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The kids did snow painting today, which is such a wonderful activity for them. I've been saving our dried out pens for the activity: the moisture revives them. The kids had a blast doing it, and clean up was soooo easy.

As some of you may know, I've been thinking a lot about having another baby lately. Just one more, but I am feeling ready for another. For several reasons, I want to wait until the middle to latter half of the year to start trying for our final child. Mostly because after Elyas' 10-day (split into two batches of 5 days) stay in the hospital due to contracting RSV at 1 week old, and worrying for months about the increased chance of asthma or predisposition to having viruses move into the lungs (fortunately, Elyas seems to have suffered no lasting effects)... well, I'd like to wait until we're into spring before the baby is born. To me, mid-March to mid-July is just about the perfect time to have a baby. You're getting out of the sick, stuck indoors, very cold part of the year, and yet you aren't stuck being hugely pregnant into the very hot part of the year.

Just for fun, I take a peek at the Chinese Gender Prediction charts, which by chance were correct for both my children. Not that I put total stock in those things, but anyway... It brings up the question to me of what gender I would prefer. I will be honest: when I was pregnant with Leila I wanted a girl more than anything, but by the end of my pregnancy I was convinced she would be a boy. When I was pregnant with Elyas, again I wanted a girl, mostly because I had always wanted a sister for myself, and would love to give Leila that oppurtunity. We unofficially found out Elyas' gender at my fetal echo, he had his butt pointed right at the transducer when the technician put it on my belly, and it was pretty easy to see that little turtle. It was unconfirmed, but it was a pretty clear shot that we saw and I was sure we were having a boy. I was sad, but since he's been born, I've delighted in my son. People who told me when I was pregnant that little boys have a special bond with their mother were very right.

Now I find myself thinking, I'd love another little boy, they are so sweet (and can I handle two teenage girls? What if they are... God forbid... like I was as a teenager???); and yet, I think it'd be nice to have another girl, because then Leila could have the sister I never had AND each child would have their special place in the family. You know, Leila is the oldest, Elyas the only boy, and the second daughter would be the youngest. Maybe that would help deflect some of the middle child syndrome. I guess, from this standpoint, I can truly say that I don't have a preference. I really will be happy with whatever I get. Though if the Chinese chart is right, it looks like we'll likely be in for another girl. Gulp.

All this of course hinges on the fact that we are as lucky as we have been in the past and we get pregnant right when we attempt to, and not earlier than planned, or later than hoped for.