Baby Love

Well, it's officially public information: we are expecting our second child. Many people, possibly you, have offered warm messages of congratulations, celebrating this news with us. Since a number of people have already asked us a number of questions, I decided to address some of the bigger ones here.

What is the due date?

Dates can change (Genevieve was 10 days late) so we'll avoid specifics and just say the beginning of March.

Was this baby a surprise?

Yes and no. While we were not planning this child, we weren't shocked either. We're happy because we wanted about 3 years between children. Genevieve will be a month or so past 3.

Where will the baby be born?

Our target departure date  for Costa Rica is January so the baby will be born in Costa Rica.

Will the baby be a U.S. citizen or a Costa Rican citizen?

Both. Costa Rica will recognize the baby as a citizen because he will be born there. Meanwhile, the United States will recognize the baby as a citizen because Polly and I are both citizens. We will have to file paperwork for both, but it's apparently pretty easy. While I'm sure there could be some cons to dual citizenship (two countries that could charge taxes), there are also pros:

• He can travel to countries not friendly with the U.S. on his Costa Rican passport.
• He can live in either place without worrying about visas or such.
• Costa Rica's education is cheaper.

Will we find out the gender? Will we announce it?

Yes and yes. We should find out in about two months (we don't have the date yet, but I'm guessing October). It will benefit us to know because it will be easier to bring gender-specific stuff to Costa Rica than buy it there. You will know shortly after we do.

Do we have a gender preference?

The cop-out answer would be to say that it doesn't matter and we'll be happy either way. While that's not untrue, we still have a preference. Genevieve wants a girl. While it would be easier to have a girl from a practical standpoint, Polly and I want a boy. Hey, there's a reason I chose to use the generic "he' instead of "she" when talking about the baby.

Will this impact our work in Costa Rica?

Having a baby always impacts anything you do. With that said, it will not impact our target date or our objectives. It may mean that Polly has to work harder with language school but there are always sacrifices made when having a baby, and let's be honest, it's not typically the baby making them.

We are very excited for what's in store and we are thrilled that there will be another member of our little family to enjoy it with. After hearing his heartbeat the other day, it's starting to feel more real. And of course, considering the fact that we will most likely be gone for 3 years, there is a real possibility that we come back to the U.S. as a family of five rather than four.