Tala's Arrival! December 3-4, 2013

So after night of ramen and karaoke I was rudely awakened at 4:30am with contractions. Nothing too intense but enough to annoy me that I couldn't sleep in until 9am like I had planned. They lasted until right before I went in for my routine appointment at Kaiser at 11am later that morning. My doctor was encouraged that things were progressing but baby's arrival was still TBD. I spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing productive.

Then around 10pm-they return. Not horrible but around 7-10 minutes apart, lasting anywhere from 30-45 seconds. I text GK who was at work to give him an update and proceed to labor at home by myself for the next 4 hours. Initially I had these grandiose ideas of cleaning the house when I first went into labor along with making a casserole to freeze, showering, shaving my legs, straightening my hair, changing the sheets on the bed, and having an ice cold Peroni. Of course none of this happened. I instead rolled round in bed moaning and walked up and down the stairs until GK came home. After he arrived it would be game on for the next 36 hours.

I knew that during my pregnancy that massage and direct pressure would help me deal with the contractions. GK and I had taken the Bradley Method class in preparation for a natural childbirth and massage was one of the recommended relaxation techniques that we actually practiced. GK would put direct pressure on my lower back throughout the contractions which proved to be exhausting as neither of us slept that night. With the shades drawn and our spotify playlist going ( a combo of yacht rock & spa sounds, think waterfalls/birds/chimes), GK coached me through the contractions for the rest of the day. Time ceased to exist. What also ceased to exist was my access to an app to time my contractions (forgot my password) and an ability to keep food/water down. 

I spent about 2 hours laboring on the floor while (incorrectly) keeping track of my contractions on my iPhone.

For reasons unknown, every few hours I would violently vomit. Eventually I stopped even trying to eat because I knew what the end result would be. By 4pm we decided to call Kaiser Labor & Delivery and they advised us to come in due to the risk of dehydration. We thought about it, called our Bradley Method teacher, and decided to try to stay home longer. My goal had been to labor at home for as long as possible and not go into the hospital until I was in the transition stage. I ate some rice but after I threw up yet again, we decided to head to Kaiser in Walnut Creek out of concern that the baby could be affected by dehydration.

Elsie was incredibly patient during the labor. GK came downstairs to find her in the kitchen s pictured above waiting for a much deserved treat.

After going through triage I was admitted to the hospital (dilated 5 cm) and given fluids. Unfortunately the fluids and anti-nausea medication did not correct this issue and it continued until the birth. Luckily I was able to disconnect the IV line and take a shower and walk around a bit. After about 12 hours I was still at 5cm and Pitocin was recommended. Now if you've seen The Business of Being Born you probably know that Pitocin is one of the most overused drugs in Labor & Delivery. However, I had been at 5cm for only 12 confirmed hours, possibly even longer since I had spent the first 24 hours of my labor at home. GK supported starting Pitocin as the thought of 35 more hours of labor was enough to put him over the edge. Eventually I agreed and I was given the lowest dosage and then waited to see what would happen.

Shortly after being admitted.

GK had been awake going on 36 hours with me. Initially I did not give him enough credit for this since I was also awake but being awake due to pain and being awake on your own accord are two totally different things. Of course my situation was much harder. After being admitted to the hospital GK attempted to take some short naps throughout the night only to be awakened by me demanding that he put direct pressure on my back. By 7am he told me that we needed to call my mom because he wasn't sure how much longer he could take. I reminded him of our plan to call in my dear friend Rachel for support and texted her. She agreed to pick up a latte for GK and head on over. The timing was perfect-when I texted her she was up getting ready for work and was able to skip an office holiday party she had no interest in attending. Seeing Rachel re-energized both of us and gave GK some rest for the remainder of my labor as they traded off applying direct pressure to my back.

My biggest fear about having Pitocin was that my contractions would become almost immediately unbearable. Luckily this did not happen and the process was gradual but quick. I don't even recall actually entering the transition stage. I knew that the contractions were getting closer together and more intense but I never felt like they were overlapping. The biggest difference I felt was the incredible urgency to push. I told the nurse about this and she checked me, told me that I was dilated to 7cm, that clearly the Pitocin was working, try not to push, and we'd have a baby here within the next few hours. I still could not get over the incredible urgency not to push but at the height of each contractions I was unintentionally slightly pushing. Shortly after the nurse left the room I felt an incredible shift deep inside and announced this to GK & Rachel. Rachel called the nurse back in who checked me and announced that I was already at 10cm, she felt the head and I was ready to have a baby.

