BabyScan II Complete!

WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NewMom-To-Be and I went to the big ultrasound appointment today. We took the day off from work so we could properly enjoy it. Nothing beats taking a Monday off to go see your Baby-To-Be. It was a good decision to take the day off, as we both had trouble sleeping last night. It felt like Christmas Eve, because we had both been looking forward to this day since the last ultrasound. We went out to breakfast before the appointment, and having pancakes with syrup apparently sent the little guy running around in circles. The ultrasound technician suggested the name "Wiggle-Worm," but thankfully for the baby, we're going with another name altogether. What's the name, you ask? Check back in about four and a half months. =)

We got a few pictures from the ultrasound, and one of them should appear above this message. The ultrasound technician was pretty good...we think the "HI" in the picture is her idea of a joke. It could be some type of measurement jargon, but you can see the head looking right at you. On the left, you can make out the legs crossed over each other. I decided that posting the gender-confirmation picture might come back to haunt the little guy years later, so we're keeping that one off the internet. For now. Long may it live in the baby album.

We also scored a videotape of the last few minutes of the ultrasound. I'm sure we'll wear that sucker out in a few weeks. I tried for a recordable DVD, but this is rural south Georgia, and I think that I even show up at all of the appointments is enough of a novelty for these folks. I didn't want to rock the boat too much. I promise not to show you the videotape unless you ask. The fact that you folks are reading this blog is enough for me. =)

In other pregnancy developments, NewMom-To-Be reports feeling the baby moving. All previous reports of feeling movement were entirely premature and can be chalked up to wishful thinking. The fetus has successfully woken his mother up, thumped on her abdomen numerous times, and taken up oodles of time while both parents try to feel it moving. I think I've felt it, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm waiting until I can feel it give me a high-five before I say for sure.

NewMom-To-Be is generally doing well and has few complaints about her condition now. She is showing much more now and passed over a milestone of being comfortable with her bigger tummy now. She has lots of cute maternity clothes that she has either purchased, received as gifts, or borrowed from family and friends. In fact, she said something today that almost made my heart stop. While walking past the clothing section in Target today, NewMom-To-Be said "You know, I think I have enough clothes now." Oh, to have had a tape recorder at that moment.

Parenthood = Space Mountain?

NewMom-To-Be and I went for her monthly checkup with the doctor today. To distract myself from the soap operas in the waiting room, I read all the usual OB/GYN magazines.** We had lots of time to amuse ourselves in the waiting room, so I made it through several magazines. I learned a few useful things in the WebMD magazine, ditto for the ePregnancy current issue. Then, just as I was starting to worry that my reading possibilities were starting to thin out...I saw it. Under a few other less interesting magazines (Spanish-language People, anyone?), I spotted the Holy Grail of pregnancy/parenting information. I trembled as I pulled it out of the stack. Could it be? A pregnancy/parenting advice magazine from that most trusted source? Yes! Walmart had sensed my need and written a magazine just for me!

Suprisingly, it wasn't limited to good Walmart advice such as "Buy lots of formula from Walmart," "Walmart has lots of cute baby clothes for your newborn," and "How to deliver a baby in Walmart (Cleanup on aisle 3!)" The most interesting article was one of those ones telling NewParents not to feel bad when their experiences don't match up with all the "expert" advice-givers who seem to pop out of the woodwork from this point on. Somewhere in the article, Walmart actually taught me something. According to the author, pregnancy is like the Space Mountain ride at Disney World. It was a good analogy. Just like Space Mountain, the first year of NewParent-hood is often very dark, scary, noisy, and chock-full of vomit. I will forever thank Walmart for this pearl of wisdom.

NewMom continues doing very well. She reports that she is now showing enough to be receiving frequent tummy pats from friends. She has yet to experience the tummy pat from a complete stranger, but we're sure it will happen. Thankfully, the nausea has continued to stay away from our home. Hopefully, it will never return. Last week featured a fever of 101 degrees, enough coughing to disturb sleep, and two sick-days taken to recover at home. She is much better now and I am happy to be sleeping through the night. Maybe the baby is sleeping better now too. All previous reports of feeling the "quickening" were premature...no movement has been felt yet. Heartbeat measurement today at the doctor's office was somewhere around 150. (What exactly do these guys do in there? It's not like there's room to run laps...) The next ultrasound is in a few weeks, and we're looking forward to knowing the gender. We'll share as soon as we know. Names will be kept secret, but if anyone has a good boy name we are taking suggestions. The girl name is locked up in the vault. =)

It's just past 9 PM here...we're going to bed now. From what I understand, the days of getting a full night's sleep that starts before 10pm are numbered...

*(Why didn't I have a book? I don't know. After all, I am the child of a librarian and a media specialist...it took years of therapy just to break the binding of a book to make it lie flat.)