By Kim Blakely, pregnant mama blogger

Remember this baby I’m carrying? It’s a whirly, swirly, girly girl!!

We went in for the big anatomical scan today, and naturally the perinatologist went over every part of the baby’s body in great detail – the heart, the stomach, the brain, the spine, even counted the toes. We listened and stared intently at the screen as he talked and then when he pronounced all seemed well, and after we both sighed in relief, he said, “So, the sex. Do you want to know?”

My husband actually laughed. We had both been eager to find out whether we should go blue or go pink, but he had forgotten by that point in the appointment that finding out that basic tidbit that was even a possibility.

I answered for him: “Yes! We want to know!”

This doctor had guessed at 12 weeks that this baby had lady parts, and he was only too pleased to confirm his “guess.”

I stopped on my way home from the doctor’s office to pick up some new shoes for Mojo, and I found a cute little newborn-sized pair of frilly girl shoes to pop in the sack next to them – a telltale purchase meant to give away the surprise to my mom, who was babysitting while I went to the doctor.

“I got some shoes for the kids,” I told her. And then I sat back and watched her squeal in delight. Fun!!

Mojo, by the way, seemed happy enough with the news. He’s been racing around the house for days, periodically screeching to a halt and demanding that whoever is in his path be the baby. “Wah, wah, wah,” we cry, giving him a chance to figure out how to help us feel better. (It’s a little inconvenient when he tells us we can’t talk or walk or eat long after we’re ready for the game to end, but eh. At least he’s taking an active role, right?) He’s talked all along about his “sister,” but just before I left for my ultrasound he announced that he hoped the baby would be a brother because girls are yucky.

He would like to name the baby Snuffalufagus or Milk, and while those aren’t quite my first choices, at least he’s made more progress than my husband and I. We haven’t agreed on anything so far and I’m thinking that we could conceivably spend as much time finding a name as we did on the conception. But since the hospital probably won’t let us leave the hospital with our daughter (!!) until we’ve filled out her birth certificate, we might need some help. Anyone with girl name suggestions out there?! We’re open to anything right now!!

Every budget-savvy mama loves a good garage sale, and there is a HUGE one beginning today in Rogers and continuing through Saturday. There are at least three neighborhoods participating – the Manors, Highland Knolls and Ridgecrest. They’re located on Pleasant Grove Road, just off the Pleasant Grove exit from Interstate 540. A few years ago at this sale, I nabbed a train table (with drawer storage), a bazillion wooden tracks, and the Brio trains themselves for $40. The same set would have cost me more than $300 new at the store. I am so pleased with that find that I’m still bragging about it. Happy treasure hunting, mamas!

Tell us how your baby arrived and win a relaxing reward from Luxe Derma Spa and Beauty Lounge!

Every year on my daughter’s birthday, I pause at 4:34 p.m. and allow myself time to remember the moment she officially made me a mother. I never expected it would be by C-section, but that’s where I ended up. I felt my lower body moving and I held my breath, waiting for the doctor to say the baby was out and fine. When I heard her cry, a single tear ran down my face and I asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?” When the doctor said I had a little girl, I asked another question: “What color is her hair?” He replied: “Wet.” I laughed and cried at the same time, warm tears streaming down my face and into my ears. Then my husband had her in his arms, and then I did. I kissed her tiny cheek and felt euphoric. This was a beginning. I was somebody’s mama.

Don’t most mamas love telling their birth story? When you’re the one who’s pregnant, you can’t seem to shut them up! Now that I’m on the other side, it’s me who’s nattering on about mucus plugs and ruptured membranes and generally scaring the holy heck out of pregnant women with my story. I really try to stay away from the full truth, which involved a 6:30 a.m. Pitocin cocktail on a frigid Friday morning and lounging ever so patiently in a hospital bed for my little bundle of joy to arrive at 4:34 Saturday AFTERNOON (please note the 22-hour time span and wince accordingly). I really try to skip the part where the baby couldn’t descend and I wouldn’t progress and everything was a hot mess of confusing confused-ness. Well, I try to skip it. It’s hard not to tell your down and dirty birth story. But here at MotherLode, we’re ASKING you to tell us. Write down every little detail and send it on over.

The winning essay – which will be chosen based on how unique, entertaining, or moving it is – will be featured on MotherLode and the winning mama will receive a Mother’s Day Getaway Giveaway package from Luxe Derma Spa and Beauty Lounge, which will include a half-hour massage, Bilberry facial, manicure, pedicure, makeup and spa lunch. Runners up will receive their own cool gifts and get their stories published on the MotherLode site, too.

Whether it was in a hospital delivery room, a swimming pool in your living room (Hi, Kassie!), or at an orphanage in China, we want to hear your unique story about how that sweet baby came into your life.

The deadline for entries is Monday, May 5, and winners will be announced the Friday before Mother’s Day weekend. Send your essays to MotherLode at 2818 Green Acres Drive, Rogers, Ark., 72758, or e-mail them to mamas@nwamotherlode.com. We can’t wait to hear your stories!