I immediately found my 2nd wind-previously I had felt like I was just surviving the contractions since I had no idea how long they would last. When it comes to second stage labor there's the clear goal of pushing the baby out, something I had more control over. When I first started to push, the bag of waters  started to come out as it had yet to break. For a few minutes there was the chance that the baby was going to born inside but the nurse accidentally poked it, causing it to deflate a few minutes later. I started pushing during the contractions and my room began to fill with medical staff. I requested to use the squatting bar as this position opens your pelvic area by 10% more than other positions. It must have been gravity but as I pushed in this position, fluid gushed out along with merconium which necessitated to the NICU for a nurse/doctor to respond. The midwife had me change positions as squatting wasn't really working for her. I ended up in a semi-sitting position with my feet up on stirrups close to my body with handles to push against.

The nurse had placed a mirror so I could view the delivery but in order to see I had to have my glasses on. I watched as the head began to emerge but was immediately disappointed to see it retract back inside. I know that this in and out business with the head could go on for hours and I was having none of that. I took off my glasses, handed them to GK, leaned back, and told myself that baby would be coming out within the next 5 contractions. The midwife really seemed to get me-she coached me through the next 4 contractions, urging me to push 3 or 4 times. During the 4th contraction she just kept telling me to push even though the contraction was over. I heard her announce that the head was out and next would be the shoulder. I looked to my right and saw a tiny little head covered with dark hear, wide eyes, a bit of a squeak, and arms open to greet the world. Tala Benilda Calub Mencher had made her arrival. She was loosely wrapped in a receiving blanket and placed on my abdomen. I kept exclaiming-she's so cute! I truly thought she was the cutest baby I had ever seen whereas GK was alarmed by how swollen she was and initially thought she looked a little deformed. And just like that all the pain stopped. I had the most amazing energy that would last through the next day and immediately drank 5 little boxes of apple juice.

Despite no sleep for the past 2 days, GK skips a nap and witnesses Tala's birth.

Tala after getting all cleaned up. The nurse ran and got a special little hat she had taken from the stash that the volunteers knit for the new babies. She had saved it and presented it to Tala.

Tala's first selfie on Instagram. #eatyourheartoutangelina

Staff left us alone to spend as much time as we wanted with her. Rachel stayed for about 20 more minutes and then left GK and I alone. Eventually we were ready to call the nurse back in so that Tala could get cleaned up, weighed, and complete all the routine procedures. Tala was a whopping 6 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 20 inches. I was moved to the Post-Partum ward to recover. We only spent one night in the hospital. While the medical team was amazingly supportive, for some reason I was eager to get home and was discharged the following afternoon.

Our celebratory lunch in Post-Partum. I skipped the meal but swiped the It's a Girl! champagne flutes.

It's official! Note-my midwife's first name is my middle name.

Our first trip home to Berkeley! Our first night home would prove to be the hardest. We were both incredibly exhausted and Tala did not like clothing, diapers, her bassinet, or not being held. However, in a few days I think she decided that she liked us and that diapers are a necessity. 

Pre-Labor: December 1, 2013

I can't deny that the absolutely best thing about being pregnant is maternity leave. I know that I should be using the time to prepare for baby but that can mean so many different things. Like catching up with good friends, eating at all my favorite restaurants, and protesting the fur industry:

Union Square-November 29, 2013. Baby's first protest!

On Sunday-December 1, 2013 we headed out to the city to meet up with good friends and eat at Genki Ramen in the Richmond District. I know that after the baby arrives it will probably be a long time before I'm able to eat at Genki so I needed my fill. Genki is so amazing I question if the ramen in Japan is as good.

With my dear friend Scott after ramen was consumed.

We were all having such a good time we followed GK to the 500 Club in the Mission for karaoke.

George awesomely singing Cool Rider from Grease 2. Ash, Tia Claudia, and GK. 

When you can't drink alcohol and are hanging out at  bar-you have to find ways to entertain yourself and others.

