Well, DH and I almost fell out of our chair and exam bed, respectively, when the ultrasound tech told us it was a girl. But there the evidence was on screen, three little lines indicating a labia and not a ghost of a penis to be found.
This is not so much earth-shaking, you might be thinking, as it seems to be. Isn't there a 50/50 chance? Maybe...
But in our family, on DH's side, it is unusual. This is the first girl to be born into the family in four generations. There have been boys after boys after boys. Literally. DH's father had three boys, and his grandfather had two, and well - DH had one already, and so does DH's brother. I had all but assumed I had a pair of boys in my future. I was envisioning dressing the new one in the older one's adorable, hardly worn clothes. I had recently started sorting things. Little sweet labels from high and low - from Target to Petit Bateau and Le Top, I loved them all and couldn't wait to see them again. But wait! Not to be.
Honestly, though - the clothes really aren't that big of a deal. It's just a manifestation of this baby - imagining it in my existing clothes stock helps personify the little bumps and brushes I've been feeling.
As I went on with the day following the ultrasound, I thought about what this meant. Around 3pm, it occurred to me that we'd plan a wedding someday. Wow. And later, as I was diapering Garcon, I realized I wouldn't be able to wipe with reckless abandon. No more smearing the wipe to and fro, trying to remove the debris. I'd have to wipe carefully. I would have to wipe from front to back. It seems strange that these were my thoughts - near and far term, in those first few hours. Practical and frivolous. That sums me up fairly well, sometimes.
Attached is an image from the ultrasound. You are looking at her tiny feet, with heels at left and toes at right. I joked the first time around that I just hoped for 10 fingers and 10 toes. Everything else would work its way out. This was my was of saying (not so tritely) that I just wanted a healthy baby. Here, looking at this image, it appears that I have at least my 10 toe wish.
