… HE!
We haven’t done one of these posts since 2010, so it feels kind of strange and exciting to be sharing this kind of news with you guys again. We found out on Wednesday, and then scurried to tell our families over the last 48 hours. Of course, the most important person to tell first was Clara. We didn’t want her to learn the news from an ultrasound technician, so we scheduled a playdate for her with my dad during this particular appointment. Then when we were back together, we surprised her with a baby boy doll (which are surprisingly hard to find, we learned). It was a cute little “OK, look in the bag to see if there’s a little boy or a little girl in mommy’s belly!” moment.
And if there’s one thing she enjoys more than tearing through some tissue paper, it’s baby dolls. It was love at first sight and, more importantly, she completely connected the dots that this meant she was getting a little brother. She pretty much immediately started giving him his bottle and changing his diapers and even bragged that she knew it was a boy the whole time. When we asked her what she wanted to name the baby doll, without hesitation she shouted: “Barnacles!” After Sherry and I completely failed at stifling our laughter, Clara explained that its full name was actually Captain Barnacles (a character in one of her new favorite shows, Octonauts). So yeah, she won’t be naming her real brother… but we have called the bun “the barnacle” a few times since then.
She (okay, well all of us) originally guessed we were having a girl. But our instincts started to shift to boy when Sherry’s morning sickness wouldn’t let up (this pregnancy is pretty different than the last). Which is good because Clara started asking for a brother, probably because a few of her best friends have baby brothers. Regardless of the reason, she couldn’t have been more thrilled at the news. And so are we.
After about the sixteenth Captain Barnacle diaper change, Clara called up Nonna to tell her via FaceTime. She was really excited to deliver the news – and Nonna was just as excited to hear it!
For telling my family here in town, we decided to make a little game out of the announcement. We managed to get my parents, my sister, and her family to meet us out to dinner last night (at Panera, since we’re super fancy and all). We came armed with a bunch of blue and pink envelopes, so each person could make a final guess by picking a pink envelope if they thought it was a girl and a blue one if they thought boy.
Then we had them all tear into them at the same time to see if their baby-dar was on point or not. All of the blue ones said some iteration of “yup!” or “bingo!” or “you betcha!” and all the pink ones said “nope!” “try again!” or “wrong-o!” We had about a 50/50 split in guesses, so even though half of ’em were off-base, everyone was thrilled. It was really fun to watch their faces as they all figured it out at pretty much exactly the same moment.
Then we got to make a whole bunch of other family & friend calls to spread the news (Clara was awesome about boasting “I’m getting a baby brother!” about 100 times to various friends and relatives on the horn). And that, as they say, is history.
Sherry and I are both really excited. We’re mostly just thankful to hear there’s a healthy bun barnacle growing in there, no matter its sex. But being able to picture this child – this boy! – a bit more clearly makes the excitement that much more real. As much as two little girls would’ve been fun, we’re really looking forward to the experience of raising a son along with this great daughter of ours. Not to mention that Sherry’s already going crazy looking at nurseries on Pinterest.
It’s fun to think about the possibilities for that room now that we know better who will be occupying it. Not that we’ll fill it with “man things” or make it all blue and green (actually, come to think of it, Clara’s original nursery was blue and green) but it’s just fun to talk about potential projects and colors and art now. The funny thing is that the nursery is the only room in this entire house that had pink trim when we bought it.
Good thing it’s already painted white! Bad that the room is currently housing a bunch of random junk. Guess it’s getting time to start working on that…
We’d love to hear your stories about finding out the sex of your baby (whether halfway through with an ultrasound, one of those early blood tests, or right there in the delivery room). And feel free to share how you told your family and friends. Was it a photo on Facebook? One of those blue/pink cakes? A box full of balloons? Or did you just call or visit people and blurt out the news? Any way you play it, it’s a pretty exciting moment.
