Today is my birthday and I have been thinking in particular about how thankful I am for what my mother went through so that I could be here today. As I hear it, it was not a particularly difficult pregnancy or birth, but as I am going through my own pregnancy on this day, I am more aware than before what it all entails. So thanks, Mama!
I also have to hat-tip to my Dad, who made some very special gestures for my birthday lunch with the family this past Sunday. Not only did he get out 33-year-old pamphlets on birth advice for the father (what a read!), some delightful old photos and a few of my baby toys, he also managed to talk Mama into recreating my first birthday cake. A chocolate teddy bear. It was adorable and delicious. So, thanks, Dad!
I am also overwhelmed by how much love and support my friends give me (made evident today by the multitude of birthday well-wishes), and it truly is a testament to our friendship. I love each and every one of you, near and far. Thank you for being in my life.
Next week is the big ultrasound. The one where they take all the measurements and check the development of all the organs and make sure things are in general progressing nicely. It is also the time when we could find out the sex of the baby. And to answer all your questions: No. We are not finding out. In this day and age of instant information on everything on the planet, we are actually really excited to have the biggest surprise of our lives stay that way without the need for a spoiler alert.
I have taken a few baby bump pictures and I apologize for being remiss in sharing them. Knitting a new human at the atomic level is exhausting and in addition to working full time and getting the house ready to sell, I keep managing to forget or be too tired to post them. But, I will. I promise.
Oh, you like how I snuck in that part about selling the house?
So that’s the other big news. We have decided to sell the house. While we could make our “office” a nursery, we don’t want to. Besides, quite a few of our friends have clustered in a lovely little neighborhood and being near friends (especially other parents) feels very important at this stage in our lives. So, the house goes on the market the Monday after the Super Bowl. Tell your friends! It’s a great house in a great part of town and I, for one, will miss it dearly. It was perfect for that stage in our lives, but now it is time to find one that will be perfect for this next chapter we are about to begin.
When you go to the big ultrasound, make sure to tell EVERYBODY that you do NOT want to know the sex of the baby.
The norm is for parents to want to know, and so that is what they are used to doing. So tell the person when you check in, as well as the technician(s).
You may even go so far as to ask them that when they are checking measurements in *that* area, to turn the monitor away from you so you can’t accidentally see anything!
And yay for not finding out the sex! That’s what we did and I loved the surprise!
-Kim