it’s a…

SURPRISE.

We’d gone back and forth about finding out the last pregnancy’s gender, but the late-notice twin announcement threw us for a loop. This time, I just assumed we’d find out again. No reason not to, right? I like the idea of preparing for a certain someone, my son or daughter. I like the idea of calling someone by name before I even meet them.

But then I got to thinking. We’ve already gotten rid of all things newborn in our house. This new baby will receive whatever hand-me-downs we can scrounge together, and he or she will share a bedroom with Ames regardless. There’s also a chance I end up delivering via c-section, along with a combination of other operations. I got a little thrill at the idea of finding out the gender on the table, if it comes to that.

I mentioned my inclination to Chris and he jumped at the opportunity. He’s always wanted a surprise at the birth. So we went for it. We decided the night before the ultrasound, and I went alone to the appointment. We didn’t even tell many friends or family that we had an ultrasound scheduled until just before. I didn’t know what I’d answer when they asked the inevitable!

At the office, I heard myself repeating over and over that I didn’t want to see the gender. The ultrasound tech just chuckled. Not her first rodeo. In fact, she was so committed to the surprise that she froze the film quite often, so I could see the baby in various positions without compromising the big news. At the end, she checked for the part and then promptly forgot it. No photos, no recording, not even a note in my chart for the medical staff. We do know that there’s just one baby in there, and that he or she looks great!

That weekend, we got up early and froze through a rainy, ten-minute photo shoot with our superstar friend Lora. On the way, I asked each Kincaid kiddo what he or she thought the baby was. Even the twins answered with their own opinion! I wrote each guess down and had the boys doodle their own ideas, all onto pieces of our recent farmhouse move.

Chris thinks it’s a boy, and I think it’s a girl.
We’ll see who’s right, come July!