Gina says
Congrats!! How exciting for your family!! Love the idea of the boy baby and love the pictures of Clara. Praying for a continued healthy pregnancy!! :)
Julie says
Hooray and congrats!!! As I mentioned in another comment on a previous post, we are also expecting a baby boy in June (we found early earlier than most due to some genetic testing). Surprisingly, my husband was really rooting for another girl, but now we’re looking forward to a Baby Brother. Our almost-3 year old daughter’s stoked, and that’s what she’s been asking for all along. I’m excited to see your nursery ideas and follow along with a babe who’s just a couple of months older than ours! Congrats again to your whole (growing) clan, and thank you for sharing!!
Jennie d says
Congrats! Having a brother is the best – Clara is one lucky lady!
Ariadna says
Awww Congratulations!!! Baby brothers are awesome! Tell Clara that he’ll still protect her and chase her even though she’s the oldest. Trust me, I know, I have twin brothers and even though I’m 4 years older than them, they would still gang up on me and put grasshoppers down the back of my shirt. Aah memories…Anyway, congrats guys, I’m so excited to see the nursery and meet Baby Barnacles!!
Carmen says
Congratulations! I love how your creativity is woven and really shines through your daily lives. All the best to you!
Annelies says
When my mom had the ultrasound to find out my sex they said I was going to be a boy, so my parents all prepared for that. But then when I actually arrived I turned out to be a girl! To delight of my parents as they already had a boy. As they weren’t expecting a girl they still had to find a name and all. And another big surprise was that I arrived on my mom’s birthday! We are best friends now.
Stephanie says
Yaaaay! I’m so excited for you guys! It’s so fun having one of each!
It’s so fun to see what the older kid picks up too, I have a son that’s about Clara’s age and i just had a baby girl in October. The other day I walked into the playroom and saw my 3.5 year old nursing his stuffed animal. I basically almost died laughing. You guys are gonna love it!
Can’t wait to see how the nursery ends up!
Jordan says
That picture of Clara in front of the tree with Burger is absolutely priceless. It is one of those photos that sits in a frame for years and years perfectly encapsulating the richness of such a moment.
P.S. What type of tree is that? It looks real. It looks like the perfect combo of lilty and full. Does it have a strong scent?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jordan! It’s actually a fake one (hand-me-down from my mom). We can’t wait to decorate it and blog about it! It’s pretty perfect for that bay window (even with the blue trim, haha).
xo
s
Kristen C. says
CONGRATULATIONS!! Can’t wait to see what you come up with for the nursery!
Kimberly says
Congratulations! I’m so very excited for your growing family – a little boy will be so much fun. Clara is going to be an amazing big sister and Burger will be a great big brother. :-)
Brianne says
Even after all these years of reading, I’m surprised how invested I find myself in your virtual lives! Full on tears! I’m thrilled for you all, xoxo
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks so much Brianne! Thanks to everyone saying such sweet things. We’re beaming over here, and have so much to be thankful for. You guys are high on the list!
xo
s
Pamela says
So happy for you all of you! Clara is adorable with the doll. She is going to be a great big sister.
The barnacle is hilarious – that’s what we call our daughter, who can sometimes be extremely clingy like a barnacle. I can pick her up and let go and she stays right where she is.
Marianne W says
Congratulations! Little boys are wild and fun!
We found out with our second baby from the ultrasound tech. We could see from the ultrasound what it was and when she announced it, our son (3 years at the time) said “Can’t we cut off the penis” and later wanted to throw the baby in the trash (at the time all things unwanted he felt should go in the trash). He and my husband were so sure it was a girl. We stifled a laugh and tried to gently explain how no we could not change the baby and how awesome a little brother was going to be. He came around in the next few days and now I couldn’t imagine anything but my two rowdy boys.
jeanette says
congrats!! my son (3) is watching the octonauts christmas episode while i read your post! his fave show by far! have fun planning! I’ve done a blue/green nursery for one boy and a grey/orange for the other boy. excited to see what you do!
Heather says
Congratulations!!! We have 6 month old twin boys and they are so much fun! You will love having a boy.
We had early genetic testing done and they were able to detect a male chromosome, but they couldn’t tell if that meant we were having two boys or a boy and a girl. We had to wait until our 19 week ultrasound to find out it was two boys!
