Finding out the Gender (& 10 months pics!)

Our sweet little girl has just had another birthday!
She is 10 months old!  I can't believe how fast this year has flown by.

 

It's getting harder and harder to get a monthly pic of her sitting still and smiling at the camera.
And I'm hoping that her little diaper cake that we do the monthly pics with will last another 2 months until her first birthday!  Every month I have to rebuild it. She pulls out the little tulle toppers every time now!

 

Her Aunt Val made these sweet little bloomers for her. Aren't they the cutest things you've ever seen! They are definitely one of my favorite things from her baby shower.  I was one of those mamas who just HAD to find out the gender as soon as possible. One of the perks of announcing your gender and the baby's name is all the sweet little custom gifts you can stare at in anticipation of baby's arrival. Having the custom stuff in the hospital for the newborn pics was another thing I just absolutely loved. I adored going into my postpartum hospital room and my mom and mother in law hung a banner with her name above my bed. It was so girly and lovely and welcoming. All the nurses thought it was so sweet!

Different strokes for different folks, though. If you are a mama who just can't see any other way but to wait until the birth to find out the baby's gender, then go for it. This Lambie Blog is just my story, and why I chose to find out to gender of my babies before they were born.

The Waiters will say, "How could you ruin the suprise?!"  Um... I didn't. I was still suprised when I found out the sex of my babies. I just could not wait another minute.  I wanted to know and plan and be prepared. I didn't want to believe in my head that the baby was one sex and then on their birth day be let down that I was wrong.  I didn't want any hint of disappointment or mixed feelings to be on their birth day. Because I know that I'm human. I know that I have desires and sometimes disappointment creeps in when you least expect that. I wanted to know just how their birth days would go. And save the best suprise for last. What they will look like.  Will she have my grandmother's hands? My husband's eyes? My hair?  Will she be quiet and calm or will she be perky and boisterous? There a SO MANY suprises when the baby comes.

The suprise of my gender day sonograms was so special. It was just hubs and I in the room with the doctor. When we found out we brought in the grandmothers. It was really special. If only Pinterest had been around at that time, I would known all about gender reveal parties and I would have thrown one of those for my friends and family.  Instead we did it the old fasioned way and announced it on Facebook with a sonogram picture. Old School, right?

My mom was pregnant three summers before she had me. A miscarriage and an infant lost due to heart defect.  Maybe it's my family history that made me want to know their gender in a way to feel closer to my unborn children. I could name them and talk to them in a way that felt more personal to me. It probably sounds so weird to The Waiters because any mama is bonded to her baby from the second she pees on the stick. And there are lots of ways to bond with your baby. This was just something that was really special and important to me. I felt like I knew them and it made me feel more confident as a new mom.

Birth class was terrifying and if I didn't have that mental image of baby girl Devyn or baby boy Cade going into my delivery I don't think I would have been able to do it. The doctors would have really had to sedate me completely to get those babies out. The gender made it so real to me. I knew it was Cade that needed to come out when I was tired of pushing and didn't think I could push any longer.  I knew it was my sweet little boy who needed to meet me. Thinking his name and knowing my little boy blue would be here soon if I kept going helped me get through. Again, you think I'm lame and that's no argument but when it came down to the wire, I was ready to give up and go home and let him be born another day. That's how hard it was to me and even though I was so ready to not be pregnant any more I would have waited another day had it not been Cade. 

Sorry Ambiguous Baby, I just couldn't have you. I needed to know who you were. Your 15 weeks and 20 weeks of being Ambiguous Baby were long enough for me. I needed my Suprise Gender Reveal earlier than 39 weeks and 41 weeks.  So, do I have any regrets? Do I feel like I missed out on one of Life's Greatest Suprises? Absolutely not. 0% regret here. I adored every minute of picking out pink and blue nurseries. Shopping for little details that I would NOT have been able to do with such anticipation and excited with a newborn baby. I would not trade those months of excitedly telling strangers and friends, "It's a girl!" for anything in the world. Hearing their advice about little girls, or little boys or having one of each was really cool. Sometimes strangers suprise you and you learn the coolest things.

