Pair-o-Doxies: Baby #2: It's a Boy!

I said all along that I didn't want to know the sex of this baby. I really enjoyed the mystery with Nolan, and it's a great memory of the big (and, for Mikel, unexpected!) reveal at his birth.

It's funny because, with Nolan, I said over and over early in that pregnancy that we would for sure find out. "I'm too much of a planner!", "I'm too impatient.", "I could never have the ultrasound tech know and us NOT know!"
But the night before his anatomy ultrasound, I suddenly just did not want to find out. I was happy how things were, and I didn't want to change anything! Plus - it sounded fun.
I think Mikel wanted to shake some sense into me when I told him the next morning - an hour before the ultrasound.
And so, we didn't learn his sex, but instead had the u/s tech write it on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope (in case we opted to open it and learn later, at home). We never did open that envelope (well -- we did a week or so after his birth), and I hid it from Mikel by taping it to the back of a wall sconce. I loved the anticipation and mystery, and was pretty sure we would repeat the experience for Baby #2.

Then came...... the night before the ultrasound. Appears I make these decisions in that sort of timing. I was going through Nolan's closet and drawers - separating outgrown clothes from what fits - and thinking.... "Do I keep these clothes?" Then looking at the currently rose pink walls of the future nursery - and thinking.... "Do we paint these walls?" I had a little (stupid but needed) permission-giving convo with Steph in which she reiterated it's totally okay to do this differently this time around and I'm not copping out to find out the sex because HELLO I'll have a 3 year old complicating my to-do list if a girl pops out, so "Do yourself a favor and think about it".
And so, in keeping with my pattern, I didn't say anything to Mikel until the next morning, about an hour before the ultrasound.
"I think I want to find out this time."
- blank stare: "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I think so. Cool with you?"
- disbelieving shrug: "Sure. I mean, I guess so, if you want to."

We agreed again to have the tech put the sex in an envelope, and then we could open when and where we wanted to - if at all. We had a sitter for Nolan so we could go to the 10:00 appt, and then to lunch, just the two of us. I had thought we might open the envelope at lunch, but the restaurant was noisy (and we were hungry)... so we decided to wait.

I love my Rochester girlfriends because this wait killed them. And they all group-texted to tell me about it. The jist was:

Rachel: Soooooo???
Me: Oh, it was loud, so we waited. Now we're shopping at Nordstrom Rack.
Nicole: Are you KIDDING ME?!
Me: I'm sitting in the men's shoe section waiting for Mikel, who is trying on every pair of pants that Nordstrom carries. Think he'd mind if I opened it without him??

Steph: Just send me the envelope and I'll open it!!!

Ha!

So we got home in time to get Nolan up from his nap. It occurred to us to let him open the envelope -- so off we went!

Right before letting Nolan rip into the envelope, I asked Mikel, "Okay, what do you think? Boy or girl?"
Mikel: I think Girl.
Me: I think Girl, too. Nolan, what do you think? Is the baby a boy or a girl?
Nolan: Boy. (-- which, he doesn't even know boy vs. girl, but still had to ask.)

Mikel: "Nolan won!!!!"

Nolan: "Nooo! I'm TWO!!!"

Discussing the anatomy in gross detail. Mommy was a little stunned! Two boys!

Good news :)

While the news absorbs, we all decided to go swimming. As soon as we took N's shorts and diaper off to change into his swim diaper, he had to hop up, bare bummed, to compare penises side by side with little brother. This included straddling the photo, at one point.
Ohhh, I see so much penis talk in my future.......