It's a BOY!

Last week was very eventful :-)

On Wednesday, I had my anatomy scan. For those not up on their pregnancy-speak, somewhere around 18 - 22 weeks of gestation, most mothers-to-be undergo an anatomy ultrasound. The technician takes a lot of skeletal measurements, checks the function and size of all of the major organ systems, and checks things like amniotic fluid level, placenta placement, umbilical cord function and cervical position. After all of that is done, they will also attempt to tell you the gender of the baby. I say attempt, because if the baby is not positioned favorably for a gender picture, or if they are feeling active and won't hold still, then you get a maybe guess or a 'come back another time'.

Our baby was feeling mellow and cooperative, so in addition to seeing a beautiful array of skeletal poetry and healthy organ function, we found out that our baby on the way is a boy.

Isn't he just precious ;-) If ultrasound photos are not your 'thing', this is a profile shot. Baby's head is on the left. The 'curlicue' on his forehead is actually the fingers of his right hand. Just above his tummy on the right side, you can see his knee and leg bones. He seemed pretty cramped in there, and I resolved to drink more water, but then I read that babies spend their time curled up like that until around 20 weeks. After that, they start to really stretch (as much as possible). I'm assuming that this has to do with skeletal and muscular development, but assuming is usually unwise... so I have some research to do... but I will also up my water intake!

I am not posting the gender shot. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Lily Ruth is thrilled. She is already referring to him as 'little brother' or 'baby brother' instead of just Baby Bean.

Don and I would have both been genuinely happy with either a boy or a girl, so instead of the gender reveal being emotionally charged either way, it was just something that was nice to know after they told us that he was healthy and developing right on schedule.

After the fun of watching the baby move in real time, Don and Lily Ruth headed out for school and work. I stayed for my post-surgical visit with the surgeon. Leading up to the appointment, I had a lot of anxiety about how slowly I felt the healing process was progressing, and how much scar tissue was massing. Even just two days before, I was really frustrated and quite worried. I STILL didn't feel like myself, and I could feel a 'ball' of swelling / scar tissue / muscle weirdness right above my poor, sore belly button. Honestly, it freaked me out.

My doctor heard me out, then palpated my navel and the surgical path. Then he adopted a fairly insulted tone and asked me exactly what I was worried about since that was obviously a beautiful incision that was healing remarkably well.

I had been in a bit of a rush that morning. I bathed, slapped some Neosporin in there and took off. At his request, I looked at it and did my own poking around. Much to my surprise, it was fine! No redness. No swelling. No lump under the skin. So I apologized, thanked him for the incredible non-scar, and promised to bring the baby in for a visit after he arrives.

You guys, I cannot tell you what an incredible feeling it was to see our beautiful, healthy baby and then be released by the surgeon with a clean bill of health. I felt like I was taking a deep breath for the first time in AGES. I felt like a boulder had been removed from my shoulders, and blinders had been taken from my eyes. I felt happy and peaceful for pretty much the first time during this pregnancy.

I finally feel like a can acknowledge this baby and work toward his healthy birth.

I even bought him something to sleep in once he gets here...


I LOVE sleep sacks!!!!!! I couldn't help myself. It's time to celebrate this baby, ya'll!

Are you WITH me?

Last night was AWESOME. Don & I got to do one of our favorite shared pastimes. No, not that you pervert... although we would have if we'd had any time to spare... We went to a Cowboy Mouth show! Cowboy Mouth are a fantastic rock band out of New Orleans. The show is always energy-filled, loud and FUN.


The drummer (Fred) is the lead singer, so the drum kit is front and center. He's a powerhouse of big, positive energy, and he never stops moving, so he's a blur in my crappy cell phone picture. The entire show is 'full audience participation required'. Everyone is exhorted to be on their feet, hollering, clapping, jumping and singing for the duration of the set. Occasionally, Fred will halt a song until the noise level meets his standard. You just feel GOOD during a Cowboy Mouth show. He often asks 'ISN'T IT GREAT TO BE ALIVE!!!?'

Oh, I'm still riding along on the wave of feel-good fun from last night! Also, as I write this, I'm looking for a video to post with it, and Lily Ruth is dancing and clapping on the bed next to me - too cute!


Now, fingers crossed that the lady I've been e-mailing all day really wants the tiny cat! If so, he may be in his new home by tonight!!!

I found a video on youtube. It's not my favorite song of all time. That honor goes to 'Love of My Life', but there is no official video for that one... they spend too much time touring to make videos ;-), but I like it!

Today's Random Tidbits - 3

We made it back from the extended family wedding yesterday. In case you were wondering (or had forgotten), nine-month-olds do not take kindly to being strapped into a carseat for four-plus hours at a time. I spent most of the drive (both directions) in the back seat alternately singing, waving toys, offering sippy cups and bottles and feeling so tired that I thought my eyes were going to drop out of my head.

The wedding itself was beautiful. I am glad that we made the journey so that we could share in the moment. It was great to see everyone, and Lily Ruth had a ball. She let other people hold her, chewed on the wedding favors, and did extensive 'walking' while holding on to somebody's fingers. She still leads with her baby belly, so we're not as close to solo walking as I had feared. WHEW!

The swimming pool is closer to normal than it has been in a very long time. I am very excited about this. Given the opportunity, I spend hours each day partially submerged hippo-style in the water. Last summer, our priorities were a little bit different. I swam a bit while still pregnant, but after Lily Ruth arrived, and I got the 'all clear' from my doctor, I was too tired to swim or help maintain the pool. Then it was fall, and we let it kind of return to the earth. Our poor pool has been out of balance (read: GREEN) since August. Daddy has battled it in a half-hearted manner whenever he had a few moments to spare, but his free time has been limited. I of course, had been choosing to do ANYTHING other than mess with the pool. Well, the two of us have finally made a commitment to our home, yard and pool, so things are on the mend!

As I mentioned in my last post, I had a great day on Friday. I'm not sure what made Friday any different from my other days recently, but I choose to attribute it to my morning guest. A friend who I don't see often but am very fond of came over to visit and to receive a massage. This doubled the awesomeness of the day because I love to visit with her, and I really miss having my hands on people on a regular basis. I truly love being a massage therapist. I hope that I am able to return to it it some form when Lily Ruth starts school.

Today, Lily Ruth and I went back to the Diocese to play on the grass. The springs aren't running, and the pools are a bit green, but we were still glad to be there. We spent over half and hour chewing on tender grass stems and practicing solo standing. I thought about wandering back to the car for the camera, but decided that it was more important to live in that moment than record it for posterity. I think I made the right choice :-)