Baby Lowery #2: It's a GIRL!

In case you missed all the excitement from our reveal last week, we found out Baby Lowery #2 is a GIRL!! We could not be more thrilled to add all things pink and sparkle to our house AND help me balance out some of the testosterone. ;)

As you know, we really didn't discuss names much leading up to the reveal, so I think quite a few were surprised when we actually announced her name! How did we decide? I'll tell you!

We drove down to Conway on Monday night (21st) and I just really wanted to talk about what we were going to name our baby. My husband, being ever so sweet, agreed. We decided on the boy's name pretty quickly---Griffin John. I have always loved the name Griffin. It is unique, yet not hard to pronounce or spell and I think it just sounds masculine. It means "protector", deriving from "gryphon" which is a mythological creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. It is known as being king of the creatures and a protector. John is my dad's first name and means "God is gracious." We loved the meaning, plus it's a family name so we thought it was a win-win.

The girl name was much harder. We were torn between two names and could not decide which we liked better. Our first choice was Norah Rose. Norah means "woman of honor" and it was Daniel's grandmother's name. Rose obviously means "rose" and it is my grandmother's middle name. We loved how it honored both great-grandmothers and we also loved the meaning. Our second choice was Evie Elizabeth. Evie means "life" and is a derivative of Eve, the mother of all mankind. Elizabeth is my middle name and since Holt has Daniel's middle name we thought it would be cool for our daughter to have mine.

We decided to sleep on it and talk about it the next day. The day of the reveal, we were actually at the eye doctor, and we both just felt Evie Elizabeth seemed to "fit" this baby if she was, indeed, a girl. So, literally we decided on her name the day of the reveal party. This whole pregnancy I have felt this baby was a girl, but the day of the party I was starting to doubt and think that maybe it was another boy. We would have been so happy either way---if it was indeed a boy, Holt would have such a great relationship with his brother. And if it turned out to be a girl, I had no doubt he would have the sweetest time with his sister.

So it's a girl! And her name is Evie Elizabeth Lowery. We cannot wait to meet her and see her sweet little face, find out what color her hair is, and count all those fingers and toes. She is going to be the perfect addition to our family!

Baby Lowery #2: 19 Weeks

This is our last post without knowing if we are expecting another precious boy or a sweet little girl! I am so excited I can hardly stand it!

We go in for our ultrasound on Monday (the 21st), but we won't find out until Tuesday night at our gender reveal party. This is my favorite ultrasound of all time---an entire 30-45 minutes of just looking at your baby, head to toe. It. Is. Heaven. We tell the ultrasound tech we don't want to know right away and give her the number to call our bakery so she can tell them whether to use pink or blue icing. I LOVE surprises and I want everyone to see our faces when we find out what we are being blessed with, so this is the perfect way for us. It is absolute TORTURE to wait those 30 hours or whatever, but is beyond worth it.

What are your guesses???

Most people think it's a girl, and I'll admit I'm convinced it's a girl in there too. HOWEVER, I've had a few friends lately who have experienced completely different pregnancies and they are expecting another precious little boy…..so we will see! Either way we will be so happy! P.S.---still no names.

*Check out Holt's 19 Weeks blog HERE*

DO NOT FORGET-----we are LIVE STREAMING the reveal!!! So, no pressure, but if you would like to tune in, then here is what you need to do:

1) Download the Periscope App
2) You will have to sign in using 1 of 2 ways----either with a Twitter account or your phone number
3) Search and follow @DanielHLowery
4) Turn on notifications so that it will beep to let you know when we are broadcasting
5) Be sure to tune in TUESDAY, DEC. 22 around 7:15-7:30pm so you can see what we are having!

Other than being tired, I have felt pretty good the last couple of weeks. It's been a busy time finishing up shopping (thank you Amazon prime) and wrapping gifts and getting everything ready for Christmas but we have been enjoying it! Holt is too little right now but by next year I'm hoping to start an Advent tradition as a family---any suggestions of great Advent books for littles would be appreciated! I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful time celebrating our Savior's birth with family and friends!

