First Glimpse at the Next Golby

Yesterday we got our first glimpse at the next Golby, thanks to the wonders of ultrasound. The ultrasound technician assured me that everything looks great. She counted fingers and toes and measured more organs than I can remember. The baby's growth is right on track, so there was no need to adjust the due date. August 27th it is! The baby was most uncooperative during the exam and tried its best to hide. . . Fortunately, we managed to find everything we needed to with only a modicum of nudging and squirming and other encouragement.

The ultrasound technician, unlike the baby, was a good sport and sealed up the ultrasound picture revealing the gender so that I could wait to open it until Jim called. We wanted to be able to find out that big news together. The photograph was concealed in some gauze, which was stapled, and then paper towels were stapled around that. Apparently there weren't envelopes lying around the antepartum diagnostic clinic! While it sounds a little sketchy, the device served its purpose well, completely resisting my attempts to peek before Jim called.

I've had very mixed intuitions about this baby. For a while I've thought it must be a boy, because this pregnancy has been so different from Kathleen's. First of all, this pregnancy has been blessedly complication-free. Also, I don't remember being sick with Kathleen, and I had some definite morning sickness this time around. Moreover, this time I have had an otherwise unexplainable craving for pickles. In fact, I have eaten so many pickles that I have been reduced to buying the mini kosher dills at Costco, because regular jars from the commissary simply don't last long enough. I know, I'm a walking pregnancy cliche.

On the other hand, I've had a conflicting theory that this baby must be a girl. Before Kathleen was ever born, Jim would tell people about our family plan: five boys in four years, so they could all play on the same basketball team. But for those of you that don't know, Jim has three older sisters. He will tell you that they tormented him in childhood (and that that accounts for his having joined the Army). It has occurred to me that it might be Jim's lot in life to be surrounded by girls. I'm sure that Kathleen and any other girls would, as their teen years approach, be more than willing to continue the torment their aunts began.

It appears that the latter is, in fact, in Jim's future. We've got a good start to a basketball team -- a girls' basketball team! Our next little Golby girl is already taking after her big sister and waving to her Daddy.