The 500 Club holds some significance for me and GK as this is where we met. I've spent many a Sunday evening there drinking PBRs and (me) singing bad karaoke followed up with a french fry burrito at Los Coyotes afterward. Little did I know that this would be my last hurrah. At 4:30am I woke up with mild contractions. My first thought was that I felt a little cheated seeing that I wasn't due for another week. I had an appointment with my OB/Gyn at 11am that day so I wasn't too worried or excited as I know that this could be false labor and stop at any time. Of course after I showered and made it to Kaiser the pains stopped. My doctor said that while she could not predict when baby would arrive-this was a very good sign that I was progressing. I responded to this news by going out to lunch and taking an amazing long afternoon nap as I convinced myself that I would make it to my due date. What you want and what yo get are obviously totally different things as the contractions returned at 10pm and proved to be the real deal.

TBC......

Babymoon-November 12, 2013

Last Friday marked my last day at work for 2013. I have been at my current place of employment for almost 9 1/2 years. During that time at most I have taken about 2 weeks off from work. My employer will allow me to take a total of 6 months off for maternity leave. This could leave some women wondering what they would do with their time but not me-I feel like I have a lot of organizing and prepping to do and my biggest worry is that the baby will decide to come earlier than Dec. 10th. I also still have a bit of a bucket list (like one last Sunday night at the 500 Club, stuffing my face at the Hella Vegan Eats food truck at Dolores Park, paddle boarding at Jack London Square, hike to Cataract Falls in Marin, etc.) I need to work on once all the baby prep stuff is done.

But first things first-Babymoon! GK was a little worried about being too far away from a hospital in case of an emergency and of course Elsie had to be included so we decided to revisit one of our favorite spots-the Stanford Inn, an eco-friendly resort in Mendocino. This was the spot of our first getaway together in 2011 and where we became engaged last New Year's Eve. For this trip I was especially looking forward to a prenatal massage in the forest, vegan food, and a king sized bed with extra pillows.

After my massage I returned to our cozy room complete with a fireplace to find GK and Elsie engaging in some serious cuddle time.

We then relaxed which consists of watching TV since we don't own one. Unfortunately the inn does not have Animal Planet (a favorite) so we settled on the Food Network's reality show, "Chopped," that  had a special Thanksgiving theme. Above is the view from our room where we could see the ocean and we took a short break from the TV to appreciate an amazing sunset. Then it was time to head to dinner at the inn's Raven's Restaurant.

Probably because it was a Tuesday night, we were one of about three couples, and I have an incredibly healthy appetite these days-we were finished with dinner in a little less than an hour. Clockwise from the upper left hand corner-roasted beet frisee salad with lemon walnut pate, vegetables tamales with beans, rice,  & avocado slaw, homemade mushroom tofu ravioli with cream sauce & sauteed chard, and barbeque pulled tempeh sandwich with citrus slaw. Unfortunately I was too full to order dessert.

 Being a model is hard.

After dinner GK took about an hour to get a fire going and Elsie had her holiday photo shoot (sorry-no previews). I fell into a blissful sleep with the fire crackling in the background, surrounded by at least five fluffy pillows, and no alarm clock to wake up to.

In the morning I decided to take advantage of the solarium swimming pool. Because I've been feeling ahem, a bit warm these days, walking to the pool barefoot, in just the inn's bathrobe was pretty invigorating and I reminisced about all the ice baths I took last year while training for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50K.

36-week belly shot.

It's official-I still float!

After the pool we had brunch-tofu Florentine and roasted potatoes for me and quinoa and black bean enchiladas complete with freshly squeezed orange and carrot juice.

 Then it was Elsie time and we took her for a walk on the grounds. Here she is checking out the organic garden.

And here she is ignoring the llama.

Elsie refused to look into the camera so I looked in the direction she was-at what I have absolutely no clue but I hope it was interesting.

GK's turn to look intrigued.

We even ventured down to the dock at Catch a Canoe. Elsie is NOT a fan of water and typically refuses to walk on a dock. However, when we took her leash off and proceeded without her, she summoned the courage and joined us. She was so nervous she wouldn't even accept the treats we offered her for being so brave.

I would have loved to stay just one more night but that would have been pushing it with all we have left to do in the next few short weeks. We'll be back in 2014 though with just a little extra luggage:)

Race Report-San Jose Half Marathon (10-06-2013)

When I found I was pregnant in April I vowed to keep on running. This was tough the first trimester because I was always so tired to run after working. I had planned to run the SF Half Marathon back in June for a PR but was in no shape or mood to do so. Instead I volunteered at the Run 365 hospitality tent to support all of my running friends. As my energy improved beginning the 2nd trimester, I decided to register for a race in an effort to stay focused on training runs and mapped out a plan.

