First, the announcement of the big news: Maternit21 results came back great and we got to find out the sex at 11 weeks, 6 days! We are having a BOY!!
Second, I believe that whether or not to find out the sex before birth is a completely personal choice, and I respect everyone's choice and their reasons for making it. Also, the most important purpose of the Maternit21 test is for genetic screening purposes as it relates to the health of the baby, and the ability to find out the sex of the baby with incredible accuracy in the first trimester is just an added benefit of the test. I had blood drawn on 9/5 for the Maternit21 test and we were told that the results would be back in 7 to 14 days.
I am a FTM, and DH and I knew from the start that we wanted to find out the sex before giving birth. We chose a boy's name and a girl's name while we were trying to conceive (first names only and left middle names TBD). We're keeping the names a secret until the baby's birth. We had talked about the sex of the baby and both felt that we had no preference either way. Although, I will tell you that whenever I pictured my first child, even years before we got pregnant, I always pictured a girl.
We're from the Chicago area and went to New Buffalo, MI this past weekend to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. As we pulled into the town center Friday morning to walk around and check out all of the little shops, the announcer on the car radio mentioned that it was Friday the 13th. I am not a superstitious person, but when I lost my dad unexpectedly to a car accident when I was 21, it just so happened to be on a Friday the 13th, so it has been ominous for me ever since, to say the least.
For anyone who has lost a parent too soon, you know that the big, happy events are always tinted with a bit of sadness as well because that person is missing. The biggest ones for me so far have been graduating form college and my wedding. So needless to say, it makes me sad that my dad will not know this LO because he would have looooved being a Pappap.
Back to this past Friday, I tried to put the date out of my mind as we climbed out of the car to do some shopping. We went into several stores and eventually came to a baby store. We had not bought anything for the baby at this point because we were waiting to find out the sex, and also DH was nervous to buy anything too early.
We left the baby store without buying anything and decided to walk over to a restaurant with a big rooftop deck overlooking Lake Michigan to sit for a bit and get a bite to eat. As we sat down at our table, I realized it had been 8 days since my blood draw. I said to him, "Let's call and see if the results are in yet." I called my doctor's office and, low and behold, I was told that they had my results and someone would call us right back to give us the information. OMG!! We were nervous, excited....so many emotions and so much anticipation that we both sat staring at my phone waiting for it to ring. I lost more than a few tears and felt like my whole body was vibrating as we waited.
Then they called. First, the Maternit21 genetic screening results, good, "Thank you, God", we said as he squeezed my hand and we looked at each other waiting for the other part of the news that would forever shape our lives. Good news, big news. Girl or boy? How often are you waiting on news this big and no matter which way it goes it is GOOD?? When she said, Congratulations, you're having a boy, we laughed, I cried, he hugged me and said "I love you". I said, "I love you too! He's a _______"(our boy name), and immediately I could envision our lives with him. I instantly felt elated for everything that he was (a boy!) and no sorrow or loss for what he was not. What an anniversary gift!
In the next moment, I thought back to the other milestones in this pregnancy...the date we found out I was pregnant, the date of the first U/S and heartbeat and today's date. I turned to DH and said, "You know that Friday the 13th has always been a sad day for me, but now....I was thinking that since we don't have a middle name, I was wondering how you would feel about ______"(my dad's name). In the 10 years I have been with him, I have only seen this man tear up one other time but that is exactly what he did when he said "I like it, I like it a lot". And so our baby boy got his middle name on the date that will live in our hearts for the rest of our lives as a wonderful day, a very special moment and the best way to honor one of the the best men I have ever known. We celebrated by going back to that baby store down the street and getting a good start on our shopping.

I have never seen this man excited to shop for anything, until now. It was adorable and melted my heart.
On the day that our son is born, there will be so many amazing moments: the first time we lay eyes on him, the first time we hold him, the first time we hear his cries. I can't' even imagine the overwhelming joy as we experience all of these huge moments in rapid succession. I hope that I can hold on to each one and keep them forever in my memory, but I wonder, will I (in my epidural influenced state) be able to?. I am so glad that when we got the wonderful news our baby would be a boy, that this moment had it's own day. For us, it was the right decision. We continued the celebration all day and throughout the rest of our anniversary weekend. We are still on a happy and emotional high, and after the stress and worry of getting through the first trimester, it was much needed!
Thank you for reading my (long) story. Since the pregnancy is still a secret (until we head out of town this weekend to tell my family in another state) it feels so good to be able to share our joy with you ladies.

Re: Why I'm glad we found out (long)
2nd FET 6/14/2013 - BPF!!! -
1st Beta: 1046!!!!! - 2nd Beta: 2754!!!!!
First u/s 7/11/2013 - TWINS!!! 120 and 124 heartbeats
Second u/s 7/29/2013 - wiggley babies! 178 and 184 heartbeats!
Third u/s 9/9/2013 - 157 and 161 heartbeats ... a BOY and a GIRL!!!! Cervix on the "shorter side" (3-3.3) - going to check again in 2 weeks.
Fourth u/s 9/23/2013 - Baby A = 157 Baby B = 150 heartbeat. Cervix now 2.3-2.6 ... being referred to a MFM
MFM Appointment 9/26/2013 = Both babies healthy, cervix now measuring at 4 - Playing tricks on me ... will follow up in 2 weeks.
Cervical check 10/7 with regular OB - 2.1cm --- going BACK to the MFM armed with ultrasound pictures from my OB of my cervix. *sigh*
MFM Appointment 10/8 - confirmed my cervix at 2.1cm - putting me on Progesterone for a week.
MFM Appointment 10/17 - Cervix unchanged! Keeping me on Progesterone - followup 10/29
Everett Alan James (3lbs8oz) and Eliana Lee (3lbs7oz) born 12/28/13 at 30w6d!
ETA: Car was parked, of course.
Little Man arrived 3/28/14 at 10:32pm
9 lb 1 oz & 21 3/4 inches
Engaged 12-12-10 Married 5-12-12 Baby Jaxon 3-23-14
Call Me Mrs.Foster Blog
I found out I was pregnant on July 4th and my due date was first listed as March 17... Which is the anniversary of my brothers death at age 27. We are using his nickname as one of the baby's middle names (we are having twins, and MaterniT21 says at least one is a boy!) It's quite a bittersweet situation.
(I too am a sobbing mess! Happy tears for you and your DH)