We’ve been keeping a little secret, and after a long wait it feels exciting to share it again: we’re expecting a baby boy. We found out on Wednesday and spent the next 48 hours quietly telling family and close friends. First and foremost, we wanted to tell our daughter, Clara, in a way that felt genuine and special to her.
To avoid having the ultrasound technician be the one to tell her, we arranged a playdate with my dad during the appointment. When we reunited, we surprised Clara with a baby boy doll. The reveal was delightfully simple: “Look in the bag to see if there’s a little boy or a little girl in Mommy’s belly!”
Clara loves baby dolls and connected the dots immediately. She took to the doll with affection—feeding him, changing his diapers, and proudly announcing that she “knew it was a boy the whole time.” When asked what she would name him, she shouted “Barnacles!” and then clarified that his full name was “Captain Barnacles,” a character from one of her favorite shows. While she won’t be naming her real brother, her enthusiasm has been infectious, and we’ve affectionately nicknamed the little one “the barnacle” a few times since the reveal.
At first, we all guessed it would be a girl. But as this pregnancy progressed, different symptoms led us to suspect otherwise. Sherry’s morning sickness has been more persistent than with our previous pregnancy, which nudged our instincts toward a boy. Clara has been asking for a brother for a while—probably inspired by friends who have baby brothers—so when the ultrasound confirmed a son, we were all thrilled.
Clara couldn’t wait to tell her Nonna and called her immediately over FaceTime to share the news. Her excitement was contagious; Nonna was delighted, and the moment became a happy memory for all of us.
We decided to make announcing the news to my family into a little game. We convinced my parents, my sister, and her family to meet us for dinner. To keep things light and fun, we brought blue and pink envelopes so everyone could make a final guess—pink for girl, blue for boy. On the count of three we had everyone open their envelopes simultaneously. The blue envelopes all revealed confirmations while the pink ones playfully let their pickers know they were off the mark. About half the group guessed correctly, and watching everyone’s faces as they realized the news at the same moment was priceless.
After that, we spent the evening calling other relatives and friends to share the news. Clara enthusiastically told everyone she spoke with that she was getting a baby brother, repeating it proudly to friends and family throughout the day. It was a joyful stretch of conversations and congratulations.
Sherry and I are both incredibly excited. Above all, we’re grateful for a healthy baby growing in there. Knowing the baby’s sex helps us picture life a little more clearly and fuels our excitement as we plan for his arrival. While raising two daughters would have been wonderful, we’re genuinely looking forward to the experience of raising a son alongside our amazing daughter.
One immediate perk of knowing the sex is imagining how we might shape the nursery. We won’t default to stereotypical “boy” themes or fill the space with only blue and green, but it’s fun to consider color palettes, art, and small projects that reflect who will inhabit the room. Coincidentally, the nursery was the only room in the house that had pink trim when we bought it, so we’re already a step ahead—most of it is painted white now, though the space is currently being used for storage. Looks like it’s time to clear the clutter and get to work.
We’d love to hear your stories about finding out the sex of your baby—whether you learned during a routine ultrasound, from an early blood test, or as a surprise in the delivery room. How did you share the news with family and friends? Did you do a social media post, a themed cake, a box full of balloons, or a simple phone call? Every reveal feels different, and every reaction is worth remembering.
For now, we’re savoring this chapter: a happy daughter, an on-the-way son, and a house that will soon be a little busier, a little louder, and a lot more fun. We can’t wait to get started on the nursery and on building new memories together as a family of four.