For the past few years I've preferred running trail races. In fact-my last race was the Mt. Diablo Half Marathon when I was just 6 1/2 weeks pregnant. Due to my history of falls on the trails, I stopped running them during the 1st trimester. When choosing a race I was solely looking at timing and support-this is how I decided on the San Jose Rock & Roll Marathon that was last weekend.

I would be around 7 1/2 months pregnant by the time the race came around. This gave me enough time to gradually increase my distance. The Rock & Roll race series are large races (San Jose had 12,500 participants) and are well staffed/supported (translation-bathrooms galore along the course!). The San Jose Half Marathon also boasts a flat course and it's only about an hour drive from home.

My next challenge was finding someone to run San Jose with me. After Lisa saw the adorable California bear (pictured above) dressed in sunglasses and running shoes-she convinced herself that this was going to be the race shirt of all race shirts and happily registered.

After training about 10 weeks of semi-following my training plan that consisted of increasingly slow runs, water aerobics, and prenatal yoga, race day finally came. Luckily I was able to sleep solid for 8 hours before picking up a slightly hungover Lisa and heading to San Jose. After parking and walking to the start area I saw my dream running scenario-row after row of porta-potties. From past posts on Daily Mile you can probably tell that the urgency to pee while running has been one of my biggest running challenges during my pregnancy.

Here I am struggling where to attach my race bib. I contemplated pinning it over my belly but this too awkward so I settled for my skirt.

I insisted on starting in wave 20 that was even further back than the wave I was registered for because I was worried about my pace blocking faster runners. When I saw a registrant in blue jeans-I realized that this was totally unnecessary. While the race started at 8am-we didn't cross the start line until after 8:30am. Luckily the weather was great and neither of us were chilled but I did start out running with an unnecessarily sore back.

My goal was to maintain a pace between 12:30-13:00 and run the entire course. Lisa happily obliged and we updated each other on our lives over the next few hours. I had been worried about breathing as it has felt strained during my most recent long runs but amazingly-this never happened on race day. I also assumed that every time I saw a porta-potty on the course I would want to stop but this didn't happen either. After skipping the first opportunity to go due to the lines-I decided to stop at about mile 3.5 to use the restroom and there was a short line. You would think that one of the runners would seen my state of being with child and allow me to cut to the front of the line but no such luck. I checked my skirt for trailing toilet paper after I finished and we were off!

I decided to wear my Hydrapak for the race since the forecast predicted sun (when we finished it was 72 degrees out). Luckily a portion of the course had some shade but I think the heat actually helped my muscles loosen up so it really didn't phase me. About every 30 minutes or so I took a shot blok or two to maintain my energy. Surprisingly at mile 8 I had to refill my Hydrapak because I had already gone through a liter of water. I took this opportunity to stretch my back as it was getting a little sore but other than that-my legs felt amazing and I was having no trouble breathing.

I kept an incredibly consistent pace throughout this race and only stopped to use the restroom a total of three times.The last mile and half was the most difficult. With the sun shining, visions of Freebirds burritos on my mind, and a sore lower back-I was ready to be done. Lisa gave me the motivation I needed by insisting that we pass a guy running in a tartan kilt with matching do-rag on his head. I agreed and we picked up the pace and flew by him. Shortly after that, we crossed the finish line and I knew deep down that this race ended my running for 2013. More importantly-I was totally fine with it. I had accomplished what I had set out for back in April and had a blast doing it.

Official time-03:04:25 (30-week belly shot)

This also marks the third race that Lisa and I have run side by side-Skirt & Dirt in 2012 and the Mt. Diablo Half Marathon-two of my favorite races. During the Olympics last year there was a calculator where you could plug in your height & weight to find out what kind of Olympian you would be. Lisa turned out to be an Eritrean marathoner and I believe that I was an American judo fighter. I can't imagine another potential Eritrean I would have rather run San Jose with-it would not have been the same without her.

Flowers from GK to go with my last medal of 2013.

Looking back I ask myself-what would I have done differently? I did not get in all the runs and workouts that I had planned. Between work and just needing to sleep 8-10 hours some nights, I was only running on average 2-3 times per week. I incorporated some water aerobics and a few yoga sessions too but not as much as I had hoped. I decided not to stress too much about it because I knew that I had a strong baseline to start with and I was able to get in my long runs on the weekends with my longest being just over 11 miles.