Gotta go play with the littles now. Any more reminiscing and I will want to be pregnant again....Not gonna happen! (Yet at least!)

Pregancy in Review

It occured to me this morning as I was making my coffee, that it's been 36 weeks and I've barely blogged about this pregnancy! Here is a quick recap of the highs and lows:

6 months of trying - Went to the new OB panic-stricken about possible secondary infertility. It only took 2 months with Cade, wtf ovaries??! She did bloodwork and an ultrasound and, sure enough, there was a ripe egg looking good. Little did I know that egg would soon become my baby!

Day 1 - I took my pregnancy test before we went down to Aggieland for our RV trip to see the Aggies BTHO Nebraska! Just had to know what kind of tailgater I would be that weekend. After 7 months of trying, I finally saw 2 lines! Success!! While Nick was at work Cade and I ran to Gymboree to get a "Big Brother" shirt. We kept it a secret until morning.

Day 2 - While Nick was starting the RV, Cade and I ran into the house for "one last diaper change". I put on his Big Brother shirt and we went down to the RV to surprise Daddy with the news. Our weekend o' fun just got way more fun!! We debated how it was going to play out b/c our friends would know I was pregnant when I was only drinking water, but we wanted to suprise our parents at Thanksgiving later that week. Luckily they promised not to text, talk, or Facebook our secret! The Aggies won, the RV was a blast, and it was fun to get to tell our long-distance friends who showed up in person about the pregnancy!

Thanksgiving - As Nick said the blessing he ended with blessing our soon to be family of four. I guess the fam was deep in prayer, because there was like 1% reaction. Then some awkward nodding on Nick and I's part "Um yeah, so we're pregnant again" then the fam caught on! Aunt Shanon made the first prediction it would be a girl!

2nd Trimester - Some routine bloodwork came back and my OB called me to let me know that I'd been recently exposed to CMV (CytoMegaloVirus). Since I wasn't ill, chances are everything with the baby was going to be okay, but I'd need to see a sonogram specialist ASAP. The grueling MLK weekend loomed, so I spent the next 4 days Googling CMV and becoming horrified at the possible complications: miscarriage, major developmental and immune disorders, stillbirth, children with 2 year life expectancies, the works. It also occured to me since I was at 16 weeks that we could possibly determine the gender at the ultrasound too. Having had two close friends recently experience miscarriages and wondering if I'd get my wish for a girl I was a hot mess.

16-20 weeks - The ultrasounds turned out good, developmental measurements looked normal. We could see in detail the heart, brain, and other organs were developing typically. Thanking God I said one last quick prayer for a girl as the sono specialist peeked between baby's legs and the 3 lines were revealed -- GIRL!!! As we left the office I broke down into sobs in the hallway. Healthy baby girl was more unbelievable than winning the lottery at that moment, and even now I still question our luck. The chances of any child coming into this world as a typically developing healthy human being truly restores my confidence there is a God and He is good.

Week 20 - 25 Name Debate. We love Caitlyn, but "Cade and Cate" just isn't going to happen in this house. On the way to see the latest Reese Witherspoon movie with Mom we play around with names. I love Dylan (the name of my precious first student ever) even femmed up for a girl. And then I play with the name and come up with Devyn. All through the movie I picture a little fairy of a girl named Devyn and fall in love. We get back to the house where my dad is watching Cade. I excitedly tell him I think I've found a name. He asks me "Isn't that a black name?" Umm... it's not exactly LaQuisha, Dad. Thus begins my 5 week waffling. I buy a baby name book, Google every name out there. I consider Olive, Claire, Madelyn, Poppy, every girly (and random)name out there, but keep coming back to Devyn. I even forbid my mom from saying "Devyn" until I am firmly decided. Nick loves the name, his confidence helps me. We decide on Devyn Alexis.

