Patriotic Son

My son has an undying love for the "Uhmercan FLAG!". He spots them from his carseat as we ricochet through the city (it IS like a game of bumper cars, I swear), from the stroller, from the sidewalk on our post-dinner, pre-bath jaunts through the neighborhood. He loves to point one out and screech "I see an Uhmercan FLAG waving in the wind! RIGHT THERE!" which is usually followed up by "Mommy? Can WE get an Uhmercan FLAG for our house? I NEED one." I always, and gently, told him we would get one "later"..until this weekend. Memorial Day weekend brings the flags out in abundance and there was no way to put this purchase off any longer.

 

Noah is now the proud owner of his very own "Uhmercan FLAG!":

Of course I posed him like that. Hand over heart, pledge of allegiance, go USA!

20 Weeks (2 weeks late)

Here we are (or, erm, were, two weeks ago)!

We're half way to September 30th. On one hand, hooray for being half way done baking this baby! On the other, it is going to be one long, hot summer without margaritas and chilled Sauv Blanc on the deck.

How embarrassing that the stair painting project is STILL not done. This working plus child-rearing thing is really putting a crimp in my productivity around the house. It's too bad I can't kick either job to the curb to free up some time. (Mom, I'm joking...I would totally give you first dibs on Noah.) Maybe by the time I take a 24 week photo that painter's tape will be down. But don't hold your breath.

In other news, we're trying out a name (first and middle) for this baby. Tim is decided on it while I am decidedly NOT decided. If we pick it, and it is THE name, I will share it here. For now, we're keeping mum while I make up my mind. Not to beat this horse to death, but picking a girl's name is painful for me (like ripping off a band-aid painful, not like I tear up at the mention of a specific name or anything). I have a hundred boys' names that I adore and love but girls' names elude me. I LIKE a lot of them. I just can't find The One.

How did you pick your kid(s) names? Did you happen upon one and just KNOW? We knew with Noah and had it decided before he was even conceived. This one though? NO CLUE. (Side note: during that same conversation where we picked out our future son's name we also chose a girl's name...that we then used on the damn DOG. Idiots.)

It's probably a girl...probably.

Yet again, our unborn child thwarted our plans. "She" remained tightly curled into a cozy little ball (why, yes! the fetus was in the fetal position!) and refused to budge for over half an hour despite me rolling onto all sides, the tech jabbing the ultrasound wand all over my stomach, and Tim's pleas to the baby to behave. We were able to see that "she" was growing right on schedule and healthy as can be so if that's the takeaway then we're good. The most important thing is that the baby is healthy. Always.

 

We have a 80% chance it's a girl and 20% chance it's a boy...however, just the lack of obvious boy parts doesn't have me wholly convinced on the matter.

 

We have a few options here:

 

1) We wait until the 32 week ultrasound when we will have a bigger baby and better chance of seeing gender. Again, no guarantees "she" will cooperate since "she's" proving "herself" to be rather stubborn. (This is still 12 loooooonnnnnggg weeks away. Ugh.)

 

2) We wait until the delivery and have a birth day semi-surprise. (Yeah...I'm not so good with surprises.)

 

3) We make an appointment at one of those 3D ultrasound joints that our doctor dislikes and try again to the tune of $150. (The least appealing but also most crazy-hormonal-pregnant lady friendly option).

 

What would you do?

He's got it "under control"

We're currently potty training. This is a daily exchange in our house:

Me: So, Noah, do you feel like you have to go potty?

Noah: No, Mommy. We're fine.

Me: We?

Noah: Yes, my peni$ and me are doing just fine. We're a-ok. I've got it unnnnnddddder control.

Me: Uh, ok, good to hear...

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Also, and randomly, I am in love with this website: Dinner, A Love Story. I adore blogs and sites that tell me how to make cooking weeknight dinners easier and give me tips and tools to make it happen. This one does that but it's also adorable and funny and all around cute. Thumbs up.

Pink or Blue? We still don't know.

So there was that thing today, at the doctor's office, involving goop and a wand (BOTH kinds...I was, uh, unprepared for that one). That thing that was to tell us that we were having a BOY or a GIRL. And guess who just refused to cooperate? Who decided to a) dash from side to side of my uterus like it was a freakin' roller derby and the u/s tech was the opponent and b) end up curled into a ball for a wee nap that my doing jumping jacks wouldn't even shake? Suffice to say we have to go back next week for a follow up scan and this baby better lose the 'tude and cooperate. I want to see those legs spread and 100% confirmation of its gender...because right now we're only 80% sure it's a GIRL. Oh lordy.

 

A GIRL. You guys. This is a little more than my pea-brain could handle today. (Side note: pregnancy for me is like me having two glasses of wine and the effect lasting all day long. I have no short-term memory and am only semi-lucid. My bosses love it.) I was convinced this occupant was a boy. I have boys. That's what I do. (Though I only have one so it's not like a track record or something...see: semi-lucid state). I was falling in love with the idea of brothers and Noah teaching his little brother all about trucks and trains and front-loaders. I was also already mourning the idea of not having a little girl and all the lovely things little girls bring to families. And then WHOMP. Curve ball! They think it's a girl...hey, Tim, did you hear that? A GIRL! WTF? (Also? Chinese gender predictor charts are RIGHT, so there.) 

 

Will I love a little girl as much as I love my son? Absolutely. Do I think Noah is going to adore his baby sister? Completely. Am I totally terrified of raising a daughter? You better f'ing believe it. But I am also very, very, very, very excited. Now I finally have someone to take care of me when I'm old and Noah is off married to some hussy who made him move to California. That is why people have daughters, right?

 

(This could all be a moot point next week when we go back and they say "Whoops, we were wrong! Sorry about that! There's his penis!" I'll keep you posted.)

Pink or Blue: which one, say you?

I apologize in advance but it's baby on the brain right now as we get so close to The Big Ultrasound. Two days. TWO DAYS! My gut is telling me it's a boy but the Chinese gender prediction chart (which was right with Noah BTW) is saying girl. Plus this pregnancy has been so very different than my last. Of course, that really doesn't mean anything. I am probably growing another little penis inside of me and will be surrounded by fire trucks and front loaders forever and ever. Not that it's a bad thing AT ALL. I love me a shiny red fire truck.

Tell me: what do YOU think I've got cooking in there? Boy or Girl?

(Side note and because I think this is so cute: Noah has taken to calling me "Mommy Lamb" as in "Could I please have a drink of water/a back rub/my blankie/a cuddle, Mommy Lamb?" complete with sweet face and batting of the eyelashes. Then he calls himself my "Little Lamb" and my heart melts into a puddle all over him. Let us remember these moments when he is darling and not possessed by the devil.)