Sunday, August 26, 2007

An Heir and a Spare

A terrific benefit to being pregnant in Peru is that every doctor visit involves an ultrasound. So, at about 17 weeks we went in for my usual appointment to see if the genetic test results were normal (they are) and if the baby was growing as it should be (it is) and the doctor asked, "do you want to know the gender." Of course we want to know the gender! Since I found out I was pregnant I have been fantasizing about a whirlwind US shopping spree where I envision myself with heaps of clothing being gathered up as if my life depended on it. And, of course, the clothes in this daydream are always frilly, bedecked with flowers, ruffles, ribbons and rosettes, deliciously cute and above all PINK! Add to that my endless cravings for all things sweet (cupcakes, brownies, cheesecake, milkshakes, s'mores, candy and on and on and on) which usually means you're expecting a girl


and you can imagine our surprise when the doctor said...


Of course we are thrilled and not just at the inevitable financial benefits we will garner now that a whirlwind shopping spree is unnecessary (don't get me wrong, there will be shopping, though perhaps not to the degree I had planned). We are thrilled that he is healthy and developing normally and that this pregnancy has been uneventful so far. We are also delighted our family is expanding. And boys are great, we love boys. Furthermore, as my mother pointed out, boys are generally easier than girls over the long haul - she's got several of both so we'll trust her assessment. And, despite my daydreams, I have never really been the frilly type so perhaps this is just as well. And, depending upon how things go, baby #2 probably won't be our last so we could still have plenty of ruffles in our future. The only real issue expecting a boy creates is coming up with a name. We have had a girl's name at the ready since well before we ever needed one. But, as we found with Caleb, boys name are hard for us. We didn't even name Caleb until almost 2 days after he was born. Plus there is all kinds of pressure as you consider ways the name could be turned into something insulting or cruel, or what the initials spell or who to name the baby after (or rather who not to name the baby after for fear that you'll be reminded of that gross boy who drove you crazy in 7th grade) and the cadence of the first name, middle name, last name combination presents a challenge as well. At this point we don't even have any contenders and are hoping lightning will strike convincingly and soon.

9 comments:

Kristy said...

That's great news. You guys definitely know how to have cute boys! You gotta love the ultrasound on every appointment!

Jessica said...

I always think I'll love my boys slightly less and then they get here and I remember how fabulous they are. And I'm with you on boy names...it's got to be the right mix of interesting, yet masculine, yet not wierd. Good luck.

Paige said...

Yay! You do boys well. And boys names are the hardest. My next boy was going to be Levi, but since I'll never use it unless there's a mistake that shows up you can have it. it's biblical, short, and masculine. Plus Levi's jeans are so over.

OnCallMom said...

I'm so excited for you! Congrats!!

Heather said...

My mother-in-law also points out that boys are easier...of course, she only has boys.

Heather, Carlos or Sebastian are all lovely names for a boy.

Anonymous said...

Congrats!! We are super excited to see you all this winter. It will be fun to see Garret and Caleb together. It will be nice that they all have boy cousins pretty close in age!!

The Doughracle said...

Congratulations on son #2.
And of course Andrew would rather be with me in Paris, but is smarting that you keep siding with me :) whilst :) I on the other hand have no problems with it - thanks guys! :)

Adrianne said...

Congrats...we'll both have to wait on that frilly pink shopping spree.

kimcolton said...

Hey guys, congrats. We are headed back to DC this week, and then off for a new adventure in October....check our blog for the update.

 

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