Week 25 - 30 Nesting instinct even more intense this time around. Now that I know maternity leave isn't a bunch of free time to get stuff done around the house I know that each and every closet and drawer and cabinet in the house must be in supreme organization before this baby gets here! The closets have never looked so good. (Most of them.)

Week 32-35 - School's out for the summer!! Time to get cracking on moving the baby furniture to the new nursery and bringing in big boy furniture for Cade. Transition to big boy bed, painting the room, installing new white doors (my belated Christmas present of '09), sorting through old baby clothes....whew!!

Week 36 - Last week I had my final monthly ultrasound. Baby is still a girl and still growing strong. In fact, her estimated current weight is at 6 lbs 6 oz! wtf?? that's a full term baby! I can't be still 4 weeks out. My OB and I talked it over and decided we'd induce at 39 weeks to avoid birthing another 9 lb toddler. We set the date for Wednesday, July 20th! Now I know when to schedule final hair appointments, wax, mani/pedi's to prep for the big day:) Baby Girl, I can't WAIT to meet you!!

it's a boy!

We found out the sex of the baby today!! All day I was so anxious and excited, just like the feeling I had when I woke up on my wedding day. You know something great is about to happen, but you don't know how it's going to go down. You just know it's going to be one of the most special days of your life.

I left school and drove straight to Presby to meet Nick and our moms. Of course, Nick had on a blue shirt and I had on my pink shoes. I had made up a game in my head as I got in my car. The last child I see before I go into the exam room will be the gender of our child. At the bottom of the elevator bank we ran into a couple who had 5 little boys. The boy who got into the elevator with us was a wild man. When we got off the elevator I was like, well that's it. It's a boy. We turn the corner and as we walk down the hall to the dr office we see a little girl standing by herself. hmm, a girl! Of course, we get to go right into the exam room and have to wait five minutes or so for the sonographer to come in. We decided to have our moms wait in the waiting room so we could find out the sex first and then call them in.

The doctor had told us that she would do the whole sonogram first and then show us the gender at the end. So we would pay attention to the vital organs and development first, and not be too excited to focus. As soon as she put the machine on my belly we saw this image of the baby, and I saw it's a boy. Wow, that's it, it's my child, my baby boy!!! I was amazed and I felt smart. Yes, it was pretty clear it was a penis as the sonogram was projected on a 72" plasma tv! But still, I felt smart. So the doctor says "Oh, I could tell you the gender right now", and I just said "It's a boy!" She said yes, Virginia, there is a penis.

Nick was so excited, we just grabbed each other hands and squeezed and couldn't let go. We both were just smiling like idiots and tilting our heads at the tv screen as she moved the ultrasound around my belly. It was amazing. Our moms came in and we were a mix of emotions. Tears, smiles, laughs. Then she let us hear the heartbeat as we watched our son on the tv. It was such a phenomenal feeling to see him and know it's our boy and hear her calling out measurements with confidence and reassurance that everything was developing normally.

She did think maybe we could bump up the due date because he's a big boy. 83rd percentile in weight, baby! Mom then let the room know that I was a whopping 9 lb 3 oz, and the doctor said "Nevermind, April 1st should be right on then". As soon as I found out it's a boy I knew the April 1st date had to stick. After all those old wives tales told us it was a girl, so the fact that we're having a boy, I know this is our kid. Of course he'd be pranking us in utero. Karma!!

As soon as I can scan in the pics, I'll post them. I'm in love already. Waking up in the middle of night hasn't been so bad now that I can go look at the baby pictures. I already see some of Nick's features in those black and white pictures. Mom says my head was just that big round shape when she had the ultrasound of me. He's beautiful already, I can't wait to meet him!

So world, get ready to welcome Cade Andrew Lamb coming April 2009!