Let the Countdown Begin

We're in the midst of packing up and planning our trip down to Florida this weekend for the big launch. The hubby and peanut are both extremely excited. Peanut keeps insisting that we're not just going to see the rocket ship launch, but that we're going into space, too..."to see the planets." I don't have the heart to tell him that's impossible. I figure we can ask some poor official-looking person at Kennedy Space Center if we can go with the astronauts and let that person be the bearer of bad news. Better them than me. I seem to cause enough tantrums around here as it is. Let someone else have a turn, I say.

Strangely, the launch is also serving as a bit of a distraction. Our big 20 week ultrasound is on Tuesday, the day after we return.

I'm super eager to see this little pumpkin. The last several weeks of this pregnancy have been full of paranoia. Why aren't I feeling it move earlier than I did with peanut? What does detecting a positive group beta strep really mean this early? What do you mean fifth disease is going around the neighborhood and I'm one of the few people who are apparently not immune?

Knowing that I'll get to see that little one for myself, and that the pumpkin finally started to make gymnastics a routine occurrence in the last two weeks, has helped to ease this paranoia a bit. And, thankfully, the trip is serving as a wonderful distraction to obsessive counting down to that ultrasound moment.

But with the distraction comes the delayed realization that we'll hopefully find out if it's a boy or a girl in just a few days. I really don't have an idea...so feel free to weigh in and guess. I won't have time to post again before the big day, so here are some tidbits to help you decide:

• I had all-day nausea with peanut and just spotty low-blood sugar type of nausea during this pregnancy's first trimester.
• I am much more emotional this time around. Lots more weepy than I was with peanut.
• I craved junk food (like McDonald's, pizza, ice cream) with peanut. This time, the cravings have been very different (coffee, olives, fried egg sandwiches on white bread with ketchup, fruit, hot dogs, ice cream...okay, that one isn't different at all), and overall I'm eating better than I probably did before I was pregnant.
• I was completely averse to the site of shrimp during my first pregnancy (have you ever noticed how many restaurant commercials include a shrimp? ALL of them, it seems). I also couldn't stand the thought of drinking coffee. This time, no real aversions EXCEPT broccoli. Seriously, I can't eat it. And I love broccoli, normally.
• I am hungry all the time. Much more than with peanut. And I have to balance my protein throughout the day or I end up with killer headaches.
  

I didn't admit it much when I was pregnant with peanut, but I was pretty sure he was a boy. I was not at all surprised when the technician made the announcement. This time, I'm clueless. I'll spend a few days convinced it's another boy than wake up in the morning "knowing" it's a girl. I'm totally confused.

Since I haven't got a clue, feel free to leave your comments and make a guess.

And I'll be back next week with the verdict (hopefully - watch, I'll have a shy baby) and some interesting stories from our shuttle experience (have I mentioned we have to be on site BY 5am? Should be an interesting day between a toddler and a woman who can't have caffeine. Poor hubby.) and family beach time.

Have a wonderful weekend.