16 1/2 weeks! Ultrasound at 18 weeks, October 11th

With October just around the corner tomorrow, I am counting down the gorgeous days till my much anticipated ultrasound...which happens to be on the same glorious day as our engagement anniversary....I think. I know that sounds pathetic, but I always forget if it was the 11th or the 12th. Does it really matter? No, of course not. The truth is William and I met 15 years ago (last week) and got engaged 15 years ago (in a couple weeks). Yes, if you do the math, you will find it is true we only knew each other three short weeks before he bought a ring, and I accepted it.

Now, here we are with five, fun and crazy kids and one more little munchkin on the way. I am extremely excited to find out if we are having a boy or girl. I will be deliriously happy with either one. Seriously. If our baby is a girl, then I get to dress her in all the sweet, adorable, cuddly outfits I have been buying and saving. I know it seems ridiculous, but when I find a practically new, name brand outfit at a garage sale or thrift store I fork over the cash. Sure, it's only 50 cents or a dollar, but no one will ever know that when my baby girl is sporting the new dress. Well, actually they will, because they will comment on how precious her outfit is and then I will tell them where I found it and how amazingly inexpensive it was. I have a problem keeping my mouth shut like that. So, you get the picture that I can picture myself with a new baby girl.

On the other hand, a sweet little baby boy? Oh, my heart melts thinking about cuddling another sweet little baby boy. He'll be so handsome as he grows and so adorable to watch as he joins in the wrestling with his daddy and older brothers. He'll get to share a room with the boys and be so loving to his mommy. Maybe I'm biased because I have had such a wonderful experience with Walter who is getting to be such a big boy and I just want to replicate the last 2 1/2 years. Honestly, I will be ecstatic when we find out what the gender of our baby is, because I want both! Too bad we're not having twins. :)

My sister Betsy is due a couple weeks before me and will find out what she is having on the 14th! I can't wait!!!!!!! My niece Holly is expecting a baby in March also. Oh, and then there are the two friends on my very street who are due in the same week as I am! I just found out a friend at church is due end of March, beginning of April and even one more friend who is expecting, but I don't know if she has shared the news with many people yet, so we'll just keep that a secret. Does it seems like everyone is pregnant to you? It sure seems that way to me.

What I am really waiting for is to feel my baby's strong little kicks in my expanding belly. This is the point in pregnancy that I probably look forward to the most aside from actual delivery. Once the movement begins, I'll spend hours just staring at my tummy watching the miracle inside me tumble about.

One more side note, and it's kind of a big one. I really want to have this baby at home. Am I crazy? Wait, don't answer that. Don't worry, William says no way and so the only way it could happen is if I accidentally didn't make it to the hospital in time, but I wouldn't want to do that either. I want a midwife by my side encouraging me along and taking care of me. I loved my doula with Walter, so maybe I'll just have to go that route again in the hospital. Maybe the trick for me will be getting to the hospital soon enough to give the nursing staff plenty of time to prepare for my baby to be born. I think I freaked them out when Walter came so quickly and no one was ready. It was as if someone hit the panic button or yelled, "All hands on deck!" and 5 nurses came running. It seemed a little chaotic to be honest. I'm hoping for a calmer, more serene birth this go around. One last, enjoyable, satisfying, calm birth. Just like I was at home, but only in the hospital. I'm not saying we're done having kids, but William's hoping I will.