We shared the news at our baby showers, filling two big boxes with blue balloons. Everyone was so surprised it was two boys.
So excited for your family!
Julia says
Yay! So exciting!!
Stephanie says
Congratulations!! I had a feeling it was a boy. I have two boys (4.5 years and 10 months) and they are wonderful. :)
Ang says
CONGRATS!! So exciting! Totally stealing all of these ideas someday when I’m preggo, just FYI. Yaaaaay for Baby Boy Petersik!
Tara says
I found out what I am having on Wednesday too! I have a 15 mo son so we were excited to learn this time around we are having a girl! I was too excited to come up with any cute reveal so I just texted/called friends and family as soon as we left our appointment.
em says
YAY! I think I have a problem in that I have been super excited to find out this news since Wednesday (and of course I don’t know you people at all!) Of course, all babies are great, but I am partial to your news since we have a six year old girl and a 3.5 year old boy, and it’s been lots of fun having one of each. And, btw, from our experience, the boy is an entirely different animal. So, I suggest taking your vitamins and getting lots of rest- at least in my case, baby boys are much more physically challenging. One example: my girl was like Clara- perfectly content to sleep in her crib until we took it away for the new baby. My boy started climbing out of that same crib at about 1 year and, at 15 months, he climbed out and broke his arm! So, into a big-boy bed he went, much earlier than we had planned!
Anyway, heart-felt congratulations!
PS- we didn’t know the gender of either kid until they were out, so we didn’t have a cute way of announcing the gender other than calling our family and saying it’s a girl, etc.
Janine Coleman says
Congratulations! We’re having our first boy too! So excited for you guys!!!
Brandi says
Great news! I’m currently due at the end of January with our first, a boy!
When we found out, the ultrasound tech asked us if we knew what was on the screen and my first words were “is that a boy part?!!!” And then immediately started crying b/c I really wanted a boy to honor my grandfather who died 5 years ago. So it was really sweet and awesome.
Congrats guys!
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet! Congrats Brandi!
xo
s
Beth - BTW says
Congratulations! We had three surprises at birth…and they were all three truly surprises. Nothing like the excitement!
Amanda says
Yay! I live far away from family and friends and feel like I am going through my pregnancy with you, it’s nice to hear the stories (even if it is a short blurb!) and know I am not alone, lol. We are having a little girl, we actually first sent pictures via text to extended family and friends of me holding up a blue cupcake and a pink cupcake and then after they made their guesses we sent them the picture of me eating the PINK one :) We, of course, called the important people too, but it was fun to play a guessing game so far away. We found out EARLY since they thought she had a chromosomal issue (14 weeks!) but after months of tests (we are 7 months along) we know she is as healthy as can be!
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
Ahhh! Congrats! That is so exciting!! :)
Tashi @ Love Like Crazy Design says
I was so eager to know!!! I’m so glad it’s a boy, it’s a change for you too…We’re currently looking for the first kiddo, so we hope to be in your place in some months…
Congrats!
Allie says
So fun! I have a younger brother and even though we weren’t super close growing up, it’s so awesome now and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Congratulations to your family!
Kelly says
Congratulations! Clara is so stinkin’ cute with her baby brother doll!
I love your guessing game – too fun!
We just found out last Monday that our twins (due in April) are a boy and a girl! All our parents were going to be together on Thanksgiving, along with a huge number of other family members, so we decided to wait and tell them all together. Waiting was HARD!
We got two small pinatas, filled them with blue and pink candy, and let all the little cousins break them open. We have a lot of boys in our family, so did the baby boy pinata first. When my nephew hit the baby girl pinata, one tiny pink candy dropped out and everyone gasped and cheered! We were really glad we waited.
Good luck with the morning sickness!
Jennie says
Congratulations – woo hoo! As the mother of two boys (3.5yrs and 18mths) welcome to the “boys” club, it’s a wild ride that I love so much! Diaper change advice for boys – buy a package of cheap burb cloths that can be thrown in the washer A LOT. Why you ask – to cover the fountain during diaper changes – you are NEVER quick enough with the diaper! ;) The peepee teepees are super cute, but yeah that’s not happening at 3am.
