Its a girl...Sara Lydia!

We were scheduled to find our if we had a boy or a girl on November 20th, the anatomy ultrasound. However, during a previous appointment, our doctor mentioned he would be on night-float before then if we were interesting in finding out sooner. Uh, yeah. So not only did we cheat and find out, we cheated and found out earlier than we should.

It was Tuesday night around 10 pm and even though we had to wake up at 3:30 am to catch an early flight, Ryan and I went over to the hospital. After ducking into one of the available rooms, our doctor notified us that we have a girl. Wow. Truly unbelievable. Of course, while leaving the room, Ryan noted that he better start saving for a wedding.

We were so excited walking back to the car and immediately starting to make happy phone calls...more like alarming our friends and family since we were calling so late.

We have decided to call her Sara Lydia. The name Sara is after my grandmother, an amazing woman of faith and prayer. She will go by her middle name Lydia. (Yes, we do realize this is slight torture - but Sharon and Thomas turned out okay.) Perhaps, the name "Lydia" was just as much meaningful for Ryan and me as it will, Lord willing, be for our daughter one day. Most know the Lydia of the Bible to be the seller of purple; however, the Bible mentions so much more about her.

One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshipper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message.

When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us into her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.

After Paul and Silas came out of prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

Because of the passage in Acts, we pray the same thing for our daughter...that the Lord would change her heart by recieving the preaching of the word and ultimately impact those around her.