IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'd try to make you guess, but so far everyone -- everyone -- even people I have never met in person, have guessed girl, and apparently they were right! Question: if I had blue hair, would you have guessed boy?

So it's a girl!!! As I said before, we had no preference at all. Just, you know, healthy and awesome, with a combination of musical genius and ninja skills. That's all we care about. So it's going to be a musical ninja girl and we're thrilled, and would have been equally thrilled if it were a boy.

I can start saying "she" now!!

The ultrasound tech called the gender within literally 5 seconds of putting the wand to my belly, and without any ceremony, just: "Girl." Of course, the gender is not the important part of the 20-week ultrasound. This was the visit where they look at every single organ and measure all the bones and the head and all that, and everything looks good! Apparently my placenta wraps around my right side, which is sort of interesting . . . to me . . . and surely not at all interesting to anybody else. The baby would NOT turn over though, so the tech couldn't get as good a look at the chambers of the heart as she needs, so we get to have another ultrasound at our next appointment; we'll try for the classic "profile shot" then too -- all our pics today look like moon geography or weather patterns.

Here I am, looking pregnant at last!
Being as how my belly has finally emerged, it was time for the first ever maternity clothes shopping trip! Jim and I stopped at the mall on our way back from the doc and I got a couple of pairs of pants. The weird elastic waist! And what a strange experience it was trying on a bunch of pairs of jeans that all fit. I recommend maternity pants for everyone!!! There are no buttons or zippers, people. Just a big elastic band. Woo hoo!

I also got a couple of pairs of shoes, being as how I'm not exactly known for my sensible footwear. Snort! Got some really cute Danskos that make me feel SHORT and some Sketchers that have a little wedge heel.

Oh, and this was kind of random -- unrelated -- today, and funny: Jim and I had lunch with the talented Johanna Wright (whose first picture book is coming out really soon!) and I got a pistachio macaroon, you know, the pretty French kind? We all three split it, and it kind of tasted like breakfast cereal, but because it was so pretty I was going to buy another one on the way out . . . but they were gone. I asked if they'd sold out already and the girl behind the counter got a weird and sheepish look on her face and -- not realizing we'd already eaten one -- said, "Oh. No. Something was, uh, up with those. We'll have more tomorrow."

"Um. What? What do you mean 'something was up?' What kind of something?"

"Oh . . . [hem haw etc] the baker just didn't [hem haw] . . . [mysterious weirdness, etc.]"

"But, they're not, uh, poisonous or anything? We're not all going to die soon?"

"Oh . . . no. I don't think so."

Okay, she didn't really say that last bit. I made that up. But I'm still wondering: what was "up" with the macaroons??? They tasted fine. If Johanna and Jim and I all turn green, or begin to experience strange psychic phenomena or speak only in rhyme: blame the macaroons.

Cheers, all!