Training for Baby: It's a ...

“It’s a baby.” That is what my cookie cake said.

I wanted to surprise my co-workers with the news of my pregnancy, so as I neared the end of the first trimester I plotted a great way to tell them. I am from the south, so food immediately came to mind!

I did some research and then headed to a local mall to pick out a cookie cake design. I ordered it, specifically telling them to use pastel pink and blue around the trim. The stork that was sitting in the middle of the cake was to have a little bubble above reading “It’s a baby!” I thought it was so cute.

When I picked it up the morning of the big reveal, I saw a hot pink, electric blue mess and what looked like a dinosaur in the middle!

I tried to hide my shock. The only person there was the worker giving me the cake and I had seen her working on another cake, which looked pretty awful as well. I just didn’t have the heart to tell her it was not what I had asked for. She looked so proud. So, I paid for the cake after snapping the above pic on my phone.

I sent the pic to my mom. The first words out of her mouth – “It’s looks like a turkey.”

Great! This was supposed to be a big day revealing this big secret to everyone, and I was going to do it with this neon turkey cake?! The whole day was just ruined, I thought.

Then, I realized that this was going to be one great story to share with my baby one day. And, the cake at least took the edge off my nerves. It was something to laugh at.

When I broke the news, everyone congratulated me, then asked about the cake. It became a funny conversation piece. It almost seemed fitting to have something funny like that happen because in parenting, as in life, things don’t always go as planned and sometimes laughing helps you get through it.

And I have another big reveal this week! We had our Level 2 ultrasound and we found out that we are having a boy!

My husband was sure it was going to be a girl, but I just knew it was a boy. My first cravings were for beer and nachos, hello?! I am sad that I am not having a girl to buy cute little dresses for, but I can’t wait to give my little boy a faux hawk!

The ultrasound was pretty great, except for the technician, who was indifferent to everything. I tried to talk to her, but she was just matter-of-fact, all business. I was so stressed the night before the ultrasound, I didn’t sleep! I just wanted a healthy baby. Each time she said something was good, my husband and I cheered and raised our arms. We were counting the limbs and the technician said very monotone, “You don’t have to do that, I am doing that.” She didn’t crack a smile once!

Our little boy moved his arms around at the beginning, trying to shield himself from the ultrasound as if to say, “No pictures, please!” So cute, but he kept moving into a little ball and we couldn’t see what he was.

When she said there was a chance we wouldn’t see the gender, I was terrified. She was so “blah,” she wasn’t going to wait this baby out if it didn’t move its legs. I decided that I wasn’t leaving that room until I knew if this was a boy or girl. I had in effect planned to stage a “belly-in.”