Boy or Girl?

Our 20 week ultrasound is scheduled for June 1st. This is less than one week away! Since we are planning a home birth, we chose to do this ultrasound to determine any health issues that would need to be addressed at the birth. Otherwise, we would probably skip all ultrasounds altogether. Getting just this one is fun though and kind of breaks up the pregnancy into two parts. Its like a reward for all that morning sickness, moodiness and weird-kinda-fat-but-not-really-looking-cute-and-pregnant-yet stuff at the beginning. PLUS, we get to find out the gender!

We did not find out the gender before Clara was born. It was so fun and mysterious to be in labor with her and not only get a baby at the end but finally find out if she was a boy or a girl. I actually held her for a while right after she was born without knowing. All I knew was that my baby was here(three weeks early!) and that "it" was the tiniest thing I had ever seen and I loved "them" so much. I love that I got to talk to her and see and hold her as my child before I knew she was my daughter. Finally, I said, "what is it?" and Jeff made the big announcement, "A Girl!"

With Jack, I knew I wanted to find out. I'm so glad we did cause I was in complete and utter shock for days and days when he was a boy. I'm still in shock. I have a boy. Wow. I was POSITIVE that he was a girl till I saw that ultrasound. My eyes saw before the tech had to explain what I was seeing. After that I couldn't stop laughing or hold still for the rest of the U/S or all day. I kept yelling(happy yells) "WHAT?! A BOY!"

So this time, I'm not making any guesses. No speculations. No predictions. Just wait till 20 weeks.

I feel super grateful for my Girl and Boy. While I'm excited and almost giddy to find out about this baby, I honestly feel no pressure either way. It's so relaxing. I already have a girl and I also have a boy. I'm not "hoping" for either one. I'd be so happy for Jack to gain a brother but also be thrilled for Clara to have a sister. I enjoy dreaming about girl names more than trying to pick a boy name but that's about it. I am so thankful I already have one of each. This one feels like a bonus!

So WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS??? Make a guess on here and check back next Monday for the big announcement. (You don't have to have an account to comment, you can just select "annonymous" and make your pick.

Here are some (unscientific) facts to help you make your pick: (these are based on my two previous pregnancies.) Again, I really have no intuition about this one.

Reasons it could be a GIRL:
~This baby is a surprise.
~My nails are growing fast and long.
~My Hair is growing thicker and shinier.
~I cry at AT&T commercials.
~I also cry at commercials for the Marines. Semper Fi. (I'm very patriotic.)
~I craved baked potatoes for 12 weeks at the beginning.
~I crave sunflower seeds. (ate them a lot with Clara. I know, B vitamins maybe?)
~I just painted my toenails bright pink.
~baby's movements feel gentle and calm inside me. (which reminds me more of Clara than Jack.)
~Baby's heartrate is in the 160's.
~Clara has said that Pumpkin Baby is a girl from the beginning. She uses full "girl" vocab for my belly and the baby: "she, her, my baby sister, when she's born she can borrow my red bow, etc".

Reasons it could be a BOY:
~I do not crave chocolate, would rather have candy.
~I do crave coffee flavor-not caffeine, just coffee. In a cup with a green mermaid on it.
~my nails have stopped growing so fast.
~I'm fairly grumpy and disagreeable. (this happened with Jack. With Clara I was a pregnant blissful Angel.)
~my belly feels low and heavy. (I know, I'm only 19.5 weeks. Third kid in three years, my abs are shot so this could mean nothing.)
~A handful of TMI reasons that I won't post here.
~I am unbelievably forgetful.
~I have a few girl names that I LOVE. But no boy names that I like much. (This is the most convincing reason that this child is a (nameless) BOY.)
~Baby moves often and fast.
~This chart was correct for both my other kids. http://www.webwomb.com/chinesechart.htm

So please make your guess and tell me why if you want. I'm trying to pass the time this week without going crazy! Next week at this time I'll be either sorting through Clara's baby clothes or Jack's baby clothes!

Nature or Nurture?

I thought Clara was so sweet, such a "little mama", when she started offering her own bottle to her baby dolls at 16 months. I guess I never expected my son so do something similar at that age. Jack has a different approach but the idea is the same....

Here is Jack feeding his dog some ketchup. While he feeds the dog, Jack says, "mmmmmmm".

Happy Mother's Day!

My own mom always says, "don't get me anything, I just want a card." So we'd ignore her and get her a present and make breakfast in bed and be on our best behavior, but ALWAYS we would give her a card. These cards could be found in the following months on her bedside table, on her window sill where she put her makeup on or near the kitchen sink. Evidence that all she really wanted was a card-a written word of appreciation, thanks and love.

I wrote those cards to my mom for 26 years before Clara was born. Suddenly, as I stared at my daughter, and was initiated as a "Mom" myself, I realized there were NO WORDS to express my gratitude, love and AWE for my own mother. It is so humbling to get a glimpse of how deeply my own mom loves and sacrifices for me because already, in three short years, I realize that I love Clara and Jack more and more each day, month and year.

I cannot even do this post justice for my mom because I just start crying and can't even type. Well, here it goes:

Mom, I just wanted to say, Happy Mother's Day! It's your 30th Mother's Day! Can you believe it? You are truly an amazing woman and I am so proud of you. Thank you for getting up early and reading your bible on the couch in your bathrobe. Thank you for giving up your time and your space to homeschool us and invest in our hearts and minds. Thank you for being frugal and creative with money. Thank you for making dinner for us every night and for having the courage to say no to so many outside activities. Thank you for upholding traditions in our home and making memories with us. Thank you for praying for me and pushing me to do my best but never holding me to impossible standards. Thank you for being a wonderful Mimi but also for stepping back and not overwhelming me with mothering advice or ideas. Thank you for being the first person to tell me I will be a great mom to three kids. Your support and confidence is a foundation for me. I am more and more in awe of you every year. There are not enough words to describe how grateful I am for you. I love you so much! Happy Happy Mother's Day!

Love, Christy Marie

What's in a name?

I've loved the name Jack as long as I can remember. We knew Jack was a boy before he was born but didn't commit to a name for him until we met him. There were a few other great names in the mix, but after that fast and furious labor and seeing that gigantic 9lb. 6oz. man child, I said, "He's Jack." There was really no question.

I knew it was his name, but had didn't think about how it would play out in everyday life.

Here are some things I find myself saying to my son:

"Are you talking on the PHONE JACK?"

"Do you want a CRACKER JACK?"

"Ready to get in the CAR JACK?"

"Do you want an APPLE JACK?"

"Are you HUNGRY JACK?"

note: these pictures were taken before Jack's latest awesome haircut.