Last night I had a dream that the anatomical ultrasound showed that we were having a baby girl!  I don't know if this will be true or not, but we will find out on Dec. 26th @ 10am!!  Yesterday's Dr. visit went well...the baby's heartbeat ranged from 149 to 159, and Dr. Painter said that it's a 50/50 chance of either sex.  I am SOOO anxious to find out!  Still not really wearing maternity clothes (a shirt here or there), which surprises me since "they say" the second one you show quicker.  Not the case for me, but never fear, there is always time to catch up on that!!

So I want to know who said women drivers are more dangerous than men?  Yesterday the Lord spared me what could have been a much worse car accident.  As I headed to the E-IGP (electronic Individual Graduation Plan for those of you who aren't in the education arena) meeting at the SDE (State Department of Education), I was smacked in the rear by a 2 car pile-up, both who were men!  Thankfully I only had a headache from the scare and the baby is fine.  Cars can be replaced, but not lives.  :)  So we give thanks that the Lord and all His guardian angels were there to protect me and this little life growing inside me!!  And to think that "they say" most car accidents happen within a mile or two from your house...not true in this case b/c I was over 30 miles from home (but only 3 miles from my school in Columbia). 

We did get to have an emergency appt. at the OB office, and we heard the baby's heartbeat at 155 bpm again!  I hate to tell Bibbi, but it's been a consistently high heartbeat(156, 155, 159), which usually indicates a GIRL!  Maybe Emma Grace is right!  Guess we'll all find out at the end of Dec. (hopefully)!

I will start first today by saying that we thank those of you who have been praying for Jason's recent job interview.  He was able to get some "unofficial news" yesterday afternoon that he did not get the job as the Asst. State Fire Marshall.  It basically boiled down to 5 other men who were older than Jason; one that the other 3 members of the panel (besides his current boss) felt had more experience.  That is just something that comes with age and Jason cannot compete with experience.  It was a huge disappointment for us both, but one that we must accept and trust that the Lord knows the past and future and what is best for us as a family and for Jason's job situation.  He has come to realize he'll never gain more experience and especially supervisory experience if he stays in his current position, so there is definitely something new to think about.

As I enter the 4th month of pregnancy, the GREAT news is that we were able to see the baby on ultrasound again on Wed.  The heartbeat couldn't be heard via doppler, so we were able to get pictures!  The baby was moving around a lot (could have been the tea I drank at lunch) and you could definitely see his or her face, stomach, hands, spine, legs (no, the "parts" aren't visible at 12 weeks! Trust me, I asked her to look!).  It was just what the Lord knew I needed to see and be confident that He will bring this miracle to birth in just 6 short months!!  Praises!!  As I said in my last blog, now our prayer turns to the Lord finding the perfect person/place for our little one to stay next Aug. when I return to work.  He alone can find that person or in-home sitter/nanny.  Pray for us!

Last week I wrote that I had read the baby was the size of a grapefruit and that I thought that was wrong.  What I read was that my uterus is the size of a grapefruit!  Sounds more logical and I'm beginning to see the grapefruit expanse.  :) 

Jason and I are headed our separate ways this weekend for Girls Weekend and Guys Weekend.  Jason and college friends will be at a hunting shack outside of Lake City, SC and I will be at a mountain house near Lake Lure in Apple Valley with some college friends as well.  We are getting excited, but I'm also getting sad to leave Emma Grace.  We aren't sad when we say good-byes anymore, but when I get home and she says, "You came back!" I get so sad.  It's like, "Mommy, I wondered if you would ever come back to get me!" or "I thought you were gone forever."  That sense of abandonment kills me. 

I know I'm a good mom and I deserve time away, but I feel selfish for wanting time to just enjoy being with friends.  I know Bibbi and Papa will take good care of her.  :)  And I also know Daddy Jason probably won't call to check up on her once while I'll call at least twice a day! (O.K.--maybe he'll call ONCE the whole weekend.)  Moms are just wired that way.

Enjoy the picture of a sample 12 week baby in utero.  This is not our picture, but one off the internet.  We go back for the monthly checkup a week from today on Wed., Nov. 7th.  Continue to keep our family and Jason's interview next Tues. on your prayer list!  Thanks to everyone!