Mid-point Ultrasound

On Thursday morning I went to my first OB appointment on my own. It was a bummer that the big ultrasound was the first appointment Mike couldn't make, but it was good because it meant that he was doing a landscaping job. And because my doctor rocks he said that he'd do another ultrasound the next time Mike was able to be there with me.

First, to answer the question many of you are wondering - we did not find out if it is a boy or a girl. The doctor knows, but I looked away from the screen worried I would be able to tell. He said it was pretty obvious so I guess I'm glad I looked away. That said, if we decide we want to find out after all, then we can. Second, (which probably should have been first) everything looks great. The best picture from the day is this one:You'll see it looks like we have a thumb sucker on our hands. I guess that's just appropriate considering Mike and I both sucked our thumbs but goodness help me if I'm going to have to pry it out of his or her mouth when he or she is way too old to be sucking their thumb like happened with me (and apparently my husband, but maybe he's just saying that to make me feel better). Or maybe the baby is just a thumb sucker en utero and will find many more fascinating things to fill his or her time with once it's born! It was really cool to see though because you could actually see the tongue moving in and out!

Some of the things they look for are cleft palate, intestines and spinal cord inside the body with skin closed over each, an intact diaphragm, a heart with 4 chambers, a bladder that's full, and a stomach that's full. The bladder and the stomach being full are indications that the baby can swallow and the kidneys are working and most everything else is structural but it would be problematic if they weren't formed correctly. I'm sure there are other things that he told me during the ultrasound but I was too entranced with the screen to hear everything.

The little one loves to move around and the doctor said once I do start feeling movement I'll probably feel a lot. For now though my placenta is between the baby and the wall of the uterus so I'm not feeling anything. Every once in a while I think I may have felt something, but it's nothing I am ready to classify as feeling it move for the first time. He said the baby will probably be kicking my bladder soon though! All the measurements put the baby right on target for just about 20 weeks and he said that if I go to term and the baby keeps growing at this rate, it will be around 8 pounds when it's born. Again, based on Mike and I, I guess that's about right since we both were big. And my sister's boy was almost 8 pounds, too, and baby size is hereditary.

Anytime I look at the pictures I always call it a boy but when I talk about it otherwise, it's a girl. So I guess I don't have any idea what I think it is. We joke around here that maybe we should find out because Mike says he needs 20 weeks to get used to the idea of a girl and I think I need 20 weeks to get used to the idea of a boy. I then amended my comment after being reminded of crazy stories of Mike growing up and said I think I need 20 years to get used to the idea of having a boy!

All in all, everything is like it should be at this point. My weight gain is just where it should be, my symptoms are pretty much non-existent right now, and things are coming together with Mike getting a new job that he really enjoys at Izakay Den (YUM! I can't wait until I can eat real sushi again, not just California Rolls) and still getting landscaping here and there as well. I feel very blessed to have a healthy baby and I'm not as worried as I thought I would be, seeing what I see every day.

Now comes the fun of trying to figure out what to do with the nursery and little things like that! Mike's parents are coming to visit in a few weeks and we are building a guest room out of the enormous room in the basement so we'll have a place to host anyone who wants to come visit. And Mike and I got a new bed so you won't have to sleep on the awful full size mattress I got for free when I was a poor AmeriCorps member!

I have "popped"

I tried to find some Google answer for the origin of the term "popped" but I think it's just a logical origin since that is how I feel. A week ago today I didn't feel as if I was so much pregnant but more just pudgy. Then something this weekend definitely changed. I used to be able to put on a big t-shirt and be able to camouflage the tummy. But Sunday morning as I was getting dressed, I realized that was definitely not the case anymore. I looked down and there it was, big t-shirt and all. So for all intents and purposed, I look pregnant. I suppose that's a good thing since I'm 19 weeks but it's still just weird.

At the hospital open house just prior to 15 weeks pregnant

A week later just prior to 16 weeks pregnant - I'm still able to hide it

Today, 19 weeks pregnant

My current favorite blog reading

I, just like my sister, love to read blogs. Blog reading has gotten me back in touch with college friends, high school friends, and shown me other people's viewpoints and thoughts. I also like to run across craft ideas, meal ideas (which I'm desperately needing these days), and I get my news by way of Google Reader, too.

Every once in a while I go looking for new blogs to read. My Google Reader is full of all kinds of great blogs but I like to refresh every once in a while. Some of my go-to blogs (in addition to friends and family of course) are Dooce, The Spohrs Are Multiplying, and matt, liz and madeline. These blogs mostly have a back story and so if you are going to start reading any of these, I'd recommend reading the "About Me" section, but they are all beautifully written and all have become well known blogs, two of which have even started non-profits relating to what they have gone through.

Like I said though, I like to find new blogs. Since my current mindset is family and babies, I did a Google search for "best baby blogs" which lead me to Top Baby Blogs. I got back every once in a while because it's a "top list" that is recompiled constantly based on click-throughs from the page. Therefore, while there are always some good ones that remain in the top few spots, it's also always possible to see new blogs, too. This is where I have found my new favorite blog - This Place is Now a Home. What's fun about this blog is that it is a man and a woman who share posting. They classify it as "He Said, She Said". They don't post on the same topics, for the most part, but they each bring unique ideas to what they are posting on. I think another reason I love this blog so much is that their baby is a new born - I started reading when he was 4 weeks old, I think - which was just a few weeks ago - and so they are going through what we'll be going through in a few short months (did I mention that you can now count how many months until the baby is born on ONE hand?!?). She has really good insight on mothering and being a first time mom so it's really interesting to read.

What are the blogs you are reading these days??

3rd appointment ... almost time for my 4th!

There really were no big updates from my 3rd appointment a few weeks ago. The doc did a Doppler of the heartbeat which he said was perfect and he also noted that the baby was moving around a lot an trying to get away from the Doppler so that was a good sign as well. My blood pressure is fine, my weight gain is perfect... so apparently things are going smoothly. I also had a quad screen. I didn't feel much of a need to do this just because the outcome would not make any difference to what happened in the long run, but we ended up doing it just because. Turn out, apparently I couldn't have had a more normal screen so it's just another indication things are going as they should.

Believe it or not, I go back for my mid-pregnancy ultrasound a week from today! That is when they will confirm measurements, make sure the baby is growing, and do lots of looking at organs and making sure everything looks alright. If there is anything odd-looking at all he will refer me to OBX, the high risk pregnancy group at the hospital, for an even more in depth ultrasound. And since I'm sure many of you are wondering, will we find out the sex?? I think that I won't know the actual answer until we get in the room, but as of now we are leaning towards not finding out. And Mike even agreed with me on that one. So, we'll let you know what we decide after the appointment next week - but for now you have to keep wondering.