Boring Post

Tax Day.

Yeah, right. Due dates are SOOOOOOOO overrated.
They are more of an "there is an end in sight" day.



































Okay so this may not be the most boring post I have ever done. Just the opposite. I am super excited. We are excited! Most everyone ASSUMES things they shouldn't. In this case, many were calculating to far in advance when we would be adding "Baby B", as I have affectionately nicknamed this one, to our family.
We truly did have to work around a horibble schedule of insurance changes. Then to my dismay, I thought I had kept a little better track of my cycle, and on my calendar is what I could call "code". It doen't help that I don't know what the "code" means. I wrote my name down in July with a "?" mark after it.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN????

I don't know still, but it caused a little drama of not knowing how far along I was. It's hard to announce anything when you can't give them much information. We had to have an ultrasound to determine where I was, which was anywhere between 10-19 weeks. That is a pretty big difference. On Monday, I was graciously squeezed into an appointment at Teton Radiology. That told us that we were 15 weeks 5 days, and that Baby B had it's heart, bladder, stomach, etc. It truly was to early to tell the gender, but it doesn't matter.

WE ARE NOT FINDING OUT.

Shock and Ah.

Take a deep breath. It's not that hard to do.
And don't say to me that "You have to get ready" and to get ready means knowing the gender. I have had three babies, and that is a load of pooh. If there is any comment about not finding out that drives me more insane and makes me think you are the biggest baby, it's that one. "Have to get ready." There is no such thing. First off, you are never really ready for a child. Never enough money, time, etc for such a thing. You can never be emotionally prepared, despite the number of kids you have. You never know what kind of child you are receiving from God. It could be one like our Jocelyn who appears to be angelic thus far, or one sweet little boy like Cortnie's who arrives with major needs like heart surgery, or it can be one like Steph's sweet little bear, Blake, who has been termed as "handicapped" and will be his whole life, or you can get one like our little Landon, who is an absolute 'boy' in every sense, easy going, loving, loud, energetic, attracted to dirt, etc.

You just can't be ready for that little personality. It's too unique and individual.
If you think that a paint color on the wall and a load of washed and folded blue or pink clothes is what will "Make you ready" you aren't really looking at what motherhood requires in my person opinion.

Be honest with yourself. Kyle wants to know the gender so bad it's nearly killing him, but he survived the last two kids without knowing like a champ. He wants to know because he doesn't like NOT knowing. Which is fair for him to say, because he has lived through both experiences. I love that he is honest with why he wants to know if we are having a boy or a girl.

Now, I can hear the voices of sweet pioneer women as they roll over in their graves at the things we say about knowing the gender, having epidurals, having a NICU available, seeing an OB every few weeks, and complaining about the dishes, grocery shopping, and our weight. There are a few good reasons I was born in the 21st centruy and not the 17th. So I try pretty hard not to whine about the things that would be 50 times harder should I have lived then. Like sewing my own clothes. After reading "These Is My Words" I have a new appreciation for all kinds of daily tasks in my life. {Thanks Erin! That was good for me.}

Not finding out the gender is the one thing I can do to be like that awesome pioneer woman whom I think is a saint in her children's eyes, her husband's eyes, and in God's eyes. I do not want and will not deliver at home or anything like that, but waiting a 17-20 more weeks I can do.

Another thing that cracks me up is when friends of mine tell me "Maybe if I had one of each, I could do that, not find out." I can see finding out on the first one, there are a lot of things to purchase. But the biggest finicial mistake you can do is buy everything from socks, to pacifier keepers, to onsies, to carseats all in pink. Unless you have the money to burn. There are lots of reasons to go nuetral on things like carseats and onsies. I can also see finding out if you are having a surprise baby that comes a few years after the 'baby' of the family was born and you have DI'ed everything you own. Sure, there are reasons. Or finding out in Autumn's case, where you are going to have a half a million ultrasounds. I don't think the strongest of us all could handle not finding out when under that monitor every month or more. Plus, your chances of seeing the gender are to high.
So sure, there are times to find out.

Sorry if it feels like I am on my soap box. I am not. This is just my personal journal entry on this subject of babies and gender and I wanted to write what I think and feel about it. With that said...

For me, there is just something so incredible about having Dr. Hall hand me my newborn child and saying,

"Congratulations, you have a son." or "Here she is, your daughter."

It's incredible. So much more fantastic than having an ultrasound tech pushing on your VERY full bladder with her little monitor and saying, "Yeah I would say it's a boy. See the third leg." or "I am 90% sure it's a girl." or "Gosh, baby just isn't cooperating well, but I think it's a boy. We might have to do another ultrasound if you want to know for sure." All of which are real comments techs have said to pregnant gals.
Not to mention the few friends of mine who thought they were having a girl and had a boy instead. Or vice versa.

"Here is your son."

So cool.