Annie's Belly at 24 Weeks

I have been told that my belly is a lot larger than it was when I posted my first belly shot. So, here it is.

I have been feeling "malachi" kick and seeing the skin on my belly pop up when he/she does. It is so strange!

Since I posted the previous message I have transitioned to expecting a boy! I guess I will be spending equal time thoughout the pregnancy expecting one or the other. First 4.5 months I expected a girl and the last 4.5 months I will expect a boy. Go figure.

My belly button is officially on the outs... you can't see it in the photo but I am sure in the next photo it will be more prominent. So weird that the belly button pops! I wonder if it will hurt...

Ben and I have started talking about items we need to buy for the baby... this is a huge step. We actually reached a point where we realized we need to get a crib. Both of us must have come to the conclusion that all of this is REALLY happening.

I saw too of my favorite people, Amanda and Chris, last week. I am so lucky to have such great friends and I can't wait to introduce "malachi" to them. Even more, I think that the close friendships that Ben and I have will set great examples for "malachi" and her/his relationships. I had a dream the other day that I had a little girl and she was going through puberty and hated me (like most pubescent girls hate their mothers)... she told me she wanted to go to New York to visit "Auntie" Amanda. I called Amanda and informed her that my child wanted to visit and obviously had something going on... She visited Amanda and was able to talk with her about all of the things she wouldn't talk with me about... I thought it was pretty cool. I hope that my friends, sister and sister in law are able to step in when Ben and I are obviously not who our child wants to deal with! (I guess I hope more that our child skips puberty... but I will be disappointed if I expect that!).

Anyhooo, enjoy the naked photo of my belly.

A Boy or A Girl?

Well, I have been thinking a lot about this. I guess I am expecting a girl (probably because I have a sister and she has two girls... it has always been girls on my side of the family). I was worried because I am "expecting" a girl that I may be disappointed if a boy slides out. So, I have been doing a little visualization exercises and imagining one or the other. I have been doing this for over a month because I want to know if I actualy do have a preference.

So, I sit and imagine I am leaning against Ben, who is helping me hold my knees by my shoulders (I don't know if that will really happen or CAN really happen... it is just what I visualize) and I am sweating and feeling an intense pressure and pain as a baby the size of watermelon squeezes through my pelvis and out comes this gooey, crying little girl. I feel (tired) a warm, "I have been expecting you," feeling and bring her to my chest to hold and hug and, yes, kiss. I am happy and calm and thrilled to meet her, finally. I am satisfied and so happy (and tired).

So, I, then, sit and imagine I am leaning against Ben... same visual image with the watermelon and my pelvis... and out comes this, gooey, crying little boy. I laugh out loud. I am surprised and happy and laughing at how my body has fooled me! I pull him to my chest and hug, squeeze, kiss and laugh all over him. I am crying because I am so happy and laughing because it is a huge adventure ahead of me.

After the most intense pain of my life... I think I will be happy feeling either way. Having that warm "I have been expecting you" feeling or joyful surprise sounds good to me. When I am visualizing and experiencing those feelings they both feel wonderful. After more than a month of regularly visualizing these two scenarios, I don't believe I have any preference as to whether our child is a boy or a girl.