We think so, anyway.
I planned my ultrasound for my birthday so that I would have something to look forward to on my big day. I scheduled the ultrasound close to lunch and close to Tim's work so we could sneak in a quick lunch date.
We have been a bit at odds about finding out the gender of the baby. With Penelope, we didn't find out. I figured, only for the last 20-ish years have people been able to find out with any certainty the gender, so I decided to join the millennia of women who found out after they endured the hard work of labor.
However, Tim had me convinced our baby was a boy. So when Penelope came out and Tim told me we just had a girl, I wasn't that excited — I was just mad at Tim. I wasn't sad that she was a girl, I was just frustrated that I had anticipated having a boy and my expectation wasn't met. And did I mention it was Tim's fault?
So, we found out with August.
And in my mind there wasn't an option for this baby #3, but Tim really liked the excitement of not knowing. I really, really, really wanted another girl, and Penelope did, too. I could handle the disappointment, but I think it would be a little bit cruel to rock the 3-year-old's world when her life will already be jolted with a new baby and mom's new demands. So, better to break the news of a boy now than when she meets him in a few months, right?
When we got to the appointment we agreed to have the ultrasound tech write down the gender and we would open it at lunch. It's a little awkward to have a complete stranger announce really important, life-altering news in that little dark room. But I'm not into the overly elaborate gender reveal business.
My belly was all jellied and the baby was there with it's little heart beating, so that was great. For the first time during an ultrasound, I could identify what we were looking at. With my previous ultrasounds, my brain turned everything into a face, so we'd be looking at kidneys, and I'd see eyes and a nose.
But this time I could tell the tech was trying to find gender-revealing parts. She would head down there and then resume looking at the brain or the heart. After a while, she told us that the baby's legs were crossed, so she couldn't really tell. But she kept trying. She would nudge my belly in hopes of making the kid move, but it just wouldn't.
And then, all of the sudden, she turned off the machine.
"Did you figure out the gender?" Tim asked.
"Yeah, I think so," she said.
Not too convincing. I didn't see the baby move a foot. I'm convinced the tech was just impatient and wanted to get to her lunch break.
Afterward, Tim and I had a really great date at Table 128 (get the ugly doughnut appetizer if you go). And we opened the envelope. And it said:
So, in the mean time, Penelope and I are planning on the girl. But I'm not 100% convinced. I know she didn't see anything, but that doesn't mean there wasn't anything to see. I could get an elective ultrasound. In fact, there's a shop within walking distance of my house that does them, but I can't decide if it's worth the $100-170 to do it.
I have about three months left of this pregnancy to figure out if I need confirmation. What do you think I should do?
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