How far along? 19 weeks
Maternity clothes: My GAP PureBody shirts came in and they are luxurious---don't mind me if you see me in the same two shirts 24/7.
Sleep: Once I finally fall asleep, I sleep good, but lately I just haven't been getting tired until around 11PM or later--which is VERY unusual for me. I am NOT night owl by any means---usually by 10 (if not before) I am out. Maybe a little bit of pregnancy insomnia? I don't know.
Movement: So thankful to say YES! It isn't very strong yet, just little flicks, but oh how I relish those little baby kicks.
Food cravings: I honestly just want to eat out for every meal. I rarely find something in the house that sounds good to eat, so I have to make myself eat. I would LOVE to go eat sushi, waffle house, a really good ribeye steak, panera bread, olive garden…..ANYWHERE! Oh and donuts and orange juice----I have REALLY wanted donuts and I drank an entire carton of OJ by myself this week….and BRAUM's frozen yogurt with heath bar (which my hubby was so sweet to go get for me the other night).
Food aversions: Meat. I think it's a texture thing. Sometimes it just makes me gag.
Looking forward to: FINDING OUT THE GENDER!!

Baby Lowery #2: 17 Weeks

Oh hey 17 weeks! I know, I skipped another week, however it was Thanksgiving week which was CRAZY so I feel like I had a good excuse. Right? 

The belly definitely "popped"--there is no hiding it anymore! The best part is I have started getting comments on the belly, which means I actually look pregnant now. Yay! I have also been feeling some baby kicks all of last week, which I LOVE. This is MUCH earlier than I felt them with Holt which is so exciting! I had an anterior placenta with Holt, so I didn't feel anything until around 21-22 weeks. I am constantly in awe of the miracle of life. It truly is utterly AMAZING how God created our bodies to help create and grow LIFE. 

We had a doctor appointment this week and everything checked out great! Heartrate was 160 (I always tear up hearing it) and everything is measuring right on target. After losing 8 pounds up until this point, I actually gained 3 (thanks holidays) so my doctor was really excited. Next appointment is December 21st and that's when we get to have our big ultrasound!! I can't wait! 

DON'T FORGET! We are LIVE broadcasting our gender reveal using PERISCOPE. Download it from the App Store---it will require you to either sign in with your Twitter account or a phone number. Then follow @DanielHLowery and make sure to turn on your notifications so that it will alert you when we go live! We plan on doing the reveal Tuesday, December 22nd around 7:15pm or so. Be sure to tune in! We can't wait to see if we are having a little brother or sister for our Holt-man! 

How Far Along: 17 weeks 2 days

Maternity Clothes: I ordered a couple of "PureBody by Gap" long sleeved maternity shirts on Cyber Monday (so I got a GREAT deal) and I am so excited to get them! If you've never tried the "PureBody", do yourself a favor and get some---literally the softest and most comfortable shirts I've ever worn! 

Stretch Marks: None

Sleep: Great! I re-connected with my body pillow and again, if you're pregnant, do yourself a favor and get one! You will sleep so much better!

Best moment this week: Feeling baby kicks and hearing the heartbeat again

Movement: I am so excited to say YES! That is my very favorite thing about pregnancy---feeling life move inside you is absolutely incredible!

Food cravings: Pimento Cheese sandwiches with yellow mustard, anything with a cream sauce, blueberry waffles from Waffle House, and honestly I'm craving eating out. I would eat out every meal if we could afford it. 

Food Aversions: Weird about meat still---except bacon. I can always eat bacon! And sometimes I don't even know I have an aversion to something until it's mentioned or on the table. 

Have you started showing: Yes! So excited!

Rings On/Off: Well, come to find out, I can't wear my rings for the remainder of my pregnancy (and it's KILLING me). My rings were trapping moisture and causing the dry skin and blisters (beginning of cellulitis). I had to treat it with oils and neosporin. I'm back to normal now, but I can't wear any rings on that finger until my pregnancy is over. :( 

Happy/Moody: Mostly just EXHAUSTED. I feel like I can't get enough sleep and I am living for bedtime (especially Holt's).