I would have also purchased the right gear much earlier during training (see my past post about the Fit Mama Running Skirt). About three days before the race I woke up twice in the middle of the night with cramping calf muscles-dramatically screaming out for help even though they subsided pretty quickly. One recovered immediately but my right calf was still tight on Saturday. What better excuse than to blow $55 on a pair of compression socks at the Expo? After putting them on race morning-within ten minutes my legs felt great. I plan to wear these things were I go into labor.

But that's about all I would change. I had a few moments of-what did I get myself into? I need to finish sub-3 hours, but luckily these thoughts were short-lived and I was able to return to my original goal of staying in shape while doing something that I have loved over the past five years. And Lisa helped by reminding me that I was going to be the fastest woman running in their 3rd trimester on race day.

I couldn't have done this without the support and encouragement from others. My doctor (who is a Boston qualifier) supported my running from day one. All of my Run365 friends who took turns running an increasingly slow pace with me over the past four months so I wouldn't have to run solo. And, of course, GK who not only woke up with me several early mornings after working late to be my sag wagon while I ran my long runs on the streets of Berkeley and Oakland-but who offered countless foot/calf massages, back rubs, and creative protein packed meals during my training.

Registering

Shortly after I went public with my pregnancy, friends started dropping off baby supplies. Lots of clothing , swings, slings, books, you name it. As I've been told by multiple friends that babies outgrow many things so quickly and I've come to realize that the baby industry will suck you dry-I feel incredibly fortunate to have such generous friends. I checked in with a close mother friend (J-Gil) who not only appears to have had success with parenting (she has 2) but also researches important stuff like safety and durability and requested that she tell me what it is we really need. Her advice seemed solid.

Once I finally decided I had a decent collection of gently used items and it was time to register. Since I took last Friday off to see Flight of the Conchords with GK, I figured that he could entertain me by coming along to register for the big items at Babies "R" Us before the concert.

Here we are contemplating heading inside. See the calm/smug look on GK's face? Apparently he thought registering was just completing paperwork at the store. About an hour later he was like a trapped mouse looking for an exit route.

While I was finishing the initial paperwork-GK told me that he found something he wanted. This seemed encouraging and I assumed that he had been checking out the baby monitors next to the registration desk. I should have known it was more something like this-a double breast pump, "because we can't have lopsided boobs," he told me. Seriously-how difficult can it be to register? I have to admit I was totally I overwhelmed myself within about 30 minutes.

When you register at Babies R Us you're given a list of "must haves" that includes items I've never heard of. I did my best to stick to the basics-car seat, stroller, playpen, sheets. They have many of the products on display so I took advantage of this opportunity to introduce GK to some of the gear.

Here he is successfully (post-sales clerk demonstration) folding up the Snap n' Go stroller. I encouraged him to pick out some of the prints for swaddle blankets and he gravitated towards the ones that had animals that looked like Elsie. He did good and once he started pacing I told him we could leave after we made our first actual purchase for the baby. This:

One of the perks of having a baby in the winter-it's completely legit to dress them up like animals on any old day. I've always had a soft spot for polar bears. Ten fun facts about these gorgeous creatures-my fav., they're obsessive about staying clean.

The following day I went online to add a few things and it was surprisingly much easier than being in the store distracted by the variety. I prefer to sort items by highest rated as I completely trust what 400 people seem to agree on. My goal is to try to complete it by this weekend and then have J-Gil review and give the final stamp of approval.

What would you recommend as your must have baby item?

Fit Mama Maternity Running Skirt

While I had been running in my regular running shorts and a tennis skirt for the past 6 months of my pregnancy, I'm not gonna lie-it was starting to get uncomfortable. Since I'm registered to run a half marathon when I'll be well into my third trimester, I decided it was time to purchase some proper gear. After a reasonable search on the internet I found the Fit Mama Maternity Running Skirt at www.runningskirts.com. While I was actually looking for a pair of shorts, I was immediately sold on the versatility of the skirt. You can adjust the band to fit your needs-double or single fold so the waistband sits just below the belly or as you get bigger, pull the band to cover your entire belly.

The skirt arrived just in time for my maiden voyage along the Bay Bridge Trail across the recently opened eastern span. I loved the thick, sturdy material and found that double folding it to sit about halfway up my belly to be the most comfortable way to wear it for now. Underneath the skirt are very comfortable compression-like shorts that help prevent chaffing. Depending on how you wear the skirt-the length of the waistband will allow you to continue wearing your regular shirts. While my shirt rode up a bit-I never flashed anyone.

