Sugar & Spice or Frogs & Tails: The Sequel

With our sweet Bucket, we contemplated not having a gender reveal at all given that our family and friends are busy people with lives of their own and we hate when we inconvenience them.  Upon further reflection, and much questioning from the Grandparents, we realized that Baby Martin #2 deserved their own moment in the sun and that when we looked back we would remember the excitement of sharing that moment with loved ones and not the stress or worry leading up to it.

So Monday June 9th, my family (we missed you Matt!) & Ryan's got together at Guadalajara and got our gender reveal on.  Ryan & I decided to keep it to just family this time because we had a VERY narrow window to do the gender scan and do a reveal.  When I say narrow I mean that I hit 16 weeks while in Finland for a work trip and was entirely unsuccessful in convincing my Doctor that 15 weeks and 4 days was basically the same as 16 weeks (tearing up like for a speeding ticket doesn't really fly, FYI).  I returned on Saturday and had to leave again the following Wednesday for Aunt Julie's wedding.  So we basically had one day (Monday) to do our gender scan, gather the crew and get our celebration on since Tuesday was reserved for last minute packing and taking Miss Em over to Jonathan & Melanie's.

As you might guess, after a week of Daddy daycare, our house was a complete and utter disaster so we opted to have this moment at a public location as opposed to amidst laundry and toddler home decor ideas a la Emery.  I knew since everything was happening the same day, which happened to be crazy busy at work, that I wouldn't have time to take the envelope to a bakery or any other place to come up with a clever pre-planned way of revealing.  Luckily, Nonnie and Daddy came to the rescue and had the idea that we ask the waiter/waitress to bring us all a round of either pink or blue drinks dependent upon what the envelope revealed.  Looking back on it, maybe they really just wanted a drink.  Either way- I liked the idea so it stuck.

I guess before I drop the gender bomb I should back up a second and tell you what we were thinking Baby Martin was.  To be clear, we both knew we would be excited either way.  With the second there are pros to either gender- it would be fun to have one of each but it would also be fun to see the bond between same sex siblings.  So anyway, with Emery, Ryan knew from day 1 it was a girl.  I felt like it was a boy but not strongly.  With this baby, I was sure it was a boy.  Like... I would have bet a pretty good chunk of change on it.  When people asked me why, I really had no concrete explanation... I just felt like it was.  Ryan has always said he feels like he's destined to be surrounded by women his whole life.  What man wouldn't want to be so lucky?  ;c)  However, I was so convinced that it was a boy that I think I had him sold on the idea as well.

So, with great anticipation, we handed the envelope off to our waitress, who was amazing about the whole thing.  Five VERY LONG minutes later, she and a crew of other people arrived at our table with a round of drinks on a tray covered by napkins.  (I really, really wish we had thought to take a picture of this because it was so thoughtful of them but alas- I was way too excited.)  When the napkins were removed we were all greeted with... PINK MARGARITAS (virgin for the Mama).

Whoa Dad.  Should you be drinking that so fast?

Upon this knowledge, the Mama teared up because she knows how incredible it is to have a sister, Paw paw exclaimed that he knew it and Daddy just started drinking his marg as fast as he could as he mentally started adding up the cost of multiple weddings, shoe shopping budgets and the noise cancelling earphones he would need to drown out the sounds of teenage girls running around on the phone.  

We are all so overjoyed to be ushering another princess into this world and to get to know her- the things that make her happy & sad.  The things she likes & doesn't.  How she's just like Emery & how she's completely different.  Each new family member is like another piece of the puzzle and I just know this little lady is going to help us feel more complete. 

It was truly such a fun way to reveal the gender and I am so grateful to our families for taking time out of their lives (particularly Kylie for sharing her birthday dinner with us) to be with us.  We love and appreciate you all and can't wait for Bucket to meet, and be babysat, by each of you!  ;c)

The birthday girl with her cupcake.

I am not even going to swat your hand right now because I'm so focused on this cupcake Mama.  When Bucket has a birthday, will I get cupcakes?  If so, then maybe I'm on board with this whole Big Sister gig.