Friday, August 17, 2007

Ultrasounds, Cribs, and all things baby

So, all morning I kept telling her she was going to have her picture taken ("are you ready for your close-up??") in the hopes that she might cooperate and oh, say, show us her face or turn in a helpful direction. In response to my coaching and words of "encouragement," she seemed to be dancing up a storm - kicks, jabs, big swivelling side moves, my whole stomach moving to the left or right in an undulating motion - so I was thinking - well alright then! She's not going to be camera shy as she has been on all other occasions.
Alas.

After waiting quite a while (as an aside, I really think SB needs more than one guy who does ultrasounds but that's another issue... he's got quite the niche for himself frankly) we went in voila, there she was.

She had both of her hands in front of her face and was doing a "yoga pose" as he said - with one leg stretched out towards her head and the other one - basically in the splits - in the opposite direction. Apparently the position corresponds to the acrobatics I was feeling this morning...

Her head is facing down now "in the birthing position" but as he said, they move all over so who knows where she'll be tonight, next week, etc.
I can feel her butt on the left side of my stomach as this hard ball type thing.

But, she did not cooperate (perhaps she'll want to be like her mom and be on the other side of the camera... =)) and show us her face hence the lack of photographs or ultrasound images to scan in here for you to see.

It's amazing the size difference from the last time we went in at 18 weeks. I'm now basically 31 weeks and she takes up the whole screen - there is no more whole body image, merely bits and pieces. A leg or an arm here, a hand there, a portion of the spine snaking along part of the screen.

We did get to see a close-up of the heartbeat which is always amazing and also reassuring. It was beating away. Apparently, if Tom puts his ear to my stomach and listens, he can hear her heartbeat. We have tried this and Tom was serenaded only by my stomach gurgling and enjoying it's last meal... =) We'll try again and perhaps I can 'borrow' my dad's stethascope...

Currently, she's 3 lbs. 12 oz.
That's in the 75% for size and as he said "she's a large baby. Not super large but larger. But not overly large." As the 75% would seem to indicate... Which he said looked fine but frankly, my first thought - the one that flashed through my mind in glowing neon was: Large baby = fantastically fun time during delivery! Ouch... but, we shall see!

I forgot to ask how long she is currently. And I forgot to ask what the heartbeat rate was.
You see, I'm already a good, well-prepared mother. =) I have a list of questions and poof, they all disappear. Can I still blame my mental lapses on "pregnancy brain?" I hope so.
It's oh so convenient an excuse.

Or as Tom has experienced - in the midst of me talking or telling a story I will say, "um, what was it I was just saying?" - having completely forgotten and/or lost my train of thought.
Note: This is not a thing that works so well at my job. But I try not to let on =).

So... all appears well after the ultrasound. Now we just get to wait about 5-6 weeks for another one. =)

And now we really do need a crib. She has a few things to wear but nothing to sleep in, sleep on, move around on, be transported in, carried with etc...
Nor a prepared room in which to sleep.
We're very on the ball, as you can see...

Shopping for a crib has been a ridiculous experience. Many types, kinds, colors - however, my few comments will be these: It seems overly difficult to find cribs with "hidden hardware" and a "drop down side" that are in a color/stain that isn't horribly awful looking. I take issue with Internet sites that have search features and claim to be helpful but have no specific search categories for the 3 things I just mentioned.
That and it takes weeks for you to get the crib. Here's to hoping we order one today or tomorrow that only takes, oh, only a few weeks to get here!

Poor girl's going to have a nice pretty dress to wear while sitting in an empty room... =)
So I think the ultrasound and the time ticking down will propel us to acquire more things that are "mandatory" or "necessary"...

That and Day Care... who knew when someone said "oh, places usually have wait lists" they meant over 120 children for a few spots!!!! That's an entirely different area we have to think about. It made me joke that "geeze, you need to put your name down on these waiting lists before you even know you're pregnant!" Kind of like some girls I've heard of who have put their names down to be married at certain places before they are even engaged...

So -
That is the most recent update! Thanks for checking in and we will keep the updates coming. =)

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