How we found out boy/girl – we had our ultrasound tech write boy/girl on a piece of paper & put it in an envelope which we opened over date night dinner. Then had someone take a picture of us holding the boy/girl note & our HUGE smiles.
I was sick pretty much the entire the 2nd pregnancy & couldn’t drink straight water (had to mix it with Vitamin water) – here’s to hoping you feel better soon! Can’t wait to see the nursery!
Natalie says
Congratulations! I have boys and they are so much fun!
Lindsay C says
CONGRATS!!! It sounds like Clara had the best reaction!! I can’t wait to have another, but for my daughter we chose not to find out and surprised everyone with a girl!
As I was exhausted and cared about nothing else but holding my new bundle of joy, I only announced it to the delivery room (my midwife hurried her onto my chest and shouted LOOK! LOL So I could tell everyone it’s a GIRL!). Everyone else at the hospital made the phone calls. And, most thought it was a joke when they heard girl. My cousin still talks about my brother calling her and her thinking he was lying! Too funny!!
But again, amazing news!! Wishing you nothing but the best!
<3 Linds
Emily says
So exciting!!!
I’m pregnant as well, due in June, and have a 2.5 year old girl. She apparently already knows that this baby will be a girl as the only thing she says when asked “What’s in mommy’s belly?” is “Baby sister!” We’ll see, but not until our ultrasound at the end of January!
With our little girl, we found out at the ultrasound then called all our immediate family right after to let them know!
Meg says
Congrats! I have two boys and they are so much fun! I had a special moment telling my grandmother that I was having a boy–she was so excited and we laughed about all her experiences with my uncle, her only son. It was so special in part because she was in a bit of a car accident the next day and eventually passed away due to complications of that accident, so I love having the wonderful memory of sneaking in that last great memory with her. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Meg, I’m so sorry for your loss. What a sweet story and moment, to get to tell her.
xo
s
Trisha M says
Congratulations! I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I’m so happy for you.
Taylor A. says
You guys, I am so excited for you! I am especially excited for Clara though. Your kids will be the same age apart as my baby brother and me. It has been absolutely wonderful! I will say, that “mother hen” instinct will kick in fast! I was always wanting to protect my little brother when we were younger. Now, he stands 6’2″ and towers over me so our roles have reversed. At 24 and 21, we are great friends! I have always loved having a little brother to share life with, and I know Clara will too! Congratulations! I hope that the rest of the pregnancy is smooth sailing!
Brittany says
Congratulations!!!! So excited for baby boy things around here.
Funny story, as a kid I remember my mom talking about how “they knew about me but my brother was a surprise”. Naturally I thought this meant he was an accident. Until I was like sixteen. When I finally put together that they meant the sex of the baby. Duh, Brittany. Duh.
Kerrie says
While I am so excited about your baby boy, I have to say that my favorite part of this post is Clara’s hair!! It is so cute with the bangs! Turning into such a sweet young lady!! :)
Kim says
Congratulations! I really appreciate you posting the gender so soon after you found out–unlike other blogs I read. It shows you really care about your readers.
Momcat says
Boys. Are. Cool. !!
We adopted internationally, so when we were asked which we’d like (boy or girl), we said “First Available”. I guarantee you won’t find a “We’re Having a First Available!!” card in Hallmark. Though at the time we thought we wanted a girl, 18 years later I cannot imagine life without our amazing son.
Congratulations to your lovely family. And the picture of Clara under the tree with the doll & Burger … ADOREable!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, I love that story Momcat!
xo
s
Sharen says
I went to the determining ultrasound with an angel notecard, had her print off the “proof” and seal it up. Then I drove 3 hours to my parents house, gave it to my 81 year old grandmother and told her under no circumstances are we to open this card until daddy arrives. Finally after 4 hours of waiting for daddy, we all sat at the kitchen table went around and guess what our bean would be – and then had her open up the notecard and announce the gender. Matthew is 9 years old now, and she passed away just after his 1st birthday. It’s a most treasured memory of her, knowing that she got to be the one who ‘knew’ who he was first.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Sharen, I’m so sorry for your loss. What a sweet story!
xo
s
Liz says
WAHOO – Congrats!!
