Why My Husband and I Tried for Another Baby...Not a Boy.

Ok, I maybe just a tiny bit bias here, but my husband and I have 2 of the most amazing daughters ever! They are beautiful, smart, hilarious, exhausting, and energetic and they are teaching me every single day what true love looks like. They stretch me every day, sometimes every hour, they show me my faults and are helping teach me how to be a better person. A better wife, mother, and woman.

Though I always love my children and am constantly amazed by them, there are many days I feel over whelmed. The constant mess in the house, the never ending diaper changes, the screaming, the unending questions, being a human jungle gym and snot rag... and they want to eat... every...single...day... more than once a day! Which I don't understand, because most of the food I give them ends up on the floor anyway.
In the midst of stress, chaos, and messiness, why in the world would we want another one? Why would we even consider the idea of adding to our family so soon?

Most people, ok no, every single person we have told, see our two girls, see the chaos and the mess (or at least hear about it on Facebook) and go "oh you must really want your boy!" "Oh trying for your boy eh?!" "Maybe this time it will be a boy!"
I know some amazing boys/men in the world. My husband, my father, my brother. The sons of my friends. The involved dads I see at church. Boys/men are great. With 4 out of the 6 in our family being female (this is including the dogs), having another boy around would help even things out a little.
But what is it with people assuming the only reason we want a 3rd child is because we must have our boy? (And I know for those families that have just boys, it goes the other way too). Our girls are amazing. I always wanted a boy first and I thought for sure our first would be a boy. Surprise, surprise, our beautiful baby was a girl! And, of course, I couldn't imagine my life without her. She has been my little mini me and my husbands little Princess Hulk since the moment she entered this world.
With our second, I had a strong suspicion it would be another girl. Most people I know have 2 of one gender and the 3rd is the opposite. So I figured, whatever we had first, the next would be the same gender. And I was right.
When my husband and I decided to try for a 3rd, it was because we wanted a baby. Babies are precious. Babies are a gift from God. We love our girls, but our family just didn't feel complete yet. I didn't feel like we were done. And for months now, we have been praying that however God wants to add to our family, He will. That could mean adoption, or another biological baby. It wasn't about boy or girl, but about adding another precious person to our family.

I have to admit, I am nervous about the idea of possibly having a boy. I know that, when baby is born, it won't matter, and like every baby, we'll figure it out as we go. But I have girls, I know girls, I am a girl. Just the other day I heard a story of a boy peeing up his shirt.... ummm... girls don't do that!! Ha-ha. I hear about boys always having their hands down their diapers/pants and feeling/playing with themselves. I know this is perfectly normal, but I am just in girl mode right now (not to say our girls never put their hands down their diapers!). I don't even know how I would handle all the things that come with having a boy, verses a girl. But I fully trust that God will expand our family as He sees fit and if that means we are to welcome a precious baby boy into our arms, then we gladly will.
And, as with our last two pregnancies, we will not find out the gender until the baby is born. Because, it doesn't matter. We were trying for a baby and as long as the ultrasound shows a human baby, we are thrilled. (If it doesn't look like a "human" baby, I will be scared...)
Girls are amazing, precious, and wonderful gifts. Boys are amazing, precious and wonderful gifts. Every baby is a gift. I would love the chance to raise children of both genders, but ultimately I am happy with whatever we have. And I am unwilling to put my hope in any gender. If I sat here hoping for a boy, but it was another girl, how would that shape my feelings towards that precious little girl? Or if I hoped for a girl, how would my feelings change if it was a boy? My girls are precious and this baby, whatever the gender, is precious, and that is all that matters.

Psalm 127:3-5The Message (MSG)

^3-5 Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?
    the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows
    are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
    with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you;
    you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.