one way or another I will be able to deliver her into this world and hold her is a comfort.  I prayed to be given "at least" that much for many years.

Since we're reached this milestone, we now feel ready to name her!


I know it seems like a pretty unique name- it's really special to us.  We've had it chosen for years.  Here's the story:

Aidia (aid-e-uh) - This comes from the Swahili name "Adia" which means gift.  Is there a more perfect meaning for this miracle baby?  We changed the spelling so that it would read and pronounce easier in English.  Also, the new spelling turns it into a palindrome I realized, so that makes us cool parents.  Yes, Adia, is the name of that one Sarah McLachlan song from the 90s.  When I was around 20 or 21, I was listening to the song "Adia" at work.  Even though I had heard the song many times, for some reason, this specific time as I listened, it felt like the world moved under my feet.  No other name had ever struck me as so beautiful and perfect.  I almost got emotional and I imagined a daughter with the same name.  I didn't know the name meaning yet or how perfect the meaning would fit her existence later.  I told Kevin about my experience later and to my GREAT surprise he had the same reaction.  I thought the name would be too "off beat" for his taste but he thought it was gorgeous.  So we had a daughter named, and no daughter.  In the years between Jack's birth and this pregnancy, we've spoken of her often.  I know that sounds kind of strange.  I think it's one of the reasons we were so blindingly happy when we found out baby is a girl.  She's finally here!  Twice in the four years of waiting, the song "Adia" came on an "oldies" station of some sort (90s are on oldies stations now, so there's that) and since I wasn't expecting it, I cried.  Didn't matter that we were in public- it was such a powerful trigger.  Kevin was with me both times, and would give my hand a squeeze and say "She's going to come."  In those moments I would get that spiritual confirmation that somehow, someway, a daughter would come to us and her name would be Aidia.  I'm so happy that it's time and that I can share this story.

Omera (oh-mair-uh) - This is originally an Arabic name that means "One who posses an inspiring and great personality, enjoys having a positive attitude," or inspiring for short.  I first heard of this name when I met the dearest girl in college.  I loved her instantly, she was so full of personality and just a joy to be around.   She actually went by her middle name, and I didn't find out Omera was her first name until roll was called one day in class.  I turned around with wide eyes like, "That's your real name?!"  I didn't understand how you could go by your middle name when your first name was so unique and beautiful!  In 2012 when we were pregnant for the second time, I told her if it was a girl her middle name would be Omera (pronounced the way my friend pronounced her name.)  We both fell in love with the name and the meaning- I feel like it's still fitting for our little one!  A special name for a special girl.     

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