Lest you think it's all tantrums and tears over here...

Baby Girl Johnson will be joining the world in mid-October!!! This is the time to overuse exclamation points, people.

And since everyone weirdly wants to see preggy pics (probably so we feel better about ourselves since we're not as fat as the pregnant lady), here's a recent pic of me at 21 weeks:

I want to say a million things about this girl, my daughter. So many thoughts and dreams and hopes and fears and prayers. So many things I want to say right. Say beautifully. But motherhood has taught me that I won't always say things right and beautifully, and that's okay. Maybe that's one of the things I want her to know most: Mama won't love you perfectly, but she'll love you wholly, fiercely, faithfully, enduringly, and I'll point you to the only One who gives perfect love.

Raising a girl sounds wonderful and daunting all at the same time. I look forward to showing her what a strong, humble, wise woman of God looks like while feeling the full brunt of modeling womanhood to her. I anticipate an intimate friendship unique to us, but also seasons of tension and misunderstanding. I'm excited about helping her navigate this world thoughtfully, but also expect conversations about skirts being too short and why you may not have a cell phone at age eight. It's those joys and sorrows of parenthood, knowing that my heart is about to expand to an unimaginable capacity while also knowing that she will experience pain, confusion, misunderstanding, and injustice that I can't protect her from all the time (nor should I). It's a beautiful tension, and one I welcome.

In the midst of all the deep what-it-means-to-have-and-raise-a-girl thoughts, I'm also enjoying lots of light-hearted thoughts, like how to decorate her room and what to name her. Speaking of names, send me your best ideas--first and middle names! Girl names are hard. My requirements:

• Must be at least a little different since our last name is Johnson
• Must mean something more than "wetlands" or "dove hunter." Extra points if you can make a spiritual connection
• Must be appropriate with our last name (this one will get you if you're not careful...Ophelia, anyone?)
• Does not have to be Biblical just because our first child has a Biblical name, but we're not opposed to Biblical names either.

For now, she's Baby Girl. And I can't wait to meet her.