My cousin-in-law was allowed to name his little brother and his sister was allowed to name their little sister. His is Markenson and he named his little brother Markens. The sister was Mirlanda and named the little sister Irlande. I still cannot believe his parents kept their promises to allow the kids to name their siblings!!
Carrie says
Congratulations!!! So excited for you all and especially Clara! I have been following you guys for a few years now and almost feel like I really know you guys. I look forward to your posts everyday and admire your work as well as the way you live your lives, it’s inspiring and simple. :0) I had my daughter 5.11.10 unexpectedly very early and she had a very rough start to life but is an amazing little girl. When you shared your birth experience with Clara, I immediately sympathized with you all and was so happy things turned out well for you all. Ever since that post I just have a new found love for you guys because I know exactly how it feels to have a child under extreme stress and uncertainty but it seems you guys have a great appreciation for what a miracle life really is. Lots of love for you guys and prays for a happy, safe and simple pregnancy for Sherry from Michigan. Oxox
Brittany says
I saw this posted on facebook and was like OMG OMG OMG!! Grabbed our new puppy, plopped her on my lap, and clicked the link. YAY! Congrats! Also, what a great way to tell Clara. So excited to see your nursery ideas. I’m thinking some manly bike art is a requirement. ;)
Becky Horst says
When you guys posted a pic earlier this week of Sherry cutting in I knew she was having a boy. Why because from behind she didn’t look prego at all! Boys are basketballs and girls are spare tires.
We didn’t find out until the delivery room but I def carried a spare tire and had a girl to go along with it. My husband thought he needed a boy til she arrived.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! I’m definitely carrying more in the front and more round this time. Oddly it feels higher too, if that makes sense!
xo
s
Melissa @ Loving Here says
I know you have about a million comment saying congratulations by now, but I wanted to join in the party, too. So so happy for you all and good luck for the rest of this pregnancy! Such an exciting time…and as for the question, Hubs and I aren’t expecting yet but when we do, we’ve decided to wait until our little one pops out as a boy or a girl. It will be so hard to not find out with all the amazing technology they have these days but it’s always what I’d imagined we’d do when the time comes.
Holley with an E says
Amazing news!! And we just found out with the ultrasound tech then called everyone. But truthfully finding out from the tech was so anti-climatic. That’s why I loved it when one of our friends had the tech write it down and put it in an envelope. Then later, opened it that night at a little family/friend gathering. It was so emotional all finding out together! If I finally get pregnant again, I’ll probably go that route!
Laurel M. says
So happy for you! Sorry about the morning sickness, though. It’s not a bad thing when your pregnancies are different. For my last three pregnancies, I knew by week nine which gender I was having because girls make me throw up every day and with boys I’m fine. Congratulations!
Cyndi says
We have four boys (oy!) and took the older 3 to the ultrasound for #4. We knew exactly when the technician confirmed it was a boy because she started laughing so hard. Being pregnant with a boy is the BEST though – no matter what stupid thing you do, you can blame it on actually having a penis right now. :)
Robin says
Congrats! We have a girl (19 months) and then a boy (4 months) and our daughter loves having a baby brother! She asks for him first thing in the morning when I go to get her out of her crib, she gives him big hugs and kisses all the time, and when he cries she runs over to him to comfort him.
Wishing you well with the rest of your pregnancy!!
Jennifer says
Congratulations on your baby barnacle/boy!!!! So thrilled for you. I’m one of those wait to find out at the birth mamas. Everyone was convinced that our first was a boy but when she was born – GIRL! It was such an exciting moment. I actually just bought a pregnancy test (hoping and praying for #2 for over 6 years now) and am terrified to take it but am hoping to have good news for my family this weekend….