Mother of Another

So, remember that bit about how I wasn't going to find out the sex of the baby?

Here's the thing.

I found out the sex of the baby.

I went to my 20-week ultrasound with firm resolve. And true to my word, I told the technician NOT to tell me if the baby was a boy or a girl. And she didn't. But here's what she DID do. She said things like "this is her spine" and "she's got the hiccups" and "You have two boys? Are you SURE you don't want to know the sex of the baby?" And I have to admit, I peeked at the screen and scanned for signs of the telltale hamburger or hotdog. And while I can't say I saw anything definitive, I was pretty sure of what I HADN'T seen.

And I'll be damned if I didn't stumble out of that darkened room thinking I might need to do some extremely decadent shopping.

When I recounted this story to my family, friends and colleagues, they all said something along the lines of, "Oh my God, now you HAVE to find out." (Except for my husband, who insisted we should stick to our guns and be surprised). Which left me horribly curious, but morally conflicted. Which is how, three weeks later at my regular checkup, I found myself persuading my bemused OB to wheel in her handy ultrasound machine, sneak a peek, and send me home with a sealed envelope.

You know, a COMPROMISE. Just in case we decided to open it. At some MUCH LATER DATE.

I'm proud to say that I did not tear it open and read it right there in my doctor's parking garage. I mean, where's the dignity in that? No, I wanted to do something special. Maybe take the envelope to a bakery, have them make a cake that's either pink or blue inside, and then surprise my family with a particularly informative dessert.

So I tucked it in my purse and calmly drove home.

Where I breezed past my husband, locked myself in the bathroom, tore it open and read this:

You read that right. MY DAUGHTER HAS A PENIS. (How'd I miss THAT?)

So there you have it. I'm the mother of ANOTHER brother.

In lieu of baby gifts, please send whiskey, spa certificates and industrial ear plugs.

Mother of Another