My big ole' belly!

OH NO! My doctor says that she thinks Teddy is gonna be one big boy! Maybe I shouldn't have eaten all of those turkey sandwiches after all. :(

Keep you posted...

And B is for....Boy!

The night before the ultrasound I was cool as a cucumber. I had always wanted a girl but I have such a crush on my husband that I had been hoping that it would be a boy. As much as he gets on my nerves sometimes, when he acts right he really knows how to melt my butter, so the thought of TWO of "them" in my life made my heart smile.

The following morning, we slumbered around the house taking bets on whether the ultrasound would reveal that the baby was a girl or a boy when suddenly my intuition told me to call to confirm my doctor's appointment. After trying to reach the doctor for 20 mins, at 9:20 am we were finally connected to her assistant.

"Hi ma'am. I'm calling to confirm my appointment with Dr. Song. My name is Mrs. Smith and I believe I have a 10:00 o'clock appointment."

"Oh no, dear. Your appointment with Dr. Song is at 10:30 but your ultrasound is in ten minutes! Can you make it down here because we are booked solid."

"Oh no!!! We will be there in 15 mins! I promise. Please don't reschedule us. We are on our way!" I replied.

Pat stood nearby shaking his head when I yelled, "Get dressed we have 10 mins to make it downtown!"

As I jumped in the shower I thought of all the disapproving looks I would get from my mom, my dad, my sister, my friends, and my in-laws if I couldn't tell them if my baby had a penis or vagina.

"Surely, she's not ready to care for a child if she can't remember the most important doctor's appointment of her life," they would think.

20 minutes later I ran into the doctor's office and went to check in.

"I'm sorry. I'm SO very very forgetful. I'm so sorry for being such a bootleg patient. I know that I'm 20 minutes late but please don't send me home."

Luckily the receptionist was more forgiving than the ultrasound technician.

"Ju know...we are booked BERRY BERRY tightly. It is BERRY diffi-cult to con-duct a comprehensive exam when Ju are late. It pushes EVVVEERRYONE else back," the Hungarian technician told me over and over again for the first 15 mins of the examination.

Finally, she said..."Do ju want to know what ju are having?"

Excitedly, Pat and I both said "Yes!"

"Dere is dis penis and dere is dis testicles," she said as she quickly pointed to cloudy image on the screen.

Pat did a double fist pump in the air and I only had time to say "yay! I knew it!" before the technician continued on with the exam, measuring the size of my placenta and uterus.

So there I lay on the table contemplating what it means to bring a little boy into this world. I simply prayed, "Jesus, let him be strong and wise, smart and caring, compassionate and healthy. Most of all Jesus...Let him grow to be like my daddy, my husband, and my brother...and not like MOFO. Amen."

Dear Baby X (Letter #1)

Dear Baby X, aka Teddy Graham, aka Treasure, aka PJ aka The Alien:

I'm really sleepy right now but I wanted to make sure to write you a quick letter before I went to bed. I hope that you are enjoying your whirlpool jacuzzi - Mommy is sure trying to make sure that you stay comfortable. I wonder what you are up to in there...are you trying to work-off those sundaes and potato chips? If so, try some lunges and squats -- those always work for me! I can't wait to meet you - I bet you will be one cute little thing. I wonder if you will have your father's dark features, although I'd love it if you have my eyes and cheeks!

I pray you have your father's determination and my sense of compassion -- outside of our faith and love -- those are the two best things that we have to offer. You will probably have a combination of both of our senses of humor which means that there are surely lots of laughs to come. And despite all my previous cursing about my boss - I hope you learn early to deal with life's challenges with hope, patience, and unshatterable faith because you were given to God before you ever stepped forth on this Earth.

I also hope that you do not work a nine to five job. Although I would support any career you have -- this is the one thing that may break my heart. See the world! Learn Spanish in ways that I never could! Know that home is truly where ever your heart is. Experience the full magnitude of love, even the painful parts -- for it is truly what makes the world go 'round. But most of all, I pray that you find God, joy, and purpose in your life for these three things are the essence of what it means to truly live of life working living.

With Anticipation,

Your Mom