On Having Another Boy and Our Gender Reveal Party

Anyone who knows me well knows that I BADLY wanted a little girl. I was basically to the conclusion that if I had a girl, I would be done having kids.

Colton and I went back and forth on whether or not we would find out the gender early. Our doctors office offers a blood test that can determine gender around 12 weeks. It also checks for other potential problems like down syndrome and Edwards syndrome. I wanted to find out, but I also didn't want the added stress of having any "potential negatives" that would cause unnecessary worry.

Despite that, we ultimately decided to find out (Colton was dying to know.) Originally we went to Fetal Fotos, but they couldn't tell the gender because it was too early (I was about 14 weeks along.) At that ultrasound, the tech made a comment at one point that she was trying to figure out whether something was "the cord or something else." I knew what that meant.

We took the blood test later that week, and scheduled a gender reveal party. When I got the results back I took them to Fetal Fotos and they gave me some gender reveal cannons for us to use at the party. When I was walking out to my car I could see a blue "B" written on the top of the cannon and scribbled out. It was visible in the sunlight because it had not been scribbled out well.

I. Was. Furious.

We had waited so patiently to find out the gender together, had planned a big surprise party, and I found out because someone didn't bother to cross out a giant, blue, B.

I bawled. I think it was a mix of finding out in such an unexpected way, at an unexpected time. I wanted to be surprised when everyone else was. I also really had my hopes up for a girl. I know that's terrible to admit, but that's how I was feeling.

I drove back down to Orem, where I was supposed to meet Colton for date night. I ran into Target, got a few "baby brother" outfits and put them in a gift bag. I didn't feel like it was right for me to know and for Colton not to know.

When Colton saw me, he immediately knew I was upset about something. I handed him the gift bag and he opened it and I could see how incredibly excited he was. He badly wanted another boy, and he honestly couldn't contain his excitement. He was also mad that I found out the way I did, but was glad I didn't wait to tell him.

The next day we had our gender reveal/baby reveal party with our friends. We are always getting poked and prodded about when we would have another, and Colton's go to answer was always "one is good." So we were excited to surprise everyone AND do a gender reveal all in one night. We planned it all around an Easter Egg hunt, and it ended up being quite the celebration of life as several of our friends announced surprised pregnancies that night.

The most exciting announcement of the night was finding out my friend Katy was also pregnant. Tai and her son, Kru, were born two weeks apart in 2012. We have both been on the "maybe one is good, we will see" bandwagon for years while we have watched our other friends have their first and second children. Knowing that we would be pregnant again, together, was the icing on the cake for me. Our babes will be 2 months apart, to the day.

Another big announcement was that my friend Briana will be having TWINS around the same time I am due. (She will likely go 4+ weeks early, and I will likely have a c-section 2 weeks early.) She has always wanted a big family and I couldn't be happier that she is getting a 2 for 1 special.

All in all, it was a really fun and memorable get together. We loved spreading hundreds of Easter Eggs across our yard, having all of the kids bring baskets, and celebrating with our friends.

Getting Ready

A lot of people who I have talked to about this pregnancy have made the comment that it's like i'm doing pregnancy for the first time. I feel like I can talk about it, and ask about products, and get excited about stupid little things like picking out pajamas.

With Tai we were so broke that we really depended on (and appreciated so much) help from our friends and family. I didn't really get the experience of picking out clothes, or nursery colors or being picky about baby gear. We were given a lot, we did a lot of yard sale-ing and bargain shopping and it was perfect. We honestly were so blessed with the support that we received. A lot of my focus was on making things as affordable as possible-even if it meant the products we got weren't the best fit for my physically.

Part of my excitement with this baby has been preparation. We were able to paint the walls in his room, buy a brand new nursery set and even pick out the bedding (which, if you ask Colton, was quite the ordeal for me.)

Even bigger, we have been able to find things that really work for me and my unique body. We have spent a lot of time picking out the perfect rocking chair (I had a hard time breastfeeding Tai because I could never position him right in the chair we had) and making sure that we find products that allow me to feel more independent as a mom. Things I never even thought of before-the lightest baby carrier, a stroller that I can lift myself, and a playpen that has an alternate access point so I can actually reach the baby. Even things like a heart rate and oxygen monitor (the owlet anyone?) that wil reduce my anxiety so I can get more sleep.

One of my favorite purchases has been the MamaRoo. I remember walking through a store when Tai was brand new, and seeing the MamaRoo for the first time. It was so fancy and sleek, and I thought, what would it be like to have the LUXURY of being able to buy that? How would it feel to bring that bad boy home? It was the very first thing we bought when we found out we were pregnant. I was just so excited I couldn't wait (and I found a used one in Heber for a really good deal. The bargain hunter in me can't be tamed.)

I continue to feel so lucky that we are in a position where I can do silly things like pick out nursery colors and pajama sets. We have honestly worked so hard in the 5 years since we were pregnant with Tai, and being able to enjoy this pregnancy in a whole new way has made it worth the wait.

P.S. If Colton makes a point to tell you not to buy anything for our baby, just smile and pat him on the head. He is determined to let me be enjoy every choice and purchase for this little guy and gets a little aggressive about it. I dearly love him.