Moving Moments

More and more I am feeling my little one move. It's endlessly fascinating and I can't get enough. The first time I felt something that I was sure was the baby was 21w5d. It was a faint tap, but it definitely caught my attention and I spent the rest of the day with my hand on my belly hoping to catch more. It's still very sporadic, though, with one day bringing lots of taps and bumps and the next day nothing.

My cat likes to sit on my belly and purr. I've been wondering if the baby can hear/feel the purring and what he thinks of it. Well, yesterday, when Austin was stretched out right across my belly, a warm weight that was purring up a storm, the baby kicked him! I don't think the cat felt it, but it made me laugh and I guess it answered my questions.

Here's my 24-week belly pic. This was the first day I wore a maternity shirt to work.



As you can see, I've changed my blog design yet again. This was my Saturday morning procrastination project. I really like this one, so I think I'll be leaving it alone for a good long while. I've finally added a blog roll (on the left) and my TTC and pregnancy journey (on the right). I'm liking the three-column layout. I'll try to post more frequently!

21w4d

I had another level II anatomy scan today because the radiologist wasn't satisfied with the quality of the heart images from the first scan. The ultrasound doc felt this do-over was unnecessary — "You're wasting your time," he said — but good-naturedly said I should enjoy the chance to see the baby again. He confirmed with complete confidence that this is most definitely a boy.

We had the same problem as last time: the baby stubbornly kept his back to us so that the heart was difficult to see. The doctor spent a long time manipulating my belly and made me empty my bladder twice in hopes that he would move, but no dice. Finally the doctor got a shot he was satisfied with (I was on my side facing the wall and he was pushing upwards hard with the wand just above my pubic bone).

It's amazing how much the kid has grown. In just three weeks he has nearly doubled his weight and is now just a smidge under a pound. A pound! Tell me how it is possible that I still can't feel him moving around in there. I guess the anterior placenta combined with his apparent favoured position facing my spine conspire to muffle his movements, but still... he weighs a freaking pound! Any day now, right?

Here are some ultrasound pictures. Please excuse the quality of the reproductions; the first was scanned but the second is a photograph of the printout. You get the idea.

18w4d ~ cute!



21w4d ~ so much bigger! Doc said he was busy eating.

Big Ultrasound

I had my big ultrasound today. We got to see the baby moving around, kicking, waving, and even yawning — and yes, we were able to find out the sex. We're having a boy! My son currently weighs 250 grams (or 9 ounces, if you prefer). I think it's pretty neat that they can estimate the weight based on a few measurements.

We got four ultrasound pictures but they're not very clear. I'll try to post a couple later this weekend.

I think I have been imagining myself with a daughter, so this idea will take some getting used to, but of course I am so very happy and grateful that everything looks perfect and perfectly normal.

The ultrasound clinic was near Keith's parents' place, so we headed over there afterwards to share the news. Upon hearing that it's a boy, my FIL said excitedly, "That's what we wanted!" And Keith and I laughed and reminded him that when we first announced the pregnancy he'd said it had better be a girl because they already have a grandson (age 13). Too funny!

We're celebrating Christmas with Keith's family tomorrow because his parents are going to Florida for two weeks over the real Christmas. I just finished baking cookies to bring. Keith, like a kid, loves that he gets to open presents early, and will get more in a couple of weeks. OMG, I can't believe real Christmas is less than two weeks away! I'm so not ready!

NT scan and first ultrasound pics!

Yep, I had my NT scan today (ultrasound to screen for Down's syndrome) and everything looks great! The NT measurement was perfectly normal, at 1.2 mm, and the heart was racing away at 177 bpm! If you subscribe to certain gender prediction myths, you'd swear this baby is a girl.

I learned that I have an anterior placenta. According to the doctor, this means the baby's movements will be muffled and less distinct than they otherwise might have been. This makes me a bit sad, although ladies on the Nest have reassured me that they still felt plenty. I hope so!

The only bad part about today was the bloodwork. They did the initial bloodwork for my OB at the same time as the NT stuff, and together they required 10 vials! My poor vein stopped producing partway through, and the tech kept pushing my wrist down to further straighten my arm and pressing my skin around the needle to squeeze out a few more drops. It seemed to go on forever.

And... I finally got ultrasound pics! Here they are. Keep in mind that these are photos of printouts, so not the best quality. Also, apparently my bladder wasn't as full as it should have been, so the images weren't the best to begin with. Oh well. I can still see my baby!