What a difference the right gear makes. I should have made this purchase two months ago. I also recently wore the skirt on a moderate 6.7 mile hike and it passed with flying colors. Because of the durability of the fabric-I think this skirt will also work well post delivery.

 (September 8, 2013)

Almost 27 weeks and 9 miles later!

The Fit Mama Running Skirt was a reasonable $48.00 and with taxes & shipping I ended up paying a total of $60.00. Because I've obtained the majority of my maternity clothes second hand from friends-this purchase was an easy justification considering that I've been able to maintain a modest amount of activity during my pregnancy. I highly recommend this skirt-there are multiple fun designs to choose from and if you look just hard enough-a few sale items.

Weeks 16, 18, & 20

 16 weeks-Me getting ready to go for a run. I refer to this stage as my beer/burrito belly. If you didn't know that I was pregnant-you'd just think I stopped working out and had a large meal. At the time I really thought that no one had a clue but when I finally decided to go public-I was informed by many that they had suspicions for weeks.

 18 weeks-At a 60s pool party rocking the monokini. This was an extremely hot day and I was one of a few guests over the age of 12 who actually made use of the pool. There also happened to be a hula hoop demonstration at the party and we were invited to try it out. It was almost like I was born to spend a week in the desert wearing oddly cut swimwear while engaging in somewhat meaningless exercise/entertainment. The only thing that was missing was the ecstasy.

20 weeks-GK's 41st birthday in Carmel. I think I look much bigger in this picture than I really was at the time as I was still wearing all my regular clothes. I blame the angle, the cropped jacket, and the Buddha elephant statue.

Alien Baby

 I had my 20-week ultrasound on July 23rd when I was exactly 20 weeks along. My favorite pic is the first one on your left-the one of her lying on her side with a very serious look on her face. Like an alien. A serious alien.

The two above are much more traditional but don't quite capture her personality like the alien portrait.

I have to give Kaiser credit. By the time I was back in the office I already had an email from my doctor who had received the good news from the radiologist that everything looked normal and that my due date was confirmed. 

Doesn't look like I'll get to have another ultrasound until somewhere around my due date unless I decide to pay our of pocket for a private 3D/4D one. These ultrasounds generally serve no medical purpose at all and are purely for entertainment. I have mixed feelings. I'm a bit cheap when it comes to giving in to the business of babies-so much stuff the industry will tell you that you need but you really don't. I say this with a certain sense of authority having worked in the Child Welfare field for 10+ years. I know that the only things you really need are a car seat, diapers, clothes, and a blanket or two. Everything else is really all about comfort and convenience. 

However-I got to thinking and confided in GK that what happens when she turns 7 and wants to know what she looked like in the womb? What if there's a show & tell at school where the kids bring their 3D/4D pictures to class to share and she has nothing? I'd hate to have to make up a lie in an attempt to conceal my love of saving money. So to put things into perspective-I thought about myself. I'd love if a 3D pic of myself and my twin existed while we were still in the womb. So we're 90% sure we're going to go forward with it.

The Beginning...

I found out that I was pregnant on April 6, 2013 when I was only 4 weeks along. A visit to my doctor around week 8 confirmed the pregnancy. Because I am considered Advanced Maternal Age (AMA) I was offered and opted for genetic testing. This was done during week 12-right after we returned from a vacation to Hawaii. One perk (besides finding out if there are any chromosomal abnormalities) about having genetic testing completed is that you can also find out the gender. On June 12th I finally received my testing results and no problems were noted.

GK was a bit undecided if he wanted to know the gender, that it could be a nice surprise to wait until the birth but I think having a baby is surprise enough. I received my testing results by phone, said I absolutely wanted to know the gender, immediately texted him to let him know everything was fine and did he want to know the gender. Initially he replied, "no," but then about 3 hours later he texted indicating he did want to know but not over the phone. This was a work night for him and he did not plan to be home until 3am when I would be fast asleep. Elsie agreed to help me out.

While I understand that first and foremost you want a healthy child-I was also pretty vocal about wanting a girl and so was GK. I think for me this comes from having two brothers and longing for a sister. For GK-he has 1 niece (oldest) and 3 nephews so he felt it was time for another girl in his family. And the clothes are so much cuter.