Now...for the details:
It was a PERFECT day!!! Our first appointment (our regular monthly checkup) was at 10:40. We spent some time at Borders before going in, enjoying a cup of coffee and looking at the children's books. We found one incredible one called "Unstoppable Me". We are going to be getting this book ASAP and reading it to our child as often as possible. It's pretty incredible. Anyway, off to the appointment, where (predictably) it was running a bit late. I was weighed - four more pounds gained for a total of 8 pounds during my pregnancy so far! My blood pressure was good. I got the "orange drink" for the glucose test next visit (in February). I actually chose the "punch" version - so mine is pink...but whatever. Then, we listened to the heartbeat. It was a thumping 165! Everything is good - the doctor had nothing bad to report from the ultrasound last time, except that I had to go back (not a bad thing by OUR standards!). All is good - I'm progressing exactly as I should and there is nothing to alarm anyone.
So, after that appointment, we went to IHOP for lunch. We are just in love with their pancakes! We ate and I guzzled some apple juice and water so that my bladder would be full for the follow up ultrasound at 1 PM. We went directly to the the radiology center after lunch and waited for a few minutes. We were brought back and the real fun began! Our Little Honey at 24 weeks was so incredible!!!!! The pictures above are just a tiny sample of all that we saw. At the beginning, the baby was moving all around. The tech kept commenting that s/he was keeping her busy trying to get shots. They specifically needed to get good shots of the heart and spine. The heart posed no problem at all - the baby was laying in such a way that the pictures were easy to get. It was awesome to see that little heart thumping away (FYI - the heartbeat had gone down to 151 during this appointment...perfectly normal and within the range). While the tech was getting the heart shots, she informed us that Little Honey had the hiccups. FINALLY - I was able to confirm that what I had been feeling was hiccups!!!! Now I know for sure that when I feel that rhythmic feeling, it's the baby with hiccups!!!
But the shots there were really important were the shots with the baby laying with his/her head toward my spine, and his/her spine facing up! They needed to see that the spine was fine. But, Little Honey had his/her own ideas about that. Obviously, s/he was very comfortable laying face up and didn't want to move. So, the tech decided to "play" a little. She took out the wand and began the 4D. Now, let me just point out that Kelly and I had decided not to request a 4D ultrasound for a many reasons. We were (mistakenly) under the impression that we would automatically see the gender. Also, our insurance doesn't cover it if it's not medically necessary. BUT, because this was new technology for this group and for our tech in particular, she was just "playing" to see what she could come up with! And let me say, it was INCREDIBLE!!!! The pictures above are just what she "snapped". While we were watching in 4D, the baby began to suck his/her thumb. Then, s/he pulled the thumb out of his/her mouth. But obviously missed it when it was out, because s/he tried to put it back in. Coordination is obviously not completely developed yet, because as s/he was bringing the thumb back to his/her mouth, the baby stuck out his/her tongue!!!! Kelly said "was that the baby's tounge????" LOL - it was very, very sweet.
So, back to the problem at hand. We still needed those spine shots. The tech called in another tech who did some pushing and prodding and talked about how much the baby was moving, but not flipping. I couldn't help but laugh. LOL - we've obviously got a stubborn little soul in there. The tech asked me to go to the bathroom and "give a little squeeze" to try and make the baby move. So, into the bathroom I went. While I was in there, I poked and prodded (quite hard, actually) my belly with my fingertips right under the baby. And I laughed and explained that as much as I loved seeing our little honey on screen, that it was very important to get good pictures. So, move little love, move!!!! I went and laid back down and sure enough, the baby was in the exact position they needed. They took their pictures of the spine (all is good) and then finished up. Kelly and I were giggling the entire time about Our Little Honey. Obviously, s/he is stubborn...but we're gonna be able to figure it out. LOL - we are stubborn too!
A couple of thoughts about the experience:
1) The techs confirmed that the gender they had selected in the first time was 100% accurate. Apparently, Little Honey gave them a dead-on clear shot of his/her anatomy. At this point in development, there is no doubt when the shot is as clear as Little Honey's was. They assured us that this didn's mean it was a a boy - it's as easy for them to tell a girl at this point as it is for a boy (given a clear shot). So. We didn't find out. BUT, they know for sure. Let the guessing games begin...
2) If you take a look at the photo, you'll see that our little baby has a (nearly) full head of dark hair already. I have always dreamed of having a baby that had my curls and Kelly's hair color. It seems that we've got Kelly's color!!! Very, very dark (nearly black). When I saw that on the screen, it made me cry. This child, who is such a crucial part of us is truly going to look like BOTH of us. I couldn't be happier. (I know, I know...the first round of hair falls out...BUT...at this stage, it's dark!).
3) We have gotten REALLY lucky with our ultrasounds. The first was over an hour and the tech showed and explained everything. We saw all the organs, all the bones, all the important things. She was fun, friendly and had NO problem with us as a couple. Our second ultrasound was about 45 minutes. Again, the two women were amazing and fun. They gave us some free time with the 4D machine. We are so lucky to have had such a phenomenal experience!
So, all told, this has been just incredible. We are so happy to know that the baby is healthy and growing normally. All signs are pointing to a good pregnancy and a healthy Momma at this point. This is our last ultrasound, assuming that we stay healthy, so keep your fingers crossed!!!
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