Boy vs Girl

In two hours we are going to know if Ellie is getting a little sister or a little brother. Nowadays, it's always the big question everyone asks - "do you know what you're having?", next to "when are you due?"

We take it for granted now. I'm sure those of our parent's generation would have loved to have known whether they were having a boy or a girl when they were pregnant, but of course the technology wasn't there. Now, it's like an entitlement. We have to know. They have to tell us. Otherwise, it's like we're being robbed. When we had our 20 week ultrasound with Ellie, the technician couldn't really tell for sure if Ellie was a girl or boy. She said, "I think she's a girl, but I'm not 100% positive." And she didn't really want to take the time to make sure. I was devastated. I felt cheated, like she was doing some sort of shoddy work. When in fact, the ultrasound is done, not to find out the gender (as so many parents are dying to know) but to make sure that everything is in order with the baby as far as development goes.

Even knowing that however, we are still approaching this ultrasound with the same great anticipation: "is it a boy or is it a girl?" That is the big question on our minds. We can't wait to find out.

I don't understand people who don't want to find out. My brother and his wife are among that group of people. For each of their five children, they never knew whether they were having a boy or a girl. I don't get it. Most folks seem to think that it ruins some kind of surprise or something. I say, "no, you just get the surprise a little early - when you are not overwhelmed with labor and when you actually have time to prepare." It's great - you can make sure you have all the right clothes, decorate the room, etc. Why wouldn't everyone want to know????? I will never understand it.

Anyway, so we go into the ultrasound today, and I can't wait. I really don't have any premonitions. I am kind of hoping for a girl, only because I love Ellie so much, and I would love to have another girl just like her. Plus, we have all of the things for a girl, so it would make things easier. Also it seems like everyone else we know who is pregnant currently (with one exception) is expecting a boy. So it would be nice to provide a little bit of variety. Ellie is one girl among many boys her age that we know, and I like that. But of course, I would be happy if we are having a boy. Though Matt threatens to tell him that his mother didn't want him - which is simply ridiculous.

All I can say is thank goodness for technology and the wonderful person who figured out how to do ultrasounds. Because if I had to wait until November to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl, I would go crazy! It's only two hours away, and I'm going crazy as it is.