The half way mark...

I have made it to the half way mark in my pregnancy. 20 weeks and running. It was a challenging first trimester for me and I was glad to leave it behind and embrace the more active and energetic days of the second trimester, where I feel almost as normal as before.

The movements and mini-kicks have begun in full earnest and while earlier I felt very unconnected and removed from this baby, I now feel a faint sense of affection and bonding. The two of us are eagerly waiting for the day of the ultrasound (Saturday, the 23rd of September, 2006, 11:00 AM) and if we are lucky, we hope to find out amidst all other things, whether this baby is a boy or a girl.

I remember it being an unbearable wait to see Akhil's first picture.......it was all I could do to get through each day. The actual event was a simple 20 minute process and I shall never forget the technician's words when she said...."Oh wait a min.....I know what you guys are having." And she paused there deliberately filling the gap with her teasing smile.......

"It looks like its going to be a boy!"

I don't remember what we said then.....but I can still feel our goofy smiles as we looked at each other and beamed in a silly way.

We may have recovered a moment later to ask...."Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah! 99% and I'm usually never wrong abt these things. Look, you can see his little peepee."

And she was kind enough to give us a little printout of the evidence, with a little arrow mark pointed at it and titling it 'I'm a boy!'

Now with God's grace and blessings, we have this opportunity once more to feel that little spark of excitement that sends our hearts pulsing for a quick moment, before our brains process the information and things settle.

So.....5 days and counting!