The Best-Laid Plans

Well, it's a funny bit of justice....

My step-dad wasn't able to attend the sonogram with me last Wednesday. He apparently had a pulled muscle that was acting like it might be some kidney trouble, so he bowed out. (Quite a clever excuse not to go, I think.)

But I asked the ultrasound tech to put the answer in an evelope. She said, "I can't write it down, but I can take a picture." (I thought she said she could label the picture, but apparently, I misunderstood her.) So I walked out with the picture in the envolope and thought I had a nice, tidy little birthday present for Chuck.

Come Friday, the next time I was in Zephyrhills, I gave Chuck the envelope and told him to go into the bedroom to look at it. He can have a poker face, but I just wanted to make sure. So he comes out of the bedroom and says, "Julie, it's just a picture." I said, "Well, isn't it labeled?" It wasn't and he's clueless when it comes to looking at sonogram pictures, so I gave him special dispensation. I told him he could show it to my mom and hope that she could figure it out. So she took it to the bathroom and cloistered herself for at least a good five minutes. No deal. She couldn't figure it out, either.

So they decided to take it down to Chuck's siters, Terry, who has many grandchildren and, presumably, more experience with decoding sonograms. Didn't work. She told them I'd be having a hurricane, because that's what it most resembled to her. I don't know what that means.

So I'm really torn now. I was convinced that it was a boy. I was fully convinced. But boy parts are relatively easy to identify, whereas girl parts are sneaky and unobtrusive. I've gone from being 98% sure it was a boy to about 60%.

I suppose it really doesn't matter. God figured that out for us nine months ago and we really can't be worried about it. But my nerves are absolutely not ready for a squeally 13th birthday party sleepover. But the good news is, that if it really is a girl, I'll have 13 years to prepare. And hopefully she'll be the kind that doesn't dig the squeally stuff. Or the drama. Or the haircare products. Or the designer clothing. Or the hunky football players. Only her daddy. Maybe she'll have good hormones. I'm really not ready to deal with a girl, come to think of it.

I have yet another OB appointment tomorrow. I'll try to keep my blog updated, but can't make any promises.

I'm Huge. Deviousness. And Freedom from Obligation.

I've been requested by a particularly annoying friend to update my blog, so here goes. Life's been pretty normal with nothing incredible to write about. We're getting down to the last few weeks before the baby comes. I'm due three weeks from Sunday.

Eric accompanied me to the doctor's visit yesterday. She seemed to think that I might be getting a little 'big'. Hmmmm....that may explain Twila's comment from two days ago: "See what I mean...She's HUGE!" Yes, my dear, sweet, compassionate friend spoke those words to her daughter Brittney (also eight months pregnant, but with a broken leg) right in front of me. I was really surprised that she had what it takes to speak those ugly words in my presence. And I will never forget about four years ago she had her feelings hurt when I said that she has a funny little quirk where she occassionally engages her mouth before she thinks about how it will sound. I can't imagine why I would have said that.

But since the doctor seemed to echo her sentiment, I suppose I'll have to forgive her. Actually, I already have because the fact of the matter is: I'm huge.

So anyway, my doctor wants me to have a quick sonogram to check on the weight of the baby. If it's too big, they'll probably induce me sometime before they normally would. So I have a sonogram scheduled for next Wednesday, which happens to be my step-dad, Chuck's, birthday. He'll be SIXTY! And it'll be the 10-year anniversary of his quadruple bypass. So here's my devious plan....I'm going to take him with me to the sonogram and have the tech tell him if it's a boy or a girl. He's going to be the only one in the world to know (aside from the tech who will forget about five minutes after we're gone) if I'm having a boy or a girl. Is that an awesome birthday present or what?! But I've sworn him to secrecy. He can't even tell my mother. So for three weeks, he's going to know and no one else will. I think it's cool, but if he messes up and spills the beans to ANYONE, I will hold a grudge for a very long time.

Why did I devise that nasty little plan? Mostly to drive my mother nuts, but now that I think about it, it'll drive Twila nuts, too. And that's not a bad thing. Also, I know I can trust Chuck to keep a secret. At least for three weeks. He's just naughty enough that he'll really enjoy bugging my mother with his unmerited insight. I'll hear about it for years to come, but I think it's a cool little twist. It'll be fun. I just hope the sonogram tech will be willing to tell him since we're not really there to learn that bit of information.

On a completely different note, Eric is taking the boys camping this weekend. They'll be gone from Friday evening until Sunday when I get back from church. Yes, you heard it here first! I will have my house to myself for the first time in well over eight years! I've gone on a couple of trips just myself since the boys have come along, but always away from home and for a specific purpose. Never have I had MY house to MYself to just relax and do what I want to do. For almost two whole days.

Of course, there are a couple of obligations that I have to fulfill in town, so I will, unfotunately, have to leave and run into town on Saturday afternoon, which is a bit of a bummer, but I'm still very excited. And I think I'm going to go with them to set up camp this evening, so I probably won't get home until late evening and I have to wake up and get to church on Sunday morning, but all in all....I'm still going to have seven or eight waking hours to my own self this weekend....in MY OWN HOUSE! Do you get that I'm a little jazzed about this?

Well, the next time I post will probably be POST partum. (Hey, that was funny.) You'll be able to hear all the gorey details of labor and delivery and you'll enjoy it, by golly.