Congrats, it's a .......

Okay the title is a teaser, shameless I know, but hey, anything to keep my fellow pop-to-be friends on the edge of your seats. Because the sex of the unborn critter is of significant importance and knowing so with the help of all the modern technology is truly a miracile. But before the good news, let's review how life is at 20 weeks.

20 weeks is a funny time, the belly is big enough to be a real thing, and the future is still unknown but clearly headed in the direction of babyness. But 20 weeks is also a time of what they call "nesting". Now my fellows, "nesting" seems like an innocuous term, but it is the the single most physically demanding period of your life. It is a time when you are expected to shrug off your old, creaky body and run around like a twenty-two-year-old stud muffin moving furniture and getting the home environment ready for the little bundle of joy to arrive. You will be worked to exhaustion, sore, tired, and stiff. You will be asked to grab large pieces of furniture and manhandle that crap by yourself, because the belly cannot be asked to lift anything heavier than 4.1 ounces and you will do it gladly. You will tell the belly to step aside as you heft ridiculous amount of weight, grunting and straining all the while uttering the phrase we all know so well by this point, "I got it". No, sorry old timer, you ain't got it. And by the sound of your groans every morning your tired body ain't got it either.

Now maybe I was wrong, (oh screw it, I was definitely wrong) in that I thought the belly would be relaxed and no-big-deal about the whole pregnancy. I guess I thought she would be relaxed and nonchalant regarding the impending miniature person. I was wrong. Very wrong. The belly has a notebook with quizzes and items to cover with the poor saps at the doctors office know as the preggo people. I have learned that this is the belly world and we are all just visiting.

And she has a plan for the baby room. This would not be a big deal for us, but now the that the plan has been formed, we will be driven like the slaves of ancient Egypt until that last son-of-bitch stone is put on the top. Not that this plan is clearly articulated, as a matter of fact, I have no idea what the plan is, but I realize I am just the labor force and the the big picture is not for my lowly status to understand. I am there to agree with the belly that the dreasser we saw is the one we do in fact need, and you, mr.-thought-this-was-laid-back-Saturday need to figure out how to fit it in the car. And so we had some succes in securing some of the the items the belly has said are necessary for the welcome home for the little one.

The organization of the belly has been quite remarkable. How does any one know the umbilical cord needs to have three vessels? I don't, and I consider myself somewhat informed. The sonogram was today. The poor tech had no idea that the belly was well prepped. (kiss my ass again Google). She knew the key item to check for, spine, fluid volume, etc. and kept a keen eye on the grainy black an white images. Thankfully everything looks good. The belly is excited and has been to the store to begin buying items that will be worn once and sold in the enveitable garage sale.

This is not a bad thing. Because today, we found we are going to have a baby girl.

I'm so excited I almost forgot to notice I have no idea how to deal with having a daughter.

I just hope she is cool with going hunting.......