It's a bird! ... It's a plane! ... It's a .... GIRL?!?!

Yes! Believe it or not, Baby Anderson is really a little baby girl. I was so absolutely shocked during the ultrasound. I had convinced myself that I was absolutely having a boy, even trending toward boy bedding and nursery decor. But little Baby Anderson is a sweet little trickster. I'm sure this will be one of her many surprises. :) *Note: Pink is a pretty color and all... but I definitely am more attracted to non-pink colors for Baby Girl; blues, greens, yellows, even purples...

The common question after the gender reveal is, "Do you have a name?" Yep. Sure do. And yes, I have no problem sharing! Her name is Mara Louise, a tribute to two of our grandmothers - Marilyn (Mike's maternal) and Regina Louise (my mom's maternal grandma). The first name, Mara, sounds like the letter "R" with an 'mmmmm' and an 'uh' around it. I'm hoping she won't be that kid whose teachers all pronounce her name wrong, causing her to hate it! ;-) Oh well.. I always wanted to be Rebecca for some random reason, so I'm sure she'll want to change her name to Shenandoah at some point down the road.

Mara at 21 weeks!

We were in Chicago when we found out (last appt there - awwww).. However, that ultrasound wasn't my only visit to the hospital. The following day, I graced them with my presence in the ER because I nearly passed out during brunch. You know what? It's incredibly embarrassing to arrive at the Emergency Room not feeling like you have an emergency anymore.. as I walked myself up to the check-in desk, appearing completely unscathed, I checked out the people around me - broken arms, broken legs, and a big ol' gash across some guy's forehead. I began with, "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be here, but..."

Okay, here's the story..

Out to brunch with Jamie Kay at my FAVORITE brunch spot in Chi-town: Orange. I was on Cloud 9. Had frushi (fruit sushi, a MUST), a few sips of their orange-infused coffee, and half of a delicious egg and veggie chorizo wrap. Drank a glass and a half of water. Had just finished when suddenly, I began to feel nauseous. Realizing this was no little game my body was playing, I told Jamie I had to go outside for some air because I felt sick. Naturally, I shooed away her offer to escort me, saying I just needed a minute.

WELL, when I got out there, I didn't just feel nauseous; I began to get all clammy. And faint. And suddenly, I couldn't really hold myself up against the brick building anymore. So what does a girl do? Get on all fours on Clark Street in a cute green dress, of course. A nice couple had just parked their car and asked if I needed help, but I was still being Stubborn Sally and said I'd be fine....

NOPE. After another minute, I realized it was getting worse and I couldn't really see as well. Luckily, Maria (one half of the parked car party) had waited (she's much smarter than I) and quickly retrieved Jamie Kay. Then, her other half of the parked car party, Julio, came out and shared the job of holding me up to walk to a chair with Jamie Kay. I must have looked like a hot mess. I couldn't hold myself up, I was cold and sweaty, and I couldn't really respond to questions (except for the "Do you want an ambulance?" to which I [vehemently] croaked, "No").

Jamie drove me to the ER, where Mike met us and I was told that I was probably dehydrated. Four hours, one saline bag, three small viles of blood, one urine test, and several ridiculously good-looking doctors later, we left the ER. Mara was totally fine throughout all of this. She was probably rolling her eyes at me, wondering why her mama can't just pick up a glass of water and drink it!

Kickin' it in the ER

Later that evening, we celebrated the happy happy union of our friends Dustin and Phoebe - now Mr. and Mrs. Cahan!! :) Congratulations, you two!