Week 19: It's a …

… nother boy!!! The kids bit into their blue-filled Krispy Kremes Wednesday evening and exhibited mixed reactions. My 3-year-old boy was simply excited. My 6-year-old boy said, “I really wanted a girl so the girls and boys would be even, but I knew it was going to be a boy.” And then there’s my poor 9-year-old daughter, who expressed the same feelings I’d been playing with all day. We knew it was likely to be a boy, based on how I’ve been feeling, but we were hoping hard that we’d be surprised with a little sister. Now there’s some mourning involved as we move on.

It’s funny how confirming baby’s gender has suddenly changed my vision of our future. I’m seeing that in the short-term, I won’t get to go shopping for darling baby girl clothes. Looking ahead, though, I’m realizing that when my daughter leaves for college, I’ll be in a house full of boys … 15-, 13- and 9-year-old boys. My daughter has once again secured her spot as my BFF, my one and only, but she’s halfway to college already! (Barf!)
What I don’t want is for my baby to feel unwanted in any way. I am so grateful that he appears to be healthy and thriving in there! I’m actually really glad I found out his gender now, so that I can have my day of grieving and then move on, rather than crying in the delivery room. I definitely don’t want disappointment and guilt getting in the way when I should be overjoyed to meet him.
I love my sons to death and wouldn’t trade them for anything. In all honesty, I am disappointed because (1) my girl would have loved to help me raise her little sister, and (2) I worry that my boys will grow up, get married, move away from me, and spend holidays with their in-laws! It’s not a given, but I’ve seen it happen so much among my friends and family. The wife’s family seems to take priority much of the time.
One thing is for sure, this little guy is getting some awesome siblings. They are so excited to meet him and share their toys with him. He will have a solid fan club and some great little people to look up to as he grows. I often talk with my kids about the experiences baby is having in the womb, and they love watching the videos on babycenter.com that animate baby’s development month to month. My 6-year-old, Finn, asked me if we could watch a video of a baby actually being born, but I’m not sure we’re ready for that! I explained that a baby comes out of the mom’s private parts, and that’s why boys and girls are made differently. I also gave a brief explanation of C-sections: Sometimes, the doctor has to cut open the mom’s tummy and take the baby right out! They were disgusted but also fascinated. Watching them learn is one of my very favorite things.