Sugar and Spice makes all things....AMAZING :-)

It's been some time since I have posted on this blog. And it’s not because life has become normal (though in some instances it has) but probably cause life has changed so drastically that I needed sometime to indulge and then center myself in it.

New Zealand has without a doubt changed Clinton and my world forever!

It's been about 5 and half months for me here and my life has been rocked....

* I finished teaching my first semester at a University here in NZ (I will definitely post soon about this experience)

* Clinton has begun to pursue a number of his extracurricular life interest (a total of four of them which I will let him share with the public once he is ready :-0)

* We are wonderfully engaged and cemented in our love, commitment and partnership

* AND we are blessedly expecting our first child before the end of this year :-)

All of the above were absolute surprises for me (Clinton had been preparing for the engagement for a while so that wasn't a surprise for him or his bank account...lol...BUT the rest of it was). We learned that we were having a little one in late March and we excitedly (almost about to pop) kept this huge event to ourselves till we were in the 3 month clear. Once we received clearance from our midwife (ohhh I will definitely post soon on the NZ maternal health care because it is sooo fantastically different from my experience in the US), we began to share it with family and loved ones (If I have been playing phone or email tag with your in the last 2 months....now you know why I was trying to reach you...lol).

About a week ago on a Friday morning, Clinton and I went to get our third sonogram. This sonogram would allow us to check on the baby's growing anatomy and, hopefully, find out the baby's sex. In the beginning, I had a really strong feeling that it was a little boy (Clinton and a few others felt the same). However in the last few weeks, this little one has been sending me female vibes (and at times I would find myself humming "it's a girl, it's a girl" and then quickly talking to my now very visible prego belly "oh baby I'm sorry if you're a boy, we will love you lotsssss"). So it was pretty clear that though I deeply wanted a healthy baby...I also hoped it was a little girl. This pregnancy process made me realize what was my underlining "family ideal"...A partnership at the foundation with a first born child that was a girl. I didn't even realize that was what I wanted until now...I guess looking at my life, as the first grandchild, it's not too hard to see how my own experience created that as a possible ideal. Women have been anchors in my family and I guess that’s what I secretly wanted for my own.

Well, after a few minutes of look at the baby's incredible bone structure (spine, rib cage, brain, little hands, little feet and even heart), we saw our little one's female anatomy and it was confirmed (though not guaranteed...the technician was like, "it looks like it’s a girl but every now and then I could be wrong")...."it is a GIRL."

Clinton and I are elated! It's so great to know who our little one is developing into. And since I thought she was a boy at first, I have a feeling she will be a tough little girl...lol

All in all, everything is amazing. I have thankfully had a very good pregnancy and am hoping that it continues this way.

Sugar and Spice surely does make everything Nice!

The pics I have included are from when I was 4 months and a few weeks (in Sydney), at 5 months and when I was at the sonogram appointment minutes before learning we were having a little girl).