We let the gender be a surprise for both boys but decided to find out this time. First, because we're 95% sure this is our last baby and wanted to try it out. I adore my kids, but I just don't want any more. Is that a good enough reason? I don't know, but 3 sounds like the right number for us, and the idea of having my body back and going through this for the last time is awesome. Second, we're planning to move before this baby is born, and I wanted to clean out our things with the gender in mind. I already have about 6 bins of stuff to get rid of - yes!!
Here's a side view of me on ultrasound day at 20 weeks (actually 21 since my doctor bumped my due date up from August 6th to July 30th):
I posted that picture on Facebook and said I was excited for and a little scared of having a girl, which is true. First Brother said he wanted a sister, and that was my hope too. I love that the boys can learn from her influence and vice-versa, especially as they start dating. I know it could be easier to be the maternal grandmother than the paternal if my kids marry and have families of their own, so that's good too. And I'm excited for the possibility that she'll be close to my sister's little girl since they'll be about 17 months apart. But I'm also worried about fighting with her, which seems more likely for moms and daughters, and I feel more directly responsible for how she turns out. I don't have a lot of girl skills and attitudes, so I might not prepare her in some ways. Baby girl, I'd like to apologize in advance if you are into any of the following:
-Crafts
-Chick flick movies
-Party planning/hosting
-Cheerleading
-Gourmet cooking
-Attending plays, the ballet, and/or the opera
I will also not be able to talk for long about make up or fashion, but I'll try my best if necessary.
After the ultrasound, we got donuts to celebrate (the pink box is girly, right?). I love the smirky look on 2nd Brother's face, like he's saying, "Isn't it something that Mom is having a girl?":
We went to the Apple Store on Chestnut Street to pick up the new iPad that came out that day - my husband had pre-ordered one for himself - and then wandered into Baby Gap. I was thrilled to find this dress, which I bought for her blessing (like a christening):
Some notes on the pregnancy:
-I had another miscarriage before this pregnancy worked out. It was different from the previous two miscarriages because they found a heartbeat and everything looked good at 8 weeks, but I miscarried around 11. I suspected something wasn't right early on because I was once again feeling "too good" (a sign for me but not necessarily for others).
-Since we weren't having a baby in March and I thought I wouldn't be pregnant for awhile, we decided to go to Florida without kids at Christmas. But guess who was 9 weeks along and feeling tired, bloated and barf-y on our special trip? Not the best, but I was grateful for the short 2-month turnaround, and we still had a good time. It seems all we have to do for a healthy pregnancy is plan a trip, because I was about 9 weeks with 2nd Brother on our no-kids London trip too!
-We told the boys early, around 8 weeks because we were joining family for Christmas and I'd already told some of them. Since everything looked healthy at my first appointment and I was feeling icky, I thought it was okay to go ahead. I read the Berenstain Bears And Baby Makes Five book to them to break the news.
-Dum dum lollipops were very helpful with the nausea - how did it take me this long to figure that out? I gave in to drinking soda as needed too, which also let me keep food down when I otherwise wouldn't have. I threw up 3-4 times per week from weeks 6 till 15 or so, and napped almost every day. I'd forgotten how intense that early fatigue can be! And even when I was well-rested, the "I don't want to do anything" malaise was going strong.
-As happened with 2nd Brother, I started showing early, around 10 weeks with this one! I gave in and pulled the maternity pants out around that time. I started getting the achy, creaky, pinchy pains in my pelvic bones, sciatic nerves, and lower back at 12. They let up a bit around 16 but are still there.
