The baby was positioned frank breech when we took the money shots...meaning baby was folded in half with its head between its legs...that may have thrown some of you for a loop! Below is a much clearer shot (also from the bum looking up between the legs), which would have given it away immediately & stolen all the fun!
We put everyone who guessed "boy" into a drawing for a $10 Starbucks giftcard. Our lovely Isabelle Rose drew the name, and the winner is... The CAULLAY'S!!! [Who suggested the names Captain (Kevin's suggestion) and Aidan (Bernadette's suggestion)].
"Oh, that's definitely a boy, there's no mistaking it," our tech said. You should have seen the look on Aron's face! He was totally expecting them to pronounce girl. When she said, "Look there's his penis.." Aron's jaw hit the floor, but at the same time, he had the hugest grin. Then he started pumping his fist in the air exclaiming, "Its a boy, its a boy!" I am so excited to have a son, but scared to death! What will I do with a little boy?!?! You all will have to show me the ropes!
ejk
ejk
Well, what can I say. Despite the fact that my brother says I have all girly sperm, looks like this little guy made it through (he's not even born yet and I'm proud of him!). I have to say I am super excited to be having a boy. I don't know why, but I had pretty much conceded to the fact that I'd be one of those dads with six girls going on seven trying for a boy! But, it looks like the Lord had mercy on me and decided to balance the scales around here (and He knows we need it--between Isabelle and her mommy there is way too much estrogen and drama around here!). I'm with Grandma Jean, too: out with the Barbies and pink and in with trucks and blue (and flying V guitars/loud rock music, of course)! Hooray!
Thanks to all for participating. We had as much fun reading your comments as you all did writing them. IT'S A BOY!
APK
I love this one because if you look closely, you can see two hands!
Okay, here it is: the money shot. Now I've included NO anatomical markers at all. You are on your own!!
They make "swooshing" noises and soar around the sky...
So here's the deal:
Then, Saturday night, Josh informed Aron he had a gift for him, but he had to close his eyes. Aron 
But can I say that in every instance He used His children to love on us. So now I'm asking, "God, who do you want me to love on this week? And what can I do that will speak directly to a place in their heart that they'll know its from you?"
And a few of Belle in her 
Speaking of sooooo big, little brother or sister is also getting soooo big - 17 weeks now! Reaching 5 inches long and 5 ounces, baby's cartilage bones are turning to mineralized bone and fat deposits are now forming under the skin. We are weeks away from knowing what sex little baby is. Mommy is feeling baby quite often now, and every time she does she is falling more in love with him/her! 
She's not yet strong enough to crawl into her crib, so she placed her favorite '
birthing...
a cantaloupe!
23. He craves the outdoors. Given the choice between a night on the town & a 5 star dinner or a night around the campfire sleeping between the hard ground and the vast starry sky, he'd choose the latter - hands down.
22. He's quite the daredevil (that's him in the orange jumping & then flipping off a cliff in a cenote in a Mexican jungle). As a child he & his cousins would cut vines that were entangled in treetops in the woods and make vine-swings. He broke his nose participating in this activity.
(this is him cutting down a vine to make a swing)
21. Yet this daredevil seemed to have lost his nerve when it came time to deliver our first baby. When the discussion arose, he vehemently refused to cut the umbilical cord as this was repulsive to him. However, in the heat of the moment, Dr. Rojas handed the scissors to Aron & said, "Cut. Here". He caved under the pressure!
19. Aron excels at any sport he tries and can play any instrument within 1 hr of picking it up. I know, very frustrating for the rest of us.
18. As a fifteen year old, Aron told me "One day, I'm gonna marry you." Turns out he was right.
17. When Belle was a newborn, Aron's favorite time was "skin to skin" time. They'd cuddle under a blanket just her soft skin against his bare chest. They say this is great for newborns, but judging from Aron's reaction, I think its even better for daddies.
16. To my humiliation, Aron sported a "Fu Manchu" for a few weeks in college.
15. And was so sweet as to sport it to my nursing pinning.
14. He also sported a lip ring, which he still wears now & then to feel tough.
13. Now, however, nothing makes him feel tougher than his newly acquired title of "Reverend".
12. He & his college roommate, Jeremiah, found a dead raccoon that they strategically tied behind their prankster friend's car.
11. He loves to hike, and this is one of his favorite spots where we're from in Southern Ohio: Buzzards Roost.
10. A man of many talents: every once in a while he'll trim my hair for me to save me the hassle of going to the salon.
9. Whenever he ventures into nature, you can bet he's got a hatchet or a knife or multiple weapons around his waist. His cousin Josh is the same way. These boys are wild at heart...pardon the pun.
8. He has written over 5o songs. A few of which he's had the privilege of playing at friends' weddings.
7. From what I've been told, Aron was quite the entertainer as a child. I'm sure you can figure out which one is him, but in case you're having trouble, bottom row, 4th child from the left.
5. If its Halloween & Aron's dressing up, you can bet he'll be sporting man-tights in some fashion.
4. His favorite time of day is in the cool of the evening when the sun begins to forfeit its light. He loves to take his guitar outside and sing at the top of his lungs into the amber sky. 
2. He's a very lucky guy at Cincinnati Reds games. He once caught a homerun ball & made it on the ESPN highlights of the game. Another time he & his buddies Ben & Jerod were featured on the big screen during an inning change. 
1. Aron used to love to play a game in college & high school called, "Imagine If...". We would dream up circumstances and scenarios our lives together might bring...someday. We would talk of normal things like a home together and what our children might look like. And we would dream of impossible things like owning a huge farm which we would name "Kirk Haven" or being on tour. Our life may not look exactly like the perfect future we envisioned, but I can't imagine a more perfect reality than our life together just as it is. Happy 25th birthday, baby! I can't wait to live life along side of you another year! 
