It's a...

First of all: it's healthy. The woman that 'did' the ultrasound promised to tell us the gender all the way at the end of the check up. First, of course, we all wanted to know whether the baby was healthy. Now didn't we?

So I tried, tried HARD not to peek between those legs throughout the whole half hour she screened the baby. Well, to be honest, even after four healthy babies and numerous ultrasounds (it's what you get when you make large babies and your belly button appears to be located much lower than average; midwives tend to think your child will be huge and they keep on sending you in for size related ultrasounds. I'm sort of glad I never really worried about the possible long term effects of ultrasounds...) I am still not a professional ultrasound reader and she went over those genitals really, really quick.

So at first glance I though I saw the baby was a girl. But no, why would a girl have testicles? But really, how come she's suddenly talking about the brain now?

I remember our obstetrician with our second pregnancy clearly, when he was checking the head and said that it was not going to be a marine. We, of course, thought he was telling us that we were going to have a baby girl. But he meant nothing more than: the baby obviously has a brain ;-)

On and on the midwife we had today went. She was nice, she was thorough and our baby appeared to be happy and healthy. We saw the cutest little hand, beautifully bended legs, the most adorable feet. We saw the blood flow in the heart, the parts of the brain, everything looked perfect.

And then, finally, she showed us (and took a very indecent snapshot) the area between the legs. I predicted what I hoped I had seen somewhat before and I happened to be right! Totally and utterly against my instincts: we're  having a baby girl!

Frankly, we couldn't be happier. A girl, a baby girl, a little princess to add to our family as our youngest and, most probably, last child. We can't believe how blessed we are. A girl will balance our family perfectly. Yah, yah, yah, I could of course go on and on about this and about how welcome a boy would have been. I won't. It's A Girl!!!

Twenty weeks

Yesterday I was twenty weeks pregnant of our fifth. Tomorrow we're going in for the twenty week ultrasound. We can't wait. Wishing it to be healthy, of course. And then: the gender question!

Adding a girl to our bunch would bring more balance. With the Princess and the Plumber, a little more estrogen would not hurt.

Adding a boy to our bunch would bless us with two boys in a row: a novelty for our family. Would I be up to it? Two boisterous, loud, fighting, rambling boys in a row? Can I do that?

Er, yeah, I know, there are no more options and it's a little late to start worrying about what I would do with two-boys-in-a-row. But still, one can panic, can't one?

More tomorrow...