Ask us again in November. 

When people ask if we know the gender of the next Pigg-let, the conversation almost always goes like this:

"Nope, we don’t know — but our mothers do!"

"What!?  How did THAT happen?"

"Well, I have always thought it’s ‘wrong’ to find out.  It’s like a Christmas gift from God.  You don’t open until it’s time — and it’s also too much fun NOT to find out.  Tim wanted to know with Ethan, but was very sweet and did it my way.  So I said this time I could play it his way and find out if he wanted to.  However, I have a very sweet husband who, by the time we got to the ultrasound room, said, ‘You know, maybe we shouldn’t find out.  I don’t know.  I do kind of want to know, but you had so much fun last time not knowing.’     So I said to the tech, ‘Can you just see what it is (if the child cooperates), not tell us, but write it down on two pieces of paper and put it in two envelopes?’       ‘Sure!’ she said.       So that’s what she did.  The first envelope was for Tim.  He had the ability to find out if he wanted and then not tell me, or he could never open the envelope.  The second was for my mother who was sorely disappointed that we didn’t find out last time so she could sew appropriate clothes and quilts, and whatnot.  (I had promised her the info on the second go ’round.)

I mailed Mom’s envelope to her that day, and Tim took his.  That day he went to see his parents at the rehab center where his dad was recovering from hip replacement surgery.  He handed the unopened envelope to his mom saying he hadn’t looked yet, but she could if she wanted and not to tell him.  (He couldn’t decide yet what he really wanted to do.)  She opened it without hesitation.

So our mothers know, and now (with our permission) our siblings and siblings-in-law know as well.  BUT!!!  All six of them are VERY good at secrets when they want to be!  I mean like…. J.K. Rowling good!  (If you don’t know what I mean, nevermind.)  So it’s no use trying to get it out of them.  My dad’s not allowed to know because even he admits he can’t keep a secret; and Tim’s dad’s Alzheimer’s has reached a stage where he asks us every 15- 20 minutes if Ethan has a brother.  (That makes me very sad and I really hate it; but it is what it is.)

So that’s the long explanation of why we don’t know, but our mothers (and siblings) do.  What really blows my mind is that Tim still has the now-opened envelope in his briefcase which he carries to work every day — and he STILL hasn’t looked!  (This drives the department secretary at work NUTS, apparently!)  He’s truly one of the most disciplined people I know.  But also very sweet — I know he’s doing it partly to humor me, and because he doesn’t entirely trust himself not to blow it on accident.  Although he DID say the other day that he really kind of had fun last time not knowing. 

So ask us in mid-November. 

Yesterday after morning church services we were loading up a VERY tired Ethan, talking about what to have for lunch, etc.  In the course of the conversation Tim said something like, "Man, I am tired." 

Ethan (who currently LOVES to contradict anything we say) interrupted with, "No, Daddy not tired.  Ethan –"  (in the sudden silence you could hear him thinking to himself, "Wait!  Say no more. Don’t admit it and they won’t realize that you are tired.")  Tim and I just looked at each other with mouths open in silent laughter.

Later Tim said to me, "You realize of course that this marks another level of difficulty in parenting.  Now he can self-edit."

Another story from about a month ago:

Ethan seems to really enjoy patting my belly and lovingly cooing, "Bay-beeee!  Tiny baby!"  Sometimes he says, "Hi Baby!  I a big brudder Ethan!  Bye, bye!"

One night after our bedtime routine as I was leaving his room I said, "Nigh- night, Ethan.  I love you.  Tiny Baby says nigh-night too."

Laughing he said, "Noooo…. Baby not say nigh-night!  Baby too tiny!" 

Now for something a bit shorter:

 About a month ago I said, "Ethan!  Come Ooonnn!!  Let’s go to Sam’s!"

Response: "No, Ethan not go a Fam’s yet.  Ethan have poo-poo.  Big Big Pile Poo-Poo!"

And boy, was he not kidding! 

It hit me the other day that I have yet to blog about being pregnant.  I don’t think there’s anyone who reads this who DOESN’T know I’m pregnant; but just in case…     I’m pregnant!  I’m in my 3rd trimester, due Nov. 14, and we’re all pretty excited about it.

The primary reason for not having posted this (other than forgetful pregnant brain) is the miscarriage I had LAST November.  I was 6 or 7 weeks pregnant and had been having some trouble for about 10 days.  I had some blood work done, and the night before Thanksgiving Day my OB had to call to tell me that it did not look good and to expect to lose the baby within a few days.  We went ahead to the Pigg family Thanksgiving feast the next day; but with the understanding that Tim, his mom, his sister and her husband act as if all was well.  No one else there even knew I was pregnant at that point.  We didn’t stay too long at the meal and within an hour or two of getting home I knew it had difinitely begun. 

It was far and away the worst experince of my life so far.  Of course I hope to never repeat it; although there was some small measure of comfort knowing I was in "good" company.  But even now as I’m typing this it’s a little hard emotionally.  I would have been just a few weeks behind my sister-in-law, Kristi, and due around July 4th.  So when my nephew was born, and when the 4th rolled around it was a bit hard again.  But by then I was pregnant with this one and I think it wasn’t nearly as difficult as it would have been otherwise. 

A friend at church who lost her first and went on to have 4 healthy boys told me that she still remembers the due date of her first, and looks forward to seeing that child in heaven.  That thought actually gave me a lot of comfort.  I’d thought of that too, but to hear someone else say it I guess validated it for me.

So that experince kind of put a crimp in my plans to post when I got pregnant again.  Neither of us really wanted to tell anyone until the second trimester anyway.  Then I just got busy and forgot.  But we are VERY excited about an addition to the family!

This post has gone WAY longer than I meant for it to.  So